Dr. Anju Suryapani

5 Alarming reasons you must visit your gynaecologist

In India, statistics reveal that more than 92% of women suffer from gynaecological problems. Some of these problems may turn out to be more serious than you expected. Here are 5 danger signs you should watch out for that signal an immediate visit to your gynaecologist.

1. Painful sex
Most women feel that it is normal to feel a little bit of pain in your vagina during sex. However, the truth is that pain during sex is not at all normal. If you feel pain while indulging in sexual activity, there are chances of you suffering from either vaginal dryness or a mild infection, which if left untreated can become worse. Some of these infections can even be STDs such as herpes, gonorrhoea etc.

2. Considerable bleeding during periods
If you bleed heavily during your periods, so much so that you have to change your sanitary napkin 2-3 times in just one to two hours, it’s a cause of concern. If this heavy menstrual flow is also accompanied with shortness of breath and rapid heart rate, you may be suffering from anaemia. In extreme cases (which is very rare), this can lead to extreme blood loss, which may require a blood transfusion.

3. Itchy vagina
Vaginal itching is very commonly ignored as most women consider it to be embarrassing, and as something that does not require any attention. However vaginal itching may be an indication of something more serious. Usually vaginal itching is a sign of fungal infection or a symptom of a sexually transmitted disease. In the worst-case scenario, it can even be a sign of vulvar cancer (a cancer of the vulva, which is the external part of your vagina).

4. Abnormal vaginal odour
Abnormal vaginal odour, just like an itchy vagina, may be a sign of a bacterial infection. Sometimes vaginal odour may even be accompanied with a thick and heavy vaginal discharge. This usually indicates vaginal yeast infection (an infection caused by an increase in the number of yeast cells present in your vagina), and if ignored these infections can recur, making sex and urination very painful activities.

5. Lump in your breast
A lump in the breast, whether or not accompanied by a bloody discharge from your nipples, is most likely a warning sign of cancer. You should also watch out for any type of pain in your breasts or even an abnormal growth as all of these indicate the development of cancerous cells in the breasts.
Schedule an appointment with your gynaecologist if you experience any one of these symptoms. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

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