Dr. Hemant J. Bhatt

Pregnancy is an experience where a woman experiences physical, mental and emotional changes. Out of all the changes, one of the major change, a woman goes through is hormonal change. Here are few different ways your body changes during pregnancy:

1. Increase in the blood volume: The blood and plasma of the body are increased from thirty to fifty percent because the heart at that time, is working harder and more efficiently. This results in the heart ejecting more blood and plasma for the growth of your baby. It also helps protect the mother from certain delivery risks.
2. Growth of hip size: The pelvic bone separates from the middle because of a hormone called relaxin, which helps the uterine muscle relax and softening of the cervix. It is not a dangerous thing as opening up of the pelvis makes the delivery safer.
3. Skin darkening: Linea nigrea is a dark line that grows down your stomach and the belly button. It is always there even before pregnancy. However, the hormones change the pigmentation in the skin to make it look more evident. Moreover, that is not the only skin darkening that takes place. Some women develop dark spots and patches on their face. These are called melasma. Applying sunscreen can help prevent these.
4. Vaginal color: The vagina tends to change its colour. It turns blue or purple and this is known as the Chadwick sign. The vagina may also swell up because of the increased blood flow as well as discharge. Development of vulvar varicose veins is very common during pregnancy. This mainly happens due to the pressure and weight of the uterus, which results in a decrease in the blood flow from the lower part of the body.
5. The feet grow in size: Not only does the belly grow during pregnancy but, so do the feet. During pregnancy, the foot’s arch flattens because relaxin loosens your ligaments and the extra weight tends to push down the feet. The feet become longer and wider, hence. Moreover, fluid retention may also make your feet swell.
6. Hair growth: Women tend to go through hair growth all over the body. It can also cause the hair to become thicker. Whereas, after the birth, hair fall becomes quite frequent. However, there is no need to worry since it is the body’s way of getting back to normal. It usually happens after six months of delivery.
7. Brain fog: About eighty percent of the women go through memory loss or impairment. Although, the cause is unknown. The sleep deprivation or feelings of stress during pregnancy are a cause behind this.
8. Having vampire breath: The hormonal change can cause bacteria in the mouth and cause it to become inflamed. Hence, it can lead to bleeding gums and a bad breath.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Colposcopy is a procedure that is used to get a closer view of a women’s cervix, vagina and vulva. It is a procedure carried on to detect the presence of any abnormal cells on the cervix and nearby areas. 

Why is Colposcopy done?
This procedure is carried out to see the problems in the vagina and cervix which may otherwise be not visible with a naked eye. A colposcopy is done when the Pap test results are abnormal. These abnormalities could be due to several reasons like viral infections namely human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or any other fungal (yeast), bacterial or protozoan (Trichomonas) infection. Atrophic vaginitis or natural cervical changes due to menopause can also lead to abnormal Pap test results. However one needs to be careful because these untreated cervical cell changes that lead to abnormal Pap tests can at times develop into precancerous or cancerous changes.

Cervical Biopsy
In case during colposcopy, an abnormal tissue is found in the problem areas, the doctor will remove a tiny sample of it and send it to the lab. This is normally known as a biopsy or cervical biopsy which is done from inside the opening of the cervix or endocervical canal.
 

Procedure for a colposcopy and biopsy
A colposcopy is normally a pain free procedure where at times some women might feel a slight tingling or burning sensation when the solution is applied. Biopsy might lead to a little discomfort like that of a sharp pinch or a menstrual cramp. During colposcopy a speculum or a small instrument is inserted into the vagina to spread apart the vaginal walls. In order to see the area more clearly the doctor dabs the cervix or vagina with a cotton swab dipped in vinegar (acetic acid) or Iodine (Lugol's solution). The solution is used to remove any kind of mucus and also makes the abnormal cells turn white in order to be clearly visible.

The doctor then uses a colposcope, a light magnifying device that looks like binoculars and has a bright light mounted to it. It also has a camera attached to it to take the videos or pictures of the cervix and vagina.
Biopsies are normally done by scraping away abnormal cells with a small brush or a small curette.

