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Even External Products Can Pose Risk to Expectant Mothers

Monday, May 27th, 2013

As an expectant mother, women will hear any number of dos and don’ts. Being pregnant forces women to learn an entirely new way to treat their body, as certain chemicals can cause a great deal of harm to developing fetuses. It is likely that almost all pregnant women know the risks of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and a great deal will choose not to drink heavily sugary or caffeinated drinks for the duration of their pregnancies in order to prevent potential damage due to changes in their bodies from these products.

However, many patients still do not understand the importance of monitoring the products that they use externally. Chemicals can just as easily be absorbed through the skin, and can cause as much damage as if they were ingested. This is why women who are pregnant are asked not to dye their hair or to expose themselves to other chemicals until their child is born. For evidence of how easily chemicals can enter into the body, look at this case study in which a pregnant woman was found to be host to considerable amounts of mercury due to a face cream she had purchased in Mexico.

Though that list of dos and don’ts can seem pretty exhausting, there is one easy rule-of-thumb that expectant mother’s can use when it comes to the products that they choose to use during their pregnancy. When it doubt, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Put that food or that product aside if you are uncertain about it and talk to your doctor. He or she will be more than happy to help you decide whether or not the product that you are using is safe for you and your baby. The harmful effects of some chemicals to the body far outweigh the benefits of soft skin or the perfect hair color.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Pregnancy, Women's health issues | No Responses »
Tags: Childbirth & delivery, obstetrics, Pregnancy, women's health

Risk Factors For Urinary Incontinence

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

There can be a lot of embarrassment associated with urinary stress incontinence, and a lot of women may feel like they can’t talk about it with anybody—even their doctor. However, those women should know that there is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a fact of life that many women will have to deal with throughout their lives, whether it is after pregnancy, the result of aging, or due to any other number of causes. In fact, with this study you can see just how many risk factors there are for UI. Moreover, UI (urinary incontinence) is not something to be ashamed of because it is the particular structure of women’s bodies that causes it to be so prevalent in the female gender. It is also not related to the mode of delivery, i.e., cesarean vs. vaginal delivery. Nuns have the same prevalence of urinary incontinence as mothers.

UI doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t hold it in at all—it simply means that there may be times or situations where women experience a little leakage, or there may be times when they are unable to “hold it” completely until they reach a restroom. Women may experience UI when they laugh or sneeze, or they might simply find the need to wear a panty liner throughout the day. It is a myth that there is nothing that can be done for UI.

The first and most important step in dealing with this issue is to speak with your doctor and specifically a urogynecologist. This is absolutely necessary, as there may be medical causes for sudden UI. If there are no medical causes, there might be other causes for UI, such as smoking. If the cause is something like obesity, simply losing some excess weight can help. Your doctor can also recommend exercises that can help strengthen the pelvic wall and reduce UI. In extreme cases, your doctor may even recommend surgery to treat urinary incontinence. However, nothing can be done if patients are unwilling to speak to their doctor about the problem. Communication is always the first step in treating any issue.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Pregnancy, Women's health issues | No Responses »
Tags: aging, Pregnancy, Urinary incontinence, women's health

Ease of Use Most Important Factor in Contraceptive Method

Thursday, May 16th, 2013

A wide variety of women use contraception in the modern day, whether they are simply putting off having a child for the time being or they have decided not to have a child at all. The type of contraception that a woman chooses can have a big impact on her life, and is one of the most important decisions that she can make. One study examined the contraception methods used by a variety of women, across both age and social lines, to determine what factors were most important in determining the type of contraception used.

Not surprisingly, one of the most important factors used by women in determining their method of birth control is its ease of use. The birth control pill can be notoriously difficult for some women to keep track of. It must be administered at the same time, every day, to be effective. That is why an increasing number of women are turning to other contraceptive methods, such as IUDs, to prevent pregnancy.

However, as a doctor I feel it’s my duty to urge women to think a little bit more about what contraception is best for them. There are a number of other factors besides ease of use to consider when choosing a method of birth control, from the permanence of the method you want to use to biological issues which may play a huge role in determining the efficacy of your chosen method. For example, an IUD may be best suited for a woman who has already had children and is looking for a more long-term solution to prevent pregnancy. Before making a decision about your birth control, be certain you engage in a dialogue with your doctor to determine what solution is best for you. There are so many options out there that it is easy in this day and age to find something tailored to your individual needs.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Contraception (birth control) | No Responses »
Tags: birth control, family planning, IUD, women's health

Do We Need to Talk More About Mammograms?

