Archive for the 'Women's Health' Category

For years, the standard of care has been no food for mom during labor and delivery.

This practice started back in the mid 1940s, over worries that if general anesthesia were needed for an emergency Cesarean section, the mom-to-be would be at risk for acid pulmonary aspiration, which is a fancy way of saying if she threw up; she could inhale it into her lungs.

Even up until 2009, the recommendations were limited to only clear liquids during labor.

But with general anesthesia increasingly rare in childbirth—even for Cesarean sections—are these recommendations still valid? A group of British researchers decided to find out if this practice really helps, or hurts.

After all, labor and delivery are very physically demanding, and no other time when a person is undergoing strenuous physical activity do we tell them to refrain from food and limit drink.

Almost 2500 women participated in the British study. Half were asked to only drink water, while the other half were invited to eat. Turns out some of the water-only group decided to eat and some of the eating group decided to opt for water only. Turns out, it didn’t really make a difference.

Being a woman, it is quite obvious for you to expect healthy,  flawless and beautiful skin.

But maintaining healthy skin and dealing with skin problems can be certainly a very tedious task for you and all.

Here are some of the most common skin problems in women and some tips for how to take care of them.

Pimples

Who has not experienced these red bumps on the face, provided if you are below the age of 12? Pimples may come up during regular menstruation cycle or pregnancy.

This is the most common and irritating skin problem for almost every one, including the males. It seems that hormone fluctuations and stress cause pimples in women.

Care: Eat healthy diet with rich vitamin sources like fruits, particularly Vitamin E &C. Drink lots of water and wash your face at least twice a day with lukewarm water.

Dark under eye circles

Dark circles under your eyes are generally caused by lack of sleep, stress and fatigue. Eight hours of sleep daily is the top priority for you and avoid extra strain on the eyes.

If you are a woman suffering from pain in vaginal area, the problem might be a condition known as Vulvodynia.

Even though the exact statistics of women with this condition are not known, it is estimated that anywhere from two hundred thousand to six million women are affected.

The reason that there is such a wide range of women who are believed to have Vulvodynia is that most women are too embarrassed to talk about it.

Many doctors don’t believe that it’s a true problem, so the women who have this condition feel like they are either doing something wrong or that they are alone.

Some of the common symptoms of Vulvodynia are:

• Rawness
• Stinging
• Burning
• Aching
• Soreness
• Throbbing
• Itching

Even though no one has pinpointed the definite cause for Vulvodynia, there are researchers who believe that the following factors can make a woman more likely to have this condition.

• Irritation or injury to the nerves
• Muscle spasms
• Changes in hormones
• An extreme reaction to a yeast infection [Prevent yeast infection]
• Sexual abuse in the past
• A response of the vulva to trauma or infection

You have had a mammogram and you were told that you have a Fibroadenoma or more than one.

You probably have a lot of questions and you want to know what you can expect.

The following information about Fibroadenoma is something that may help to put your mind at ease and let you know that they aren’t as scary as what you think they might be.

What it is?

A Fibroadenoma is a breast tumor which is benign, or not cancerous. They are made of fibrous and glandular tissue in the breast, and they can either stand alone or they can be a group.

Although the tumors themselves aren’t cancerous, having more than one fibroadenoma can slightly increase a person’s breast cancer risk.

Can you feel them?

Some women do report being able to feel a fibroadenoma. What do they feel like? Well, when you are doing your monthly breast exam, a fibroadenoma is going to have a round, firm, rubbery, smooth feel and they tend to move around.

If you are doing your self breast exam around the time of your period, they may hurt a bit, because your hormones may make them swell.

Intrinsa, a testosterone patch, which should help increase sexual desire in post-menopausal women, has been put under examination.

The Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB) doubted the effectiveness of this product and stated that the tests carried out on the product were not convincing.

Intrinsa, produced by the Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals is intended to augment the sexual desire in all women suffering from hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) during menopause, by liberating doses of hormone in the blood system by means of a patch fixed on the abdomen.

The tests performed by the producing firm were criticized as not having embraced a larger group of menopausal women, such as those suffering from other physical and mental conditions, also responsible for the diminished sex drive.

Some women that were given a dummy patch said that their sex drive had increased [Testosterone therapy]; this raised considerable doubts as to whether low levels of testosterone are actually the cause of HSDD.

There were also side effects to the patch treatment such as weight gain, skin reactions, hair loss, migraine, insomnia and acne; in addition the test period only lasted six months, which is not enough to determine the effectiveness of a treatment.