Results of colposcopy or cervical Biopsy
In case of Normal results the vinegar or iodine will not show the presence of any abnormal cells and the vagina and cervix look normal. But in case of abnormal results, there are abnormal tissues seen in the problem areas. It could also be a sore or a genital wart or infection in and around the vagina. The biopsy report would clarify whether it is cervical cancer or is likely to develop.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Meat forms an essential part of the daily diet of many people. But it often gets difficult to choose between white meat (chicken or fish) and red meat (beef or pork or mutton) due to the numerous health benefits offered by both. Moreover, both kinds of meat have some health risks as well, which should be kept in mind while consuming either of them.

Read on to find how each type of meat may affect your health, and, which will be more beneficial for your body.

Fat content

People who are more conscious about their weight often tend to choose white meat over red meat because of its lower fat content. For example, fat content in chicken is only about 11%, whereas pork contains about 45% fat. Moreover, the saturated fat content of red meat is about 2.64 times that of white meat.

Protein content

100 gm of chicken breast has about 29.80 gm of protein, whereas the same amount of lamb and pork contain 22.51 gm and 27.55 gm protein respectively. In this case, consumption of white meat will prove to be beneficial as your body can absorb only 74% of the protein in red meat and 80% of the protein in white meat.

Other nutrient content

Red meat is rich in niacin, vitamin b12, riboflavin and thiamine, iron and minerals like zinc and phosphorus. While vitamin b12 aids proper nerve health and ensures that the red blood cells function properly, zinc is responsible for strengthening your immune system.

White meat contains fewer nutrients in comparison to red meat. However, fish contains high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which help in improving lipid profiles and prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Health risks

Consumption of both types of meat has been long associated with increased risk of different diseases. The presence of myoglobin, a type of protein in red meat, is responsible for increasing the risk of certain types of cancer. Also, red meat has been often linked with increased chances of hypertension and heart diseases.

These days, feeding antibiotics to chicken for enlarging their size has become a common practise. So, consumption of this type of meat increases the amount of drug-resistant bacteria in your body and reduces the effect of useful drugs too.

White meat and red meat both have their own health benefits and risks, so including small amounts of both in your diet will prove to be beneficial for your body. Determine the amount of each type of meat you will consume depending on your body's specific requirements.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

In a normal pregnancy, the egg that the ovaries release enters the fallopian tube. If a sperm fertilises it, the fertilised egg attaches itself inside the uterus. However, sometimes the fertilised egg can attach itself outside the uterus. This condition is called ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy can be detected in the first few weeks of the pregnancy itself. If your doctor does discover ectopic pregnancy, you would need immediate medical attention. Ectopic pregnancies can be sad and scary. The survival rate of the baby is extremely low, and you may need some time to get over your loss. Fortunately, one ectopic pregnancy doesn't mean you can never conceive again. Many women who lost their first baby to ectopic pregnancy have been able to have a healthy and normal pregnancy the second time around.

The causes of ectopic pregnancy include:

1. An inflammation or infection of the fallopian tube can lead it to become entirely or partially blocked.
2. Scar tissue from a surgery or an infection of the fallopian tube may also hinder the movement of the fertilised egg.
3. Surgery in the tubes or pelvic areas in the past might cause adhesions.
4. Birth defects or abnormal growths can cause anomalies in the shape of the tube.

These causes are usually followed by certain risk factors, such as:

• Age (The age group of 35-44 especially)
• An ectopic pregnancy in the past
• Previous abdominal or pelvic surgery
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Several prompted abortions
• Conceiving with an intrauterine device in place
• Smoking
• Endometriosis (growth of uterus lining tissues outside the uterus).
• Fertility treatments.

The signs and symptoms of ectopic pregnancy include:

1. Minimal vaginal bleeding
2. Vomiting and nausea with pain
3. Pain in the lower abdomen
4. Sharp cramps in the abdomen
5. Localised pain (Pain concentrated on one side of your body)
6. Pain in your neck, rectum or shoulder
7. Rupture of the fallopian tubes can cause fainting due to the bleeding and pain

The treatment of ectopic pregnancy can be any one of the following:

1. If the pregnancy has not progressed too far, methotrexate will be administered. This absorbs the pregnancy tissue and can save the fallopian tubes.
2. The tubes may be removed if they have ruptured or stretched, and have started bleeding.
3. Laparoscopic surgery (operations performed by making minor incisions) may be performed to remove or repair the tubes and recover the ectopic pregnancy. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.