Monday, May 13th, 2013

It seems like a no-brainer that women should receive screening for breast cancer with a mammogram. It is recommended by most doctors that women, starting between the ages of thirty and forty, begin to schedule their mammograms every two years. It is at about this time that breast cancer becomes a serious risk to most women, and it will remain a risk to most women until well after menopause. However, as serious as this issue is, there are still a lot of women who decide not to get mammograms. Why is that?

For patients, there is a real fear associated with mammograms. They can be uncomfortable, and there are always stories getting out about false diagnoses of breast cancer being made. In fact, it is likely that a lot of women will need to undergo a biopsy to determine whether a spot found in a mammogram is cancerous or not—however, the benefits of a potential diagnosis early on, before cancer has a chance to grow and spread, far outweighs the potential downside of having to undergo a biopsy when no cancer is present.

In addition, there are unfortunately still many women out there who treat the age of 70 as a magical cut-off point when they no longer need breast cancer screenings. However, most women who get breast cancer are over 50, and a large number of these are over 70. Senior women are not being told how important it is to receive a regular mammogram, as this study indicates. A large number of younger women are also unaware of the importance of checking their breasts regularly with home examinations. It is important for women of all ages to be aware of the fact that they are at risk, no matter what their age, background, or current health.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Women's health issues | No Responses »
Tags: Breast cancer, mammogram, testing, women's health

Studies Provide Shocking Postpartum Depression Statistics

Thursday, May 9th, 2013

Becoming a new mother should be the happiest time in the lives of most women—at least, that is what society tells us. But every year, thousands of women across the country who have recently given birth, or who are about to give birth, report experiencing depression and postpartum depression. This issue only came to light in the past few decades, as an increasing number of women overcome the “shame” associated with mental illness to talk about and raise awareness of their experiences. Increased awareness of postpartum depression means that fewer women feel the need to hide their problems, and more women will seek help earlier in the onset of postpartum depression when it can be more easily treatable.

However, there are still a lot of problems when it comes to awareness. One of those issues is the fact that the segment of the population that is most likely to be diagnosed with it is the segment least likely to be knowledgeable about the subject. In this study, which identified women positively diagnosed with postpartum depression as well as the demographics of affected women, it was revealed that women positive with a diagnosis were more likely to be younger, African American, and to be in a lower income bracket.

In addition, most of the women who were found to have postpartum depression were also found to have a comorbid generalized anxiety disorder. That means that many instances of depression may also dismissed as common anxiety, or the typical concerns of a new mother. It is important to correctly identify depression, as it can have an immense effect on both mother and baby in the period after birth. In fact, many women will suffer depression for years afterward. In this study alone, 14 percent of the women in the study were positively diagnosed.

Women should be informed about postpartum depression and its effects, and they should know that it is a common problem after pregnancy. Of course, postpartum depression is just one of the many issues that a woman might face regarding pregnancy and childbirth—my mission in life is to inform women of all ages and races of what is going on with their bodies, and in my book, “Inside Information for Women”, I discuss pregnancy and childbirth in detail, in the hopes that more women will go through the process with the knowledge that they need to remain safe, healthy, and happy throughout their pregnancy and well afterwards.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Pregnancy, Women's health issues | No Responses »
Tags: anxiety, postpartum depression, Pregnancy, women's health

Can A Low-Dose Birth Control Help Control PMS?

Monday, April 29th, 2013

Being a woman is tough, especially when you have to deal with the monthly effects of premenstrual syndrome. PMS can have a range of effects, as every woman knows, and while for some it may be nothing more than a minor annoyance, for others it can be pretty difficult to get up and go while they’re dealing with symptoms such as moodiness, aches, pains, and bloating. I understand that, and part of my job is making sure that women have all the resources they need so they can live healthy, comfortable lives, no matter what their bodies are putting them through.

While birth control and other drugs been used for years to deal with the more serious symptoms of more severe cases of PMS, or even premenstrual dysphoric disorder, (PMDD), both women and physicians hesitate to give full doses of birth control to women who don’t need or want it. The birth control pill comes with a lot of side effects, as any woman who has taken it knows, and this can cause a lot of concerns for women who are already dealing with the effects of PMS. Fortunately, low-dose birth control can do a lot to regulate your menstrual cycle, and it comes with far fewer side effects than its more estrogen-heavy counterpart. Studies show that it can also help to alleviate the symptoms of PMS, so it may be an option for women who are trying to deal with the worst symptoms of their oncoming menstrual cycle.

