7 Common Reasons Your Vagina Is Itchy Beyond Belief
It's not exactly easy to scratch an itch down there, which is why it’s so frustrating when it happens (and sometimes it’s like it comes completely out of nowhere, right?). Vaginal itching can be caused by something as simple as your period products—but in other cases, it can actually be a symptom of a more serious issue. This guide will help you figure out exactly what’s making you feel like you have ants in your pants—and what your treatment options are. (That being said, when it comes to your lady parts, it’s always best to play it safe and visit your gyno for a proper diagnosis.)
Bacterial vaginosis (a.k.a. BV) is the most common reason for vaginal itching and is caused by an imbalance in healthy bacteria and a change in vaginal pH. It feels similar to a yeast infection, but in this case, the discharge is more watery and usually has an odor, explains Lauren Streicher, M.D., author of Sex Rx: Hormones,
Health, and Your Best Sex Ever. When it comes to treatment, Streicher says RepHresh, an OTC cream, often works. If your BV doesn't clear up after the suggested usage time, you’ll have to ask your doc for something prescription-strength.
Like BV, a yeast infection is frequently the result of vaginal pH being out of whack, says Wendy Askew, M.D., a board-certified ob-gyn at the Institute for Women's
Health in San Antonio. They can occur at random or following antibiotic use, sex, stress, or a change in diet (and women with diabetes have a higher risk). In addition to itchiness, you may also notice curdled, white, or thick discharge. The good news is that you can go ahead and use an OTC remedy, like Monistat, which should take care of the symptoms within a day or so. To avoid recurrent infections, Askew recommends taking a probiotic with a high bacteria count of acidophilus, like Flora-Q, which will help keep yeast in check. Watch this video to learn more about what causes yeast infections.
Sunday, 19 March 2017
7 Period Myths You Need To Stop Believing
7 Period Myths You Need To Stop Believing
It’s not pretty. It’s sometimes painful. And we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that the first time was oh-so embarrassing. Maybe that’s why so many of us shy away from talking—and learning the truth—about our periods.
Time to come clean.
Just like your digestive system doesn’t need a cleanse, your reproductive one doesn’t either. “The most common misconception I hear from my patients is that a period is a healthy way for the body to ‘cleanse’ itself every month. This sounds lovely, in theory, but is false,” says Maria Sophocles, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn and the medical director of Women’s Healthcare of Princeton. Menstruation marks the end of a month-long routine in which the body grows a lining of uterine tissue to prepare to potentially host an embryo. In the absence of any fertilization, that extra tissue is unnecessary. Once the body realizes this, “hormone levels abruptly drop and the hormonal support to grow the tissue is shed in what clinicians call ‘withdrawal bleed,’” says Sophocles. Similar to donating those sweaters you never wear to Goodwill, think of the process as a way to get rid of extra layers that no longer serve a purpose.
Blowing through that box of tampons quicker than it took to binge-watch the latest Netflix season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? That doesn’t have to be your destiny until menopause, says Sophocles. “Even if your mom or relatives have [them], heavy periods could be a sign of something awry, and they can be evaluated and treated.” Talk to your ob-gyn if you’re totally filling more than nine normal-sized pads or tampons a day.
It’s not pretty. It’s sometimes painful. And we’d be lying if we didn’t admit that the first time was oh-so embarrassing. Maybe that’s why so many of us shy away from talking—and learning the truth—about our periods.
Time to come clean.
Just like your digestive system doesn’t need a cleanse, your reproductive one doesn’t either. “The most common misconception I hear from my patients is that a period is a healthy way for the body to ‘cleanse’ itself every month. This sounds lovely, in theory, but is false,” says Maria Sophocles, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn and the medical director of Women’s Healthcare of Princeton. Menstruation marks the end of a month-long routine in which the body grows a lining of uterine tissue to prepare to potentially host an embryo. In the absence of any fertilization, that extra tissue is unnecessary. Once the body realizes this, “hormone levels abruptly drop and the hormonal support to grow the tissue is shed in what clinicians call ‘withdrawal bleed,’” says Sophocles. Similar to donating those sweaters you never wear to Goodwill, think of the process as a way to get rid of extra layers that no longer serve a purpose.
