Dr. Shubhada Sanjiv Khandeparkar

Keeping track of your cycle probably doesn't sound that interesting or important, but you can get a lot of benefit by doing that. There are changes that your body goes through and there are specific times when you are ovulating; knowing all these would make your life a lot easier, which is only possible by tracking your period.

1. Know about your body: Getting your period every 28 days has always been considered normal, but only 15% of women get their periods on the clock. Many factors such as stress, illness, exercise etc. can cause your period to delay. This is where tracking your cycle can help you finding the pattern that is specific to your body condition. During your cycle there are lots of changes happening in your body. The hormones cause a change in the fluid produced from your cervix and also lead the basal temperature of your body to increase. Monitoring these changes through tracking your cycle is known as the symptothermal method. By this way know about how fascinatingly your body works.
2. Desire to get pregnant: Tracking your cycle will help you get pregnant. During your cycle, there is a specific time, which heightens the possibility of conceiving. The fluid production from the cervix due to hormonal change is the cause of such possibility. Knowing your cycle can take out the stress from trying to get pregnant and it can also determine any abnormalities that are preventing your pregnancy.
3. Avoid pregnancy: If you know the time when you are most likely to get pregnant through tracking, you obviously know when not to have sex if you are trying to avoid pregnancy. Using symptothermal method for the purpose of birth control has proven to be 99.6% effective, which is higher than birth control medications.
4. Health benefits: You can reap a lot of health benefits by tracking your cycle. Conditions like fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis are quite common in women, which can be detected by tracking your period. If anything is wrong in your reproductive system, the cycle will indicate it.

Menstrual Migraine can be termed as an extremely persistent headache that can happen just before, during or right after menstruation. Often, the feeling of nausea also keeps on lingering. The cause which triggers this type of migraine can be the fluctuating levels of oestrogen that a woman’s body experiences when she is on her periods.

What can be the possible treatment?

1. Application of ice pack or simply rubbing ice on your forehead can help lessen the pain a bit.

2. Relaxation exercises can be practiced to reduce the tension of the muscles.

3. Acupuncture therapy can also be done to improve the headache and it can further aid in relaxation of the muscles.

4. Over the counter painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol can be taken for immediate relief.

5. Your doctor can also administer TRIPTAN (specific drugs used to treat the symptoms of migraine which work on the chemical receptors within the brain) if the pain is unbearable.

6. Do not experiment much with hormonal contraception methods after unsafe sexual intercourse. It just might worsen the pain.

7. NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) can also be administered, only if they have been prescribed by the doctor, as the harmful effects of those drugs are aplenty.

8. Magnesium deficiency in the body is one of the most important causes for menstrual migraines. Thus, eating foods rich in magnesium such as dark leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, avocados, bananas, etc. and taking magnesium supplements or vitamins are advisable.

9. There are certain foods which can even trigger such attacks. They include foods packed with monosodium glutamate (MSG), aged cheese and caffeine. Such foods should be strictly avoided. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.

Infertility happens when a couple cannot conceive after having regular unprotected sex. There are multiple reasons which leads to infertility in both men and women.

Pregnancy is a beautiful phase for any woman, and should be enjoyed to the fullest. That being said, pregnant women need to take care of their health at all times, as a young life depends on them. Taking into account how paranoid a to-be mother can be, any form of bleeding during pregnancy can cause a lot of trepidation. However, a lot of this worry is not really required at all.

A lot of pregnant women bleed during the first trimester of their pregnancy. As a matter of fact, many who bleed do not know or realise just how common it really is, and as a result, they get quite a lot more worried than they should. In fact, it happens to about one in five women who are pregnant.

Why bleeding occurs?

• It is quite likely that if a miscarriage is to occur, it will occur during the first trimester, or the first twelve weeks. As a matter of fact, bleeding is most likely to occur between weeks five and eight. A woman would get to know that she is having a miscarriage if there is tissue which is being passed, and at the same time, she feels some very intense cramps in the lower part of the abdomen.
• Another reason why women bleed, which is also quite likely to occur during the first trimester, is due to the process of implantation. However, this sort of bleeding is not heavy by any measure. The ironic thing is that a lot of women discover that they are pregnant by this form of bleeding and it usually occurs within a week to about twelve days after the conception has taken place.
• One of the more baffling reasons for bleeding when a woman is pregnant is bleeding which occurs after sexual intercourse. While it may seem odd that something which is supposed to be pleasurable should actually end up causing blood loss, all this is a sign of is that the tissues around the vagina are receiving a great amount of blood supply. It is to be noted, that no risk is caused the foetus because of this as it is located in the uterus.

What to do if you bleed?

• No matter how light or heavy the bleeding, the midwife or the doctor must be kept up to date with the situation at hand. This is because if there is any corrective action which is to be taken, the delay in time is to be kept to a minimum.
• A cause for genuine concern over the period of the pregnancy is if there is bleeding post 20 weeks. In most circumstances, bleeding is not worth the mental trouble. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Vaginal itching is a condition which occurs when the vagina comes in contact with irritants or because of a vaginal infection. Menopause may also lead to conditions that trigger itching in the vagina. In some cases, sexually transmitted diseases and skin allergies also lead to vaginal itching. The conditions in itself is not a major cause of concern, however, one should consult a doctor to treat the underlying condition, if any.

Causes

The main component of vaginal itching is the trigger, as there can be many of them. The various causes of vaginal itching are-

1. Irritants: Vaginal contact with certain irritants can be the cause behind vaginal itching. Some common substances that irritate the vagina are:

   1. Creams

   2. Ointments

   3. Detergents

   4. Harsh soaps

   5. Scented toiletries

2. Skin Problems: Certain skin problems such as eczema and psoriasis can result in itching and redness in the genitals. Eczema is a condition which is akin to allergies. Psoriasis is a condition which is characterized by itchy, scaly and red patches on the skin. These symptoms may slowly start spreading to the vagina.

3. Infections in the Vagina: Infections in the vagina such as bacterial vaginosis and yeast infection can lead to vaginal itching. In addition to the vaginal itching, they can also lead to a foul smelling discharge from the vagina.

4. Menopause: During menopause, the estrogen levels in the body dip, thus resulting in a dry vagina. A dry vagina can sometimes lead to vaginal itching.

5. Sexually Transmitted Diseases: STDs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia are disorders, symptoms of which include itching in the vagina.

Treatments

The treatment for vaginal itching begins with a diagnosis of the underlying condition that might be causing it in the first place. The treatment for this disorder is cause specific; hence the underlying condition needs to be identified. Antibiotics and antifungal medications may be administered to treat vaginal itching. For menopause related causes, estrogen creams or tablets are required.

You can also take preventive measures such as:

1. Avoid using scented soaps.

2. Use protection during sex.

3. Wear cotton based underwear.

4. Eat plenty of yoghurt.

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