How do I know if I'm pregnant No. 1? What are the top 10 questions that Arabs searched for in Google in 2023?

play videoplay video

Video duration 03 minutes 27 seconds 03:27

The year 2023 witnessed many health events, which we covered in Al Jazeera Net in the 2023 medical harvest. But it also saw millions of searches for medical questions and inquiries, so what were the top 10 most searched health questions on Google in 2023? And what are their answers?

We contacted Al Jazeera Net with the media office in Google and asked for this information, to provide us, and publish it in a special and exclusive report for Al Jazeera.

The following are the most searched Arab health questions 2023 worldwide, and their answers:

1- How do I know if I am pregnant?

This is the first question on the list of most searched Arab health questions 2023.

Significant hormonal changes occur during pregnancy. These lead to a variety of symptoms. Some women experience many pregnancy symptoms, while others may experience only a few.

Early symptoms of pregnancy include:

• Absence of the menstrual cycle.
• Changes in the breast.
• Pooping.
• Frequent urination.
• Nausea (morning sickness).
• Vomit.
• Cravings for certain foods, and aversion to foods that women usually like.
• Sour or metallic taste that persists even when you are not eating (an imbalance in your sense of taste).

However, these symptoms may be caused by other factors, and do not necessarily mean that you are pregnant, so if you suspect that you are pregnant, take a home pregnancy test and see your doctor.

Also, there are other symptoms that may appear on pregnant women, such as:

• Back pain.
• Breathlessness.
• Constipation.
• Hemorrhoids.
• Headaches.
• Heartburn.
• itchy skin;
• Leg cramps.
• Mood changes (such as unexplained crying).
• tingling and numbness in the hands.
• Vaginal discharge.

2- What is the cause of heart beats in young age?

Heart pulses "heart palpitations" occur when a person feels that their heart is beating irregularly. It may seem like the heart is beating fast, or beating faster than usual when the person is at rest (not exercising). Sometimes exercise can cause heart beats and the heart rate continues to speed up, even though you stop exercising.

In young people, heart beats often don't indicate a health problem. But it can be caused by a variety of factors, such as:

• Stupor or fear.
• Exposure to stress.
• Cold, allergy and asthma medications.
• Herbal supplements.
• Some medications.
• Caffeine.
• Two of the most common causes of heart palpitations in young people are:
• Not drinking enough fluids on a regular basis.
• Lack of physical fitness.
• In rare cases, a heart break can be a sign of a serious medical condition, such as anemia, thyroid problems or arrhythmias (a condition caused by a problem with the heart's electrical system).

If a young person has persistent heart breaks, they should see a doctor.

Treatment is by treating the cause, such as not drinking water or drinking too much caffeine.

In the rare cases where your doctor finds a heart condition, one treatment option will include medications. Another option is catheterization to cut the abnormal electrical passages in the heart.

3- What is circumcision?

Circumcision is a surgical procedure performed on a male in which the foreskin, the skin that covers the head of the penis, is removed, and has proven health benefits.

Circumcision is usually performed within days after the birth of the child, and in some Arab countries it is performed by a person called "purgatory", and he must have a license and training to do so, as well as a doctor with training in circumcision.

Circumcision has health benefits that include:

• Reduce the risk of urinary tract infections.
• Reduce the likelihood of penile cancer.
• Reduce the likelihood of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.
• Reduce the likelihood of HIV transmission by 60%, according to the World Health Organization, while stressing that this does not mean that circumcision protects against AIDS transmission, but rather reduces its risk.

Male circumcision must be carried out by medically qualified persons and within the conditions of sterilization, disease prevention and public safety.

4- What is the reason for the delay of menstruation?

Pregnancy is the most common cause of the absence of menstruation. However, medical and other lifestyle factors can also affect your menstrual cycle, leading to delayed periods.