Researchers have discovered that whether or not you eat breakfast and what you have for breakfast can actually affect your child’s gender.

Studies have found that those who eat breakfast are more likely to give birth to boys and those who skip breakfast are more likely to have girls.

Also, the overall calorie intake indicates whether or not the child will be a boy, with those consuming more calories being more likely to have boys.

Why is this happening?

The sex of the child is not really determined by the food, but by random genetics. But the human body is more likely to carry a female when malnourished due to the fewer nutrient demands put on a mother by female infants.

This can explain the increase in female births due to dieting. Also, the fact that breakfasts are commonly skipped explains the increase in female births.

Women who have male infants often have better diets with a wider range of nutrients, one of the most important nutrients for conceiving a son is potassium.

What food should women eat before and during pregnancy?

Most households across America are not pro-fertility.

According to a recent study, women with perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in their households might have a more difficult time getting pregnant.

The current belief is that these PFC’s interfere with the menstrual cycle.

These chemicals do not prevent pregnancy, but women exposed to these chemicals might take longer to become pregnant.

Given the prevalence of these chemicals, it might be difficult to take account of and eliminate all of them.

Also, as of yet, studies have not proven that PFC’s prevent pregnancy but only that there is a relationship between pregnancy and infertility.

Still, the prevalence of products with PFC’s in American households might make it really difficult to avoid PFC’s.

Products with these contaminants

Non-stick pans, furniture, skin creams, clothes, carpets, Teflon, sprays for leather, shoes, paints and cleaning products, shampoo, floor wax, food packaging and many electronic applications with liquid coolants may cause infertility.

There are also a lot of industrial products that use PFC’s in their processing. Landfills are also sources for PFC contamination and those who live near landfills are more likely to suffer from infertility issues.

Other Health Effects besides Infertility

Estrogen is one of most important female sex hormone that plays a vital role from puberty to post menopause stages.

Other than playing a vital role in women’s reproductive cycle, many body organ systems including cardiovascular systems and brain are affected by estrogen levels in your body.

Estrogen level and heart disease

Estrogen level is very much responsible for risk of heart diseases in females. When your body is producing enough estrogen level, your risk of having heart disease and stroke is much lower than others with decreased estrogen levels. It mainly helps to reduce cholesterol levels in your body by regulating cholesterol production by liver.

Many clinical studies have shown that menopausal women who use estrogen medications are at low risk of developing heart diseases.

It is believed that the ability of estrogen to maintain healthy levels of HDL and LDL levels is mainly helpful to reduce risk for women dying due to heart attack.

Improving estrogen levels

As already said estrogens are very important for women and you have to take proper care to improve it in all possible ways.

Do you know women are more prone to sleep problems than men? Being a woman, you can experience various changes in your health throughout your life.

As a result, you can expect various disturbances in your normal life style, including sleep disturbances.

If you are wondering why you can get sleep problems, here are few reasons.

1. Change in hormone levels

During regular menstrual cycle, change in hormone levels or hormone imbalances can take place. These changes in hormone level have significant effect on your sleep.

2. Decrease in estrogen levels

Do you know almost 2/3rd of menopausal women have sleep problems? During menopause there will be reduction of estrogen levels in your body and because of decrease in estrogen levels, you can suffer with hot flashes that disturb your sleep.

3. Anxiety and depression

In today’s society, many women are victims to anxiety and depression due to various reasons when compared with men. When you are in depression, you can get many health problems including sleep disturbances.

4. Everyday stress

Being a woman you have to accomplish various responsibilities as a mother, wife, and caregiver for your parents at home and also as a worker at workplace. So, when you are stressed out, you’ll obviously struggle with sleep.

With breast cancer or other breast concerns becoming more prevalent, it is very essential for every woman to consider good care of breast health.

Nutrition is the main key that plays a vital role in maintaining good health.

Here are few nutrition tips for women to prevent serious breast problems.

Maintain healthy weight

Maintaining healthy weight helps you in various health aspects, including breast cancer. So, when you weigh more than required, shed excess pounds of your body by incorporating effective weight loss methods.

Include 5 fresh fruits and vegetables in your routine diet

Most of you fail to include most nutritious fruits and vegetables in your diet. So, make sure that you eat at least 5 fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably anti inflammatory veggies and fruits, in your routine diet.

Limit sugar intake

Eat very few sugar content products and try including high glycemic fruits instead. Many scientists believe that sugar is the main cancer causing food. So, restrict sugar as possible as you can.

Eat foods that boost your immune system