Blowing through that box of tampons quicker than it took to binge-watch the latest Netflix season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? That doesn’t have to be your destiny until menopause, says Sophocles. “Even if your mom or relatives have [them], heavy periods could be a sign of something awry, and they can be evaluated and treated.” Talk to your ob-gyn if you’re totally filling more than nine normal-sized pads or tampons a day.
7 Hormones Every Woman Needs To Understand
7 Hormones Every Woman Needs To Understand
Your brain quarterbacks your thoughts and actions. But when it comes to your body's internal workings, hormones run the show.
Actually, scratch that. Your endocrine system—the network of glands that produces and regulates your hormones—is really in charge, says Cynthia Stuenkel, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and a spokesperson for the Endocrine Society's Hormone Health Network.
Working in concert, the glands that make up your endocrine system—your pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, and others—manage everything from your mood, appetite, and energy levels to your reproductive cycle and immune system. Your glands do all that by releasing and regulating hormones, which are effectively chemical messengers that tell the different systems in your body how to behave, Stuenkel explains. You're probably familiar with estrogen and testosterone—the primary female and male sex hormones. But there are many others that serve essential functions. Here are 7 you should be familiar with, why they matter, and how to tell if they're out of whack.
Thyroid
What it does: The thyroid gland's namesake hormone is your body's "metabolic thermostat," Stuenkel says. From your appetite and energy levels to the timing and strength of your periods, your thyroid plays an important role in many different internal functions. It's also the most common source of endocrine disorders in women, Stuenkel says. (Feel better starting today with Rodale's The Thyroid Cure, a new book that's helped thousands of people finally solve the mystery of what's ailing them.) Signs it's off: If your thyroid produces too much of this hormone, you may overeat, feel nervous or agitated, suffer bone loss or heart palpitations, or feel hot all the time. Produce too little, and "everything slows down," Stuenkel explains. Your thinking grows foggy, your energy level plummets, and your menstrual cycles may be longer and heavier, she says. A thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test can help a doctor assess your levels.
Your brain quarterbacks your thoughts and actions. But when it comes to your body's internal workings, hormones run the show.
Actually, scratch that. Your endocrine system—the network of glands that produces and regulates your hormones—is really in charge, says Cynthia Stuenkel, MD, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, and a spokesperson for the Endocrine Society's Hormone Health Network.
Working in concert, the glands that make up your endocrine system—your pancreas, thyroid, ovaries, and others—manage everything from your mood, appetite, and energy levels to your reproductive cycle and immune system. Your glands do all that by releasing and regulating hormones, which are effectively chemical messengers that tell the different systems in your body how to behave, Stuenkel explains. You're probably familiar with estrogen and testosterone—the primary female and male sex hormones. But there are many others that serve essential functions. Here are 7 you should be familiar with, why they matter, and how to tell if they're out of whack.
Thyroid
What it does: The thyroid gland's namesake hormone is your body's "metabolic thermostat," Stuenkel says. From your appetite and energy levels to the timing and strength of your periods, your thyroid plays an important role in many different internal functions. It's also the most common source of endocrine disorders in women, Stuenkel says. (Feel better starting today with Rodale's The Thyroid Cure, a new book that's helped thousands of people finally solve the mystery of what's ailing them.) Signs it's off: If your thyroid produces too much of this hormone, you may overeat, feel nervous or agitated, suffer bone loss or heart palpitations, or feel hot all the time. Produce too little, and "everything slows down," Stuenkel explains. Your thinking grows foggy, your energy level plummets, and your menstrual cycles may be longer and heavier, she says. A thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test can help a doctor assess your levels.
Saturday, 18 March 2017
Are You at Risk for Twisted Ovaries? 7 Facts You Need to Know
Are You at Risk for Twisted Ovaries? 7 Facts You Need to Know
A twisted ovary, or ovarian torsion, occurs when an ovary flops down and rotates, cutting off its own blood supply in the process. If that happens, you'll probably know that something has gone horribly wrong: think sudden, excruciating pain on one side of your lower abdomen. Here are seven things you should know about who's at risk for a twisted ovary and what to expect if you're unlucky enough to experience it.