Causes of delayed menstruation

• Stress, as intense stress affects the production of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), the hormone that regulates ovulation and the menstrual cycle.
• Physical stress.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a hormonal imbalance that can cause delayed or irregular periods. If you have PCOS, you likely have other symptoms besides an irregular menstrual cycle. Some of these may include weight gain or difficulty losing weight, infertility, acne, hair loss or thinning, facial or body hair growth.
• Obesity, where it affects the regulation of estrogen and progesterone. Weight loss can help regulate the menstrual cycle of obese women.
• When the body lacks fat and other nutrients, it cannot produce hormones in the right way.
• Primary ovarian insufficiency, a condition that occurs when the ovaries stop working normally before a woman reaches the age of 40. This can cause irregular periods and fertility problems.
• Chronic diseases such as pituitary tumors, adrenal gland diseases, liver dysfunction, and diabetes.
• Acute diseases, such as pneumonia, heart attack, kidney failure or meningitis, because they can lead to rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiencies or hormone imbalances. These conditions can also lead to the absence of menstruation.
• Doing too much sport, as it can cause changes in pituitary hormones and thyroid hormones, which can affect ovulation and menstruation.
• Some medications, such as: antidepressants, antipsychotics, thyroid medications, and anticonvulsants.
• Ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when an ectopic pregnancy implants. If you have a positive pregnancy test and you have an IUD, you should see your doctor.
• Birth control, hormonal contraceptives that contain only progesterone can affect the menstrual cycle. Different types of contraception can affect your menstrual cycle in different ways. Some contraceptives are associated with heavy periods, some with mild periods, and some with menopause.
• Thyroid problems, women with thyroid disease have too much or too little thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone has many functions in the body, including regulating the menstrual cycle. When you don't have the right amount of thyroid hormone, your periods may be irregular. Some women with thyroid disease may miss their periods altogether, often for a few months or more.
• Breastfeeding.

You should contact your doctor if you miss more than one period, or if your missed period is accompanied by new or unusual symptoms.

5- How do I relieve period pain?

• Drink more water to reduce bloating.
• Drink hot water.
• Drinking chamomile, fennel or ginger tea is an easy and natural way to relieve menstrual cramps.
• Eat anti-inflammatory foods, such as berries, tomatoes, pineapple, and spices such as turmeric, ginger or garlic. Green leafy greens, almonds, walnuts and fatty fish, such as salmon, can help reduce inflammation.
• Stay away from sweets to avoid excess bloating, as foods high in sugar, trans fats, and salt can cause bloating and inflammation, making muscle pain and cramps worse.
• Drink decaffeinated coffee.
• Use heat to calm cramps, as a little heat can help your muscles relax, improve blood flow and relieve stress. Try sitting with a heating pad, taking a hot bath or relaxing in a hot bath.
• Light exercise.
• Reduce stress.
• Massage therapy to reduce spasm and tension.
• Take over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen.

6- What is sciatica?

Sciatica is neuralgia caused by injury or irritation of the sciatic nerve, which is the longest and thickest nerve (about finger-width) in the body.

The sciatic nerve consists of 5 nerve roots, two from the lumbar region called the lumbar spine, and 3 from the last part of the spine called the sacrum.

The five nerve roots clump together to form the right and left sciatic nerve, and on each side of your body a sciatic nerve passes through your hips, buttocks, and lower leg, ending just below the knee, and then the sciatic nerve branches into other nerves, which continue down your leg to your foot and toes.

الإصابة الحقيقية للعصب الوركي نادرة في الواقع، لكن مصطلح "عرق النسا" يستخدم بشكل شائع لوصف أي ألم ينشأ في أسفل الظهر، وينتشر إلى أسفل الساق، وما يشترك فيه هذا الألم هو إصابة العصب وتهيج أو التهاب أو قرص أو انضغاط على عصب أسفل ظهرك.

إذا كان شخص مصابا بـ"عرق النسا" فإنه سيعاني من ألم خفيف إلى شديد في أي مكان على طول مسار العصب الوركي، أي في أي مكان من أسفل الظهر، من خلال الوركين والأرداف، أو أسفل الساقين، كما يمكن أن يسبب ضعف العضلات في الساق والقدم، وخدرا في الساق، والإحساس بوخز مزعج في الساق، وفي القدم وأصابعها.

يصف الناس ألم عرق النسا بطرق مختلفة، وذلك اعتمادا على السبب، فيصف بعضهم الألم بأنه حاد أو ناري أو هزات من الألم، ويصفه آخرون بأنه "حرق" أو "كهرباء" أو "طعن".

قد يكون الألم مستمرا، أو قد يأتي ويذهب، ويمكن أن يكون أكثر حدة في الساق مقارنة بأسفل الظهر، وقد يزداد سوءا إذا جلس أو وقف الشخص لفترات طويلة من الوقت، عند الوقوف والتواء الجزء العلوي من الجسم يمكن أن تؤدي حركة الجسم القسرية والمفاجئة مثل السعال أو العطس إلى تفاقم الألم.

7- كيف ينتقل الإيدز؟

HIV is an infection that attacks the body's immune system. AIDS is the most advanced stage of the disease, according to the World Health Organization.

