Tags: health information Archives

Facts and myths about your menstrual period

July 15, 2019December 5, 2014 by admin

Fact: there is such a thing as too much bleeding.

For both adolescents and premenopausal women, heavy bleeding that requires changing a pad or tampon more than every 2-3 hours, or periods that go on past 7 days can mean something is wrong. For many women and teens this can be regulated through birth control, but you should visit your ob/gyn to find out if something else is the culprit, such as fibroids.

Myth: taking pain pills during your period can help stop pain.

In reality, taking your period pain medication before your bleeding starts may be a better way to prevent pain from happening. If you take medication when your symptoms are already bad, then you may not be able to find relief.

Fact: Your period should not prevent you from living your life normally.

If your pain or bleeding disrupts your life to the point that you cannot do your normal activities, there may be something wrong, and you should seek treatment. It may be as easy as regulating with birth control or changing your lifestyle to make your period more manageable.

Myth: You can’t get pregnant during your period.

Many women see their period as a safe time to have unprotected sex, but it is possible to get pregnant while menstruating. Some women have long periods that overlap with ovulation, making it possible to become pregnant. Using safe sex habits can help prevent unwanted pregnancies and STDs.

Fact: When your mom started menopause matters for you.

The age your mother began going through menopause is one of the best predictors for when you will start. Talking to your mother about menopause is a great way to be aware of when menopause may start for you.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/14/period-facts_n_4065124.html?utm_hp_ref=womens-health

Exercise: Good for you AND your fibroids

June 4, 2021October 1, 2014 by admin

Stock image of a smiling girl tying her shoe

It is no secret that regular exercise can have a positive effect on your health, most commonly for diabetes and obesity prevention. Yet, exercise can have wider ranging effects than just burning extra calories. It can boost endorphins, the brain chemicals that cause a happy mood, strengthen your heart and cardiovascular system, and even help prevent hormone controlled diseases. Studies have shown that exercise can have a protective effect for breast cancer, a hormone mediated tumor affecting many women. This lead researchers to wonder, could exercise have positive effects on other hormone mediated tumors, such as uterine fibroids?

Fibroid development and growth in the uterus is regulated by estrogen and progesterone, the two hormones that regulate a woman’s menstrual cycle. This is why fibroids may stop growing during menopause, because the body is no longer producing large amounts of these hormones. Exercise has been shown to reduce the amount of these circulating hormones, which is why fibroid growth may be prevented by regular exercise(1). It has been shown that BMI (body mass index) is correlated with fibroids, so by reducing BMI through regular exercise women may be able to have an impact on fibroid growth.

Fibroids remain the leading indication for hysterectomy in the US, and affect pre-menopasual and post-menopausal women alike. Yet, there remain few modifiable causes of fibroids, as their etiology remains largely unknown. Thus, by engaging in protective activities such as regularly exercising and maintaining a healthy weight, you may be able to reduce your chances of developing symptomatic fibroids.

The Fibroid Treatment Collective (FTC) based in Beverly Hills offers women a minimally noninvasive alternative to a hysterectomy to treat uterine fibroids. Founder of the FTC, Dr. Bruce McLucas, was one of the pioneers of the procedure called the Uterine Artery Embolization (UAE) that helps women maintain their fertility and removing symptoms caused by fibroids. For additional information, please visit www.fibroids.com or call our toll free 866.362.6463 to learn more and schedule a consultation.

Fibroid Study Cited: DD Baird, DB Dunson, MC Hill, D Cousins and JM Schectman. Association of Physical Activity with Development of Uterine Leiomyoma. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2007; 165(2):157-63.

The Fibroid epidemic in black women

June 17, 2019September 12, 2014 by admin

Fibroids affect more than 40% of women, occurring 3 times more in black women. In fact, studies show that fibroids actually occur more frequently and at younger ages in black women than in women of any other race. For many of these women, younger onset and larger fibroids can lead to very severe symptoms of bleeding and pain.

Some may wonder if this disproportionate effect on black women is the result of genetics, or the social inequities in the US healthcare system. It is no secret that many minority groups do not have the same access to healthcare and insurance in the US, despite the recent improvements in healthcare coverage. What is even more problematic is that there is no free way to fix fibroids, such as lifestyle changes or taking a magic pill. It is true that a healthy diet and exercise can have positive impacts on overall well-being, but once fibroids have grown to a large enough size to cause problems, they do not shrink.

Furthermore, more African American women are not offered minimally invasive procedures to treat fibroids, such as fibroid embolization, and undergo unnecessary hysterectomies. Making sure you know and understand your options, and where to find treatment for specific situation with fibroids is important. Listed below are a few tips for finding fibroid treatment that’s right for you.

Stop fibroids and start living. Take your health into your hands, without treatment the problem will not go away.
Research your different options for treatment
Find a doctor you are comfortable with
Find ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise, and stress maintainence
Ask your doctor and insurance company about the financial aspects of treatment, they can help you find a treatment within your financial means

For more information please visit http://yourblackworld.net/2012/05/05/black-women-and-fibroids-the-silent-epidemic-thats-screaming-in-our-community-part-3-the-role-of-hair-and-skincare-products/

Health Concerns Associated with Diet Drinks

August 26, 2015June 4, 2014 by admin

There are many of us who opt for the “diet” version of all our favorite soft drinks. We might even think these diet drinks are healthier compared to its sugary counterpart. However, new studies are showing that these diet drinks are associated to heart problems especially for older women.

A study was conducted on women who drank two or more diet drinks on a regular basis. According to the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, women who were postmenopausal and had a 30% increased likelihood of suffering from a heart attack or stroke. In addition, these women had a 50% chance of dying from cardiovascular disease compared to women who never or rarely drank diet drinks.

Cardiovascular diseases are just one of the possible health problems associated with diet drinks. Other studies have shown that soft drinks, especially cola (both diet and regular), have been linked with lower bone density that can lead to osteoporosis. Older women are at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis, which is a degenerative one disease that causes the bones to become weak and brittle.

Don’t let the words “diet” on a drink mislead you to think that it means it is a healthier option than the regular drink. Instead of using real sugar, these diet drinks contain artificial sweeteners that can cause heart disease and other health problems.

For more information, click here

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