THE OLDER YOU ARE, THE LOWER YOUR RISK.
Ovarian torsion is most common among women of childbearing age, so if you're postmenopausal you can relax a little. "With young women, the tissue is more flexible, and the ovary can move and twist with hormonal changes," says Mike Hoaglin, MD, an emergency room physician at Duke University Hospital. After your fertile years, "the ovaries get smaller and are less likely flip unless there's a cyst or mass," adds Janet Choi, MD, medical director at Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in New York City.
That said, it's not impossible for this problem to occur in postmenopausal women or in prepubescent girls. There have even been a few cases of female fetuses being diagnosed in utero.
A twisted ovary, or ovarian torsion, occurs when an ovary flops down and rotates, cutting off its own blood supply in the process. If that happens, you'll probably know that something has gone horribly wrong: think sudden, excruciating pain on one side of your lower abdomen. Here are seven things you should know about who's at risk for a twisted ovary and what to expect if you're unlucky enough to experience it.
THE OLDER YOU ARE, THE LOWER YOUR RISK.
Ovarian torsion is most common among women of childbearing age, so if you're postmenopausal you can relax a little. "With young women, the tissue is more flexible, and the ovary can move and twist with hormonal changes," says Mike Hoaglin, MD, an emergency room physician at Duke University Hospital. After your fertile years, "the ovaries get smaller and are less likely flip unless there's a cyst or mass," adds Janet Choi, MD, medical director at Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine in New York City.
That said, it's not impossible for this problem to occur in postmenopausal women or in prepubescent girls. There have even been a few cases of female fetuses being diagnosed in utero.
6 Things You Should NEVER Do When You Have a UTI
6 Things You Should NEVER Do When You Have a UTI
If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection, you know they are their own special kind of hell. And considering one in five women gets a UTI at least once in her life, according to the National Kidney Foundation, chances are your ticket will get punched if it hasn’t already. An infection happens when bacteria sneak into your bladder through your urethra (what your pee comes out of) and multiply, causing the lining of your urinary tract to swell up. This leads to symptoms like frequent urges to urinate, a burning sensation while you pee, pelvic pain, and more.
That’s why “it’s important to avoid certain activities, to give the area time to heal, flush out bacteria, and not worsen symptoms or cause irritation to the vaginal area,” says Bilal Chugtai, M.D., urologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian. So, to help keep your bathroom from turning into an all-out torture chamber, here’s a roundup of the poorest decisions you could possibly make when you have a UTI … and what you should do instead.
If you’ve ever had a urinary tract infection, you know they are their own special kind of hell. And considering one in five women gets a UTI at least once in her life, according to the National Kidney Foundation, chances are your ticket will get punched if it hasn’t already. An infection happens when bacteria sneak into your bladder through your urethra (what your pee comes out of) and multiply, causing the lining of your urinary tract to swell up. This leads to symptoms like frequent urges to urinate, a burning sensation while you pee, pelvic pain, and more.
That’s why “it’s important to avoid certain activities, to give the area time to heal, flush out bacteria, and not worsen symptoms or cause irritation to the vaginal area,” says Bilal Chugtai, M.D., urologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian. So, to help keep your bathroom from turning into an all-out torture chamber, here’s a roundup of the poorest decisions you could possibly make when you have a UTI … and what you should do instead.
The Size of Your Vagina: Is It Normal?
The Size of Your Vagina: Is It Normal?
Find out how your fine china measures up.
While there's tons of info out there to help you figure out if your breasts are normal (not to mention visual evidence), vaginas are pretty mysterious. It’s difficult to get solid facts about your lady-garden. So we turned to Brook McFadden, M.D., assistant professor in the division of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at The Ohio State University, to get the scoop.