HIV targets white blood cells in the body, weakening the immune system. This makes it easy to develop diseases such as tuberculosis, infections and some cancers.

AIDS is transmitted through the exchange of a variety of body fluids from people living with HIV, such as blood (blood transfusion), breast milk (lactation), semen and vaginal discharge (sexual intercourse).

AIDS can also be transmitted during pregnancy and childbirth from the infected mother to the child.

People cannot become infected through normal daily contact such as kissing, hugging, shaking hands, or sharing personal items, food or water.

8- What is a terminal illness?

A terminal illness is an incurable and advanced disease that is likely to cause the death of anyone of any age within days, weeks, months, or sometimes more than a year.

Examples of terminal illness include:

• Cancer in advanced cases.
• Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
• Advanced lung, heart, kidney and liver diseases.
• Stroke.
• Neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease, motor neuron diseases and multiple sclerosis.

9- What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a bacterium that normally attacks the lungs but can damage other organs in the body. The World Health Organization estimates that a third of the world's population – about two billion people – carry TB bacteria in their bodies, even if they do not show symptoms at the same time.

Anatomically tuberculosis leads to a death in cells called "caseous necrosis" in which the tissue takes on the appearance of cheesy. The disease leads to cavities in the lung, leading some to describe the anatomical appearance of the lung of a person infected with "Swiss cheese", due to the shape of white tissue and bubbles that resemble cheese bubbles.

TB bacteria are transmitted through the air when the infected person sneezes, coughs, or even when he speaks, and after a person is exposed to infection and tuberculosis germs enter his body, they behave in one of two ways: the first is to settle inside him without symptoms at a stage called "latent tuberculosis", at which time the disease is called latent tuberculosis, and most of the earth's population is carriers of the disease and they are in this category, so most of them do not know that they carry bacteria in their bodies. On the other hand, people with latent tuberculosis cannot infect those around them.

The second method is that the tuberculosis germ may remain in latency mode for years, after which it may "wake up" to cause tuberculosis, or the so-called "active tuberculosis", at which point the patient develops symptoms and becomes a source of infection. The patient may delay seeing a doctor, neglect symptoms, and it is estimated that the person with the disease may transmit it to about 10 to 15 people within a year. Without proper medical care, two-thirds of people with TB will die.

Symptoms of tuberculosis

• A severe cough that lasts 3 weeks or more.
• Weight loss.
• Loss of appetite.
• Fever.
• Blood or mucus comes out with cough.
• Trouble.
• Night sweats, which is profuse sweating during sleep.

Complications of tuberculosis

• Liver infection.
• Bone infection, which leads to the destruction of the joints, and the ribs of the rib cage are also affected.
• Tuberculosis can reach the brain, causing life-threatening meningitis.
• Kidney damage.
• Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the heart muscle, which can cause fluid to collect around the heart and may cause death.

10- What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis affects nearly 10% (190 million) of women and girls of childbearing age globally.

In endometriosis, uterine tissue grows outside the uterus, that is, in the abdominal cavity and other places where it should not grow, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes, causing chronic inflammation and a reaction that may contribute to scarring.

Symptoms of endometriosis

• Lower abdominal (pelvis) pain, and pain may be greater during the menstrual cycle, during or after intercourse, and when urinating or defecating.
• Chronic pelvic pain.
• Heavy bleeding during or between menstrual cycles.
• Difficulty getting pregnant.
• flatulence or nausea.
• Pooping.
• Depression or anxiety.
• Pain in the lower abdomen or back.
• Severe menstrual pain, which prevents you from doing your normal activities.
• Pain when urinating or defecating during the menstrual cycle.
• Feeling nauseous, constipated or diarrhea during the menstrual cycle.
• The appearance of blood in the urine or feces during the menstrual cycle.
• Infertility.

Treatment of endometriosis

• Hormone therapy, in the form of tablets, injections or sprays.
• Laparoscopy for endometriosis, during this procedure, the surgeon makes a few small incisions in the abdomen, a thin tube with a light and a camera is inserted into one of the incisions, and small instruments are inserted into other incisions that can remove endometrial tissue or use extreme heat to destroy the tissue.
• "Laparotomy for endometriosis", in this procedure the doctor will make a larger incision (pieces) in the abdomen to remove endometrial tissue.
• Hysterectomy for endometriosis, a surgical procedure to remove the uterus that doctors may recommend as an option to treat endometriosis, and may also recommend removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) with or without hysterectomy. This will stop the secretion of hormones, and endometriosis must be treated permanently, but the woman will enter menopause.

Source : Al Jazeera + Agencies