Dr. Vidya Shetty

In slightly more medical terms, sexual disorder is known as sexual dysfunction. Sexual disorders are health conditions that could surface in both males and females. This not only acts as a hurdle in the path of an alternative understanding of sexuality but also deters spontaneous reporting of sexual problems. Patients largely feel the need to redress such problems; the fear of being ridiculed or being mocked deters them continually. Another way of approaching the problem and its subsequent treatment is to identify the factors leading to its development. Your way of life plays an eminent role in deciding the quality of your health. You may seek help from a professional to bring about fruitful changes in your lifestyle.

Sexual disorders can be categorized as follows:-

1. Desire disorders- It often happens that a male or a female repeatedly feels laidback about indulging in sexual activity. The problem could be persistent in general or it could be directed towards a single partner. You may or may not develop this condition all of a sudden. Low levels of estrogen in females and low levels of testosterone in males are known to lead to such sexual irregularities.
2. Sexual arousal disorders- Females at an older age or after childbirth often suffer from a sexual arousal disorder. The condition could also be found in young adults. It is characterized by a dry vagina and the lack of pleasure during foreplay or intercourse. Amid males this problem is prevalently known as erectile dysfunction. A man might not be able to enjoy physical contact with his partner. Men usually face difficulties in having a proper erection. The male organ in such a case is only partly erected.
3. Sexual orgasm disorders- If you are on certain medications or have been experiencing frequent bouts of anxiety, attaining climax can be a headache. Patients of this disorder either fail to have an orgasm or it is extremely delayed.
4. Sexual pain disorders- Pain disorders are more common in women. In most cases, painful intercourse is the result of lack of arousal. If the vagina is not sufficiently lubricated, a woman might experience severe pain. Pain can also be the symptom of a serious underlying disease like vaginismus. A medical condition where a man faces painful erection due to excess accumulation of blood in the penis is referred to as priapism. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult an Ayurveda.

After a pregnancy of long nine months and tough delivery, your body needs time to recover. Your doctor won't suggest you until your six-week postpartum checkups are done. Give yourself some time before you start watching you're actively trying to slim down. These activities will include - a healthy diet, breastfeed, working out with your baby, meditation and cardio. For long term success and to keep you feel good along the way; we are running down a series of articles to help you lose and stay slim! Let's start with eating smart!

Eat Smart to Lose Weight after Pregnancy

Since your body needs abundant rest and nutrition to recover from delivery and labor, to fend off infection and to feed your baby, you shouldn't start dieting until you are permitted by your doctor. Make sure you're still consuming enough calories if you are breastfeeding otherwise your body will stop producing milk. Even if you're not nursing, crash dieting can slow down your metabolism, making it tough to lose pounds in the long run.

Regardless of a particular diet plan, follow below tips for weight loss postpartum:

Check your Portions and Have a Balanced Diet. Take small meals and only when you are hungry. You need to have a balanced diet fulfilling all your daily nutrient requirements. Your diet must comprise adequate amount of carbohydrates, proteins, the necessary fatty acids, and fibers. The meal should include seasonal fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy foodstuffs, fish, lean meat and omega acids. Whole grains, cereals, and nuts are full of proteins and good fats. Consider, you need to eat healthy, but not much. The food you eat will provide nutrition to your child through breastfeeding.

Nutritive snacks. No junk and fast food. Have some fruits, a fruit drink, oat cookies, nuts or soaked grams for munching.

Boost up your water intake. Ten to twelve glasses of water per day will help you to cut down on weight effectively. Further, add lemon or squeeze in the seasonal fruit juice. Avoid adding salt as salt leads to water retention in the body.

Avoid Packed 'Non-Fat' or 'Low-Fat' Food. These packaged items are loaded with high calories.

Do not start dieting strictly. If you can exercise with a healthy diet, it will further help you weight loss.

For women, taking care of their health should be top priority, but especially so if one is expecting. Urinary tract infections (UTI) are more common in women and usually occur in the bladder or urethra. And with the rigours of pregnancy, would you avoid one if you could? Surely!

A UTI can be caused by sex, in a lot of cases. This is because there is a transfer of the bacteria, which has the potential to enter the urethra and cause a lot of damage to the bladder and possibly, even the kidneys.

The good news is that as long as a UTI is detected immediately after getting the infection, it can be easily treated. However, not treating this in time can lead to serious complications.

That being said, it is widely known that prevention is better than cure and the adage is just as true when it comes to infections such as these. There are quite a few steps which can be taken to reduce the risk of a pregnant mother falling ill due to a UTI.

How can pregnant women prevent UTI?
The first is to urinate frequently. This is because if the urination of the pregnant woman is not frequent, chances of the festering the bacteria are more. One should try to cut out caffeine and chocolate to as great an extent as possible in one’s diet. If she is able to do this, the amount of irritation to the bladder caused will reduce greatly and this reduces the risk of contracting a UTI.

Another thing which could be done from a dietary point of view is to drink cranberry juice on a daily basis. This is because cranberries have the ability to reduce the amount of E. Coli, which is a form of bacteria sticking around the bladder. However, before this is done, it is better to consult a doctor to make sure that the consumption of cranberry in any form does not clash with any medication.

Urination before and after sex is also a good practice as is having a low dosage of antibiotics which are prescribed by the doctor in case of recurrence of the UTIs. 

Apart from all these steps, the woman should not forget to make sure she stays well hydrated at all times, as this is not only good for the prevention of UTIs, but also for making sure the body functions well.

Follow these simple steps and keep UTI troubles away during pregnancy.