The thing that makes it hard to figure out how you compare: Barely anyone has studied va-jay-jay sizes. McFadden, whose focus is on how vulva measurements can influence body image, is on a mission to change that. In her most recent research, she replicated scientist Jillian Lloyd’s study "Female genital appearance: normality unfolds" from the May 2005 issue of the British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. It measured the private parts of 50 women who were going to the gynecologist for reasons other than pelvic dysfunction. To build on that research, McFadden studied 168 women, median age 57 years, using the same technique as Lloyd—so the scientific world can start to bank important information about women’s bodies. Here’s what the abstract of her study, which appeared earlier this year in Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, has to say about what's up down there (the full study text isn't available yet since it hasn't been published).
Find out how your fine china measures up.
While there's tons of info out there to help you figure out if your breasts are normal (not to mention visual evidence), vaginas are pretty mysterious. It’s difficult to get solid facts about your lady-garden. So we turned to Brook McFadden, M.D., assistant professor in the division of female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at The Ohio State University, to get the scoop.
The thing that makes it hard to figure out how you compare: Barely anyone has studied va-jay-jay sizes. McFadden, whose focus is on how vulva measurements can influence body image, is on a mission to change that. In her most recent research, she replicated scientist Jillian Lloyd’s study "Female genital appearance: normality unfolds" from the May 2005 issue of the British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. It measured the private parts of 50 women who were going to the gynecologist for reasons other than pelvic dysfunction. To build on that research, McFadden studied 168 women, median age 57 years, using the same technique as Lloyd—so the scientific world can start to bank important information about women’s bodies. Here’s what the abstract of her study, which appeared earlier this year in Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, has to say about what's up down there (the full study text isn't available yet since it hasn't been published).
8 Facts Every Woman Should Know About Pooping
8 Facts Every Woman Should Know About Pooping
Let's talk about poop—seriously. It's something we've talked about before, so chances are, you already know when your movements look or smell weird (if you need a refresher, here are 7 things your poop says about you). But what about the way you go #2—how long it takes, how often you go, how you sit on the toilet...you get the idea. We consulted a few trusty gastroenterologists to get the facts straight. Here's what they had to say about your pooping habits.
There's No Rule That Says You Have to Go Once a Day
"On average, people go once or twice a day," says Felice Schnoll-Sussman, M.D., director of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. "But many people go way more." And not pooping for a day, two, or even three can also be fine. In short, if you feel OK—no upset stomach, no trouble making it to the bathroom on time—then you probably don't need to worry.
"The rule with pooping is there's no such thing as normal—just normal from one person's perspective," says Schnoll-Sussman. So what if you're a once-a-day pooper who's suddenly going three or four times a day? Schnoll-Sussman says that it could be as simple as your diet (eat some sketchy meat recently?) or as complex as an infectious diarrheal disease. It could even be a good change; maybe you've started eating more fiber, for example. The important thing is to go to your doctor if your new pooping schedule gives you a constant upset stomach or your frequent bathroom trips start to make social situations, umm, awkward.
Let's talk about poop—seriously. It's something we've talked about before, so chances are, you already know when your movements look or smell weird (if you need a refresher, here are 7 things your poop says about you). But what about the way you go #2—how long it takes, how often you go, how you sit on the toilet...you get the idea. We consulted a few trusty gastroenterologists to get the facts straight. Here's what they had to say about your pooping habits.
There's No Rule That Says You Have to Go Once a Day
"On average, people go once or twice a day," says Felice Schnoll-Sussman, M.D., director of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. "But many people go way more." And not pooping for a day, two, or even three can also be fine. In short, if you feel OK—no upset stomach, no trouble making it to the bathroom on time—then you probably don't need to worry.
"The rule with pooping is there's no such thing as normal—just normal from one person's perspective," says Schnoll-Sussman. So what if you're a once-a-day pooper who's suddenly going three or four times a day? Schnoll-Sussman says that it could be as simple as your diet (eat some sketchy meat recently?) or as complex as an infectious diarrheal disease. It could even be a good change; maybe you've started eating more fiber, for example. The important thing is to go to your doctor if your new pooping schedule gives you a constant upset stomach or your frequent bathroom trips start to make social situations, umm, awkward.
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