Menopause is characterized by the absence of menstrual periods for 12 months. It is the time in a woman s life when the ovaries stop functioning. The periods then stop forever. The normal period of menopause is 51 years of age, however, menopause may happen as ahead of schedule as the 30s or as late as the 60s. There is no solid lab test to determine when a lady will encounter menopause. Early menopause usually starts between the ages of 40 and 45. Untimely menopause begins significantly earlier, before the age of 40. Nevertheless, premature or early menopause is not that common with only about one percent of the women going through early menopause before the age of 40.

The signs and symptoms of early menopause are like the usual menopause. Some basic side effects include:

Irregular periods (amenorrhea)
Hot flashes
Night sweats
Vaginal dryness
Mood shifts
Mental fogginess
Diminished sex drive
Your specialist will suggest a treatment depending on your individual circumstances. Some common ways to deal with premature or early menopause are as follows:

Hormone Replacement Therapy
Supplements containing estrogen and progestin can help and replace some of your reproductive hormones in the body that can no longer make it all alone. They are frequently taken until the normal period of menopause (around 50) to help avoid bone loss. This treatment is not suggested for all ladies since it expands the danger of:

Heart issues
Stroke
Blood clots
Breast cancer
Supplemental Calcium and Vitamin D
Supplementary calcium and vitamin D can help in preventing osteoporosis in case you are not getting enough of these supplements from your normal diet. Women between ages 19 to 50 need to consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium for each day through food or supplements. Ladies over age 51 need to consume 1,200 milligrams for each day. A prescribed day-to-day measure of vitamin D has not yet been built up. For grown-up females, most specialists prescribe 600 to 800 global units through food or supplements. One should get a prescription from a doctor before ingesting the medication.

Other strategies to deal with Infertility
A few ladies with untimely menopause can at present get pregnant with no treatment. Ladies who want to have children, however, tend to become infertile after early or untimely menopause, need to consider in-vitro treatment, fertilization or even adoption.

Talk Therapy
Numerous ladies discover that having a conversation with a therapist can be supportive to adapt to their anxiety. It helps them release their pent up emotions and gives the clarity and satisfaction about their problems. Talk therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy are always beneficial since they help in addressing the symptoms and side effects that a woman may be going through emotionally when it comes to early menopause.

Early Menopause - How to Treat it?

Caesarean section or C-section is fairly common today and most mothers do not realize that once their incision has healed completely, the scar tissue problems can still occur. Unfortunately, there are no instructions for how to heal and care for C-section scars after they go home. The general post-operative instructions from hospital include a list of activities to avoid like lifting heavy articles and driving.

Caesarean scars can cause pain well after they've healed. This happen at the site of incision, but in other areas as well. It's important to remember that the scar you see on a mother's lower abdomen is just one spot that scar tissue has formed. There are also internal scars which can spread throughout the body over a time period. This scar tissue can cause lingering pain and dysfunction well after delivery.

When our body tissue gets damaged, scar tissue forms. After a C-section, scar tissue forms along the abdomen and uterus as part of the natural healing process. Caesarean scars can be painful and mothers feel pain or tightness in their scars when they are reaching, leaning, lifting or standing up straight. The scar can cause muscle, connective tissue, and nerve damage in areas adjacent to scarred area. Over time this can lead to pelvic pain, bowel problems like constipation and irritable bowel syndrome and painful sex.

C-section scars are typically located in an area where they can entrap nerves. This can cause pain and also create an urgency or frequency to urinate. The best thing for a new mother is rest and recovery and doing too much, too soon, after a caesarean is a health risk. It is important that to keep incision clean, eat well and avoid lifting heavy articles to support healing. It is recommended that mothers have lymphatic and myofascial massage two days prior to surgery and as soon as possible post-surgery. Lymphatic massage is a light massage assisting in drainage and allows the collagen to align with the incision.

At three months post-caesarean mothers can begin scar tissue release therapy that involves massaging of the scar tissue so it becomes softer and more flexible like the surrounding skin and internal tissues. It needs to be done with three dimensional focus, slowly and gently separating the adhered tissues in all directions. The scar tissue release therapy painful with a burning sensation for some mothers, while some only feel mild discomfort or no pain at all.

Regardless of the age of the scar, one could get benefits from scar tissue release therapy from injuries to burns to surgical scars. Surface and internal scarring from surgeries could be contributing to many of the issues. Sometimes scarring is just a piece of the puzzle of your pain and so a pelvic floor physiotherapy in addition to scar tissue release therapy is recommended. The scar tissue release therapy reduces the appearance of C-section scars. It softens tissues and increases circulation, which all lead to a lightening in colour of the C-Section scar.

Tips to Deal with Caesarean Section Stiches

Herpes is caused due to the presence of the herpes simplex virus in your body. Herpes can appear on multiple areas of your body, but more commonly manifests in the genitals as well as the mouth. The two types of herpes are HSV-1 (oral herpes) and HSV-2 (responsible primarily for the outbreak of genital herpes). 

Causes of Herpes Simplex:

Herpes is contagious in nature and can be passed to you by having sexual intercourse with anyone who has been infected. HSV 2 is the primary form of the virus, which is transmitted in this manner. 
Herpes could be transmitted to an infant from their mother if she was infected while pregnant. 
It can also get passed through direct contact like using the same plates or spoons or even the sharing of lip balm. Even kissing can spread the virus if the infected person has cold sores.
Symptoms of Herpes Simplex:

The presence of blistering sores within the mouth or in the genital area is a telltale sign that you may have contracted genital herpes.
If you are having painful urination then you should check with your doctor for the herpes virus.
Continuous itching in certain areas such as the genitals.
Not wanting to eat, having a fever could also be symptoms of herpes simplex virus in your body.
Herpes can spread to your eyes and is known as herpes keratitis. It can cause pain in your eyes.
Diagnosis of Herpes Simplex:

The common way to diagnose herpes is with an actual physical exam. Doctors will generally look out for sores on your body and may also check for some similar symptoms which might indicate herpes simplex. 
HSV testing (alternately called herpes culture) is done to check the presence of a virus on the genitals. A fluid sample from the genitals is sent to laboratory for tests and will require a visit to the health center.
There are blood tests to look for antibodies for both forms of HSV to diagnose the infections. However, this test is done only when there is and absence of sores or visible symptoms.

Herpes - 5 Signs You are Suffering from it 

With changing times the nature and effects of virus and bacteria are also changing and due to this, one of the biggest risks of unprotected sex is catching a sexually transmitted disease or STD. An STD can be contacted by any form of intercourse including oral, vaginal and anal sex. STDs are serious diseases that should not be ignored and require treatment and medication. Some common STDs are:
1. Chlamydia
2. Hepatitis B
3. Genital Herpes
4. Syphilis and
5. Gonorrhea 

The only way to protect yourself from an STD is to abstain from unprotected sex and always use a condom. Sometimes STD infections have no symptoms and can remain dormant for years, hence it is essential to get yourself regularly treated for STDs if you have more than one sexual partner. On the other hand some STDs have visible symptoms such as:

Skin rash
A rash in the genital area is most often a sign of STDs. This can be in the form of bumps, sores or warts. It may or may not be accompanied by itchiness. A rash caused by a STD usually results in redness and inflammation. Herpes sores may subside within a week or so but just because the rash is gone does not mean the infection has been treated. Hence even if the rash disappears before your doctor's visit, ensure you mention it. 

Painful urination
A burning sensation or pain while urinating is a symptom for a number of STDs. There may also be a change in the colour of urine. Some STDs associated with painful urination as Chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis. However, this may also be triggered by kidney stones or a urinary tract infection. 

Painful intercourse
Pain during intercourse is one of the most overlooked symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease. While a little pain may be normal, any sudden increase in pain or new type of pain should not be ignored. This should be kept in mind especially when having intercourse with a new partner or if there is a change in sexual habits. When it comes to men's sexual health, pain at the time of ejaculation can be a symptom of a STD.

Abnormal discharge
Abnormal discharge from the vagina or penis can be a symptom of a number of infections not all of which are STDs. Strangely coloured and odorous vaginal discharge can be a symptom of yeast infections or a Sexually transmitted disease like trichomoniasis or gonorrhea. Bleeding in between periods can also be a symptom of a STD.  Abnormal discharge from the penis can be a sign of Chlamydia, gonorrhea or trichomoniasis.

Learn the Signs and Symptoms of STDs

Delivering a baby is a painful, but also a pleasurable moment for the mother. But if the delivery is done through a C-section surgery or what is more commonly termed as Caesarean delivery, the pain is not felt during the actual delivery since the woman in under anaesthesia. However, the real challenge is to recover from the operation. The first week is particularly critical. Here are some things you can do to manage it with less discomfort:

The first few hours, naturally, you will be under close observation till you fully regain conscience if it was a general anaesthesia. If only the lower portion was numbed for the surgery, then also the feelings in the legs etc. will return within a few hours.
You will start breastfeeding the baby; wear comfortable clothes so that you can feed the baby without any discomfort. If this is the first experience, learn things that you need to know through books or from friends and relatives who would have had a C-section earlier.
You may feel more comfortable in a recliner than a flat bed. Most hospitals should be able to provide you one.
You might be better off with a heater pad of your own, since your back may be aching considerably and bringing down the pain is essential.
Wearing a binder around your tummy is another suggestion given by many women who have had a C-section delivery; besides helping with easing the pain, it also prevents the tummy from bulging, which you would want to avoid.
Follow the obstetrician s advice on having a shower and also on resuming some of your physical activities without hurting the stitches or the sutures.
By Day 3, you should be able to resume eating your normal diet; in many cases, it could be earlier than that.
Do take care to avoid lifting anything heavy. The heaviest object you can lift is your baby. Make your husband or any other person to help you through this period to avoid any complications later.
How about medicines? If you are already on any kind of medication and if you had stopped any of them due to the surgical procedure, check with the doctor and resume taking the medicines.
Keep a close watch on the food you eat, particularly since you will also be nursing your baby. Don t hesitate to consult the doctor on things you may be fond of, but have to avoid in order to protect the kid from being affected in any way.
Pregnancy and delivery are some of the happiest moments in any mother s life; so remain cheerful throughout and enjoy the moments. If the delivery has been done through C-section, some of these extra precautions are to be observed to make it easy for yourself to recover fast.

C-Section - Tips to Help You Recover From It

Once you have got the happy news of a little one coming soon in your life, you should start taking some special care so that you can enjoy the journey of pregnancy and get a healthy baby.
 These are some pointers you have to follow during pregnancy:
Maintain good hygiene during pregnancy.Take bath regularly. Warm shower or sponge bath is considered better than tub bath.
Brush your teeth regularly and have a regular dental check up. Caries tooth can be extracted after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Avoid wearing tight clothes and shoes with high heels. Wear loose and light clothes.
Take lots of fluid, fresh fruits & vegetables.
Take a diet which is light, nutritious, easily digestible & rich in protein, less fat, minerals and vitamins.
Stop smoking and drinking alcohol. It can cause miscarriage, defect in the development and growth of the baby.
Avoid jerky travelling, especially in 1st 12 wks and last 6wks of pregnancy. Prolonged sitting in a car or plane should be avoided. Air travel is not advisable to women who have high blood pressure, less hemoglobin (anemia) and low lying placenta.
Avoid taking any unprescribed drugs, exposure to X-Ray & chemicals especially in the 1st 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Take adequate rest in the lateral position and relax 1-2 hrs in the afternoon & 8 hrs at night.
Start taking folic acid at least 3 months before planning pregnancy & continue it till the 1st 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Start taking iron & calcium after 12 wks of pregnancy and continue it throughout pregnancy and 6 months post delivery.
Exercise regularly during pregnancy. Walking is the best exercise, but long periods of walking should be avoided. Also avoid heavy weight lifting and prolonged standing. Diving, water sking, gymnastic, netball, hockey, horse riding, cycling, rock-climbing, & scuba diving exercises should be avoided during pregnancy.
If you have any of these symptoms - vaginal bleeding, persistent abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, watery discharge from vagina, less or no fetal movement, severe headache, swelling on hands, face & feet, fever, dizziness, blurring of vision, double vision, spots before eyes, painful urination and diarrhea, immediately consult your gynecologist.

Do's and Don'ts in Pregnancy

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