If you think your PMS symptoms are bad enough to warrant medical intervention, make sure you bring it up during your next appointment with your doctor. It’s important to have a dialogue with the person in charge of your health about what is going on with your body, and what can be done to make you more comfortable, and your life a little easier. It’s also important to trust your doctor’s judgment when it comes to low-dose birth control, or any other form of treatment. They will know what is best for your body, and can talk you through your options.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Contraception (birth control), Women's health issues | No Responses »
Tags: birth control, PMDD, PMS, women's health

Traditional Methods are Still the Best When Looking for a Diagnosis

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

Too many patients walk into my office looking for a quick fix for their problems. And why shouldn’t they expect a cure as quickly as possible? Nobody wants to feel sick, or live with unexplained symptoms. Nobody wants to worry that they have something seriously wrong with their bodies. However, all too often the patient’s idea of a “quick fix” is extensive testing and diagnostics. They see these highly advanced medical tools and think they’re a miracle tool that’s going to fix all of their problems. What these patients aren’t considering is that the best tool of all isn’t one that uses radio waves, computers, and high-tech imaging to get to the source of the problem.

The simple fact is, expecting high-tech diagnostics to get to the root of your medical issue could do more harm than good. Studies show that time is a factor in getting treatment for your problems, and a doctor can diagnose your problem far quicker than any machine. The first order of business for any doctor in treating their patient is determining whether or not they think an issue is serious enough to warrant extensive testing, which can be time-consuming and expensive. In most cases, an issue can be simply taken care of if you just trust your doctor’s gut instinct about what’s causing the problem and follow the course of treatment they lay out for you.

The fact that it can take a little time, and a handful of visits, to get to the root of the problem is a good thing. It may not seem that way if you’re experiencing headaches, nausea, or painful menstruation, but waiting it out and letting the doctor diagnose you with traditional methods has a lot of benefits. I’ve seen many patients come in thinking they had a serious illness, only to have the issue resolve itself with time, and patients whose problems persist are much easier to diagnose and treat when we stick it out and develop a detailed profile of their illness. There are times, of course, when us doctors get stuck. That’s when we’ll refer you to a specialist for high-tech testing. Just remember, no matter how fancy those machines may seem, the best resource you have for your health is the store of information and experienced located in your doctor’s brain.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Women's health issues | No Responses »
Tags: chronic illness, diagnosis, testing, women's health

Are Your Vitamins Contributing to Your Life or Death?

Monday, April 15th, 2013

Remember the good old days of Flintstones vitamins? We were taught to take one every day so we could grow up strong. Most of us continued that practice into adulthood, though the types of vitamins and supplements we use have changed considerably from the fruity, chalky prehistoric characters we were used to. Although your doctor may prescribe supplements and although commercials suggest their vitamins can improve your health, they can actually be detrimental to your health, especially in older women.

It is important to make sure you’re getting all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly. However, as we age, our body chemistry changes, which means the types of vitamins and minerals we need most will change as well. More than 38,000 women were the subject of an Iowa Women’s Health Study concerning vitamin and mineral supplements. Their results showed that most supplements had no obvious affect, but there were a few that actually increased the mortality rate in older women. The culprits included Vitamin B6, folic acid, iron, magnesium, zinc, and copper. Specifically, Iron seemed to be the most dangerous, with 15% of study participants who used it regularly dyeing. Calcium, on the other hand, seemed to have the opposite effect, meaning it actually decreased the mortality rate.

Although this information may seem frightening, it’s important to put it into context. Women in particular need Iron, so you never want to cut it out of your regimen completely. That said, it’s better to get in the form of red meat and green leafy vegetables than in a vitamin. The same is true of pretty much all supplements. Your body will do a much better job of processing and using vitamins and minerals that are in food form. Vitamins, when used on top of your usual diet, will easily put your system out of balance, which is what leads to dangerous levels of one or the other. Likewise with Calcium, although it is important in the fight against osteoporosis, supplements can be dangerous when not taken in moderation or without the coinciding vitamins your body needs to process it. In short, unless your physician recommends it, stick to a balanced diet and forget the vitamin supplements.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in General health news, Women's health news | No Responses »
Tags: minerals, supplements, vitamins, women's health

When it Comes to Protein, You Might Get Too Much of a Good Thing

Thursday, January 3rd, 2013

Everything you consume in life should be done so in moderation. From the things you eat, to the things you buy, to the things you watch, you can most definitely get too much of a good thing in many cases. While protein is generally considered an important part of any healthy diet, studies show that it can be also be harmful when consumed in large quantities.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has released statements showing that the female body needs approximately 46 grams of protein daily. Of course, this amount should be adjusted for a woman’s size and activity level, but this amount is the average. For a more specific number, they recommend that you subtract half of your body weight by 10. So, a 160-pound woman needs 70 grams of protein every day. On top of that, you should adjust the number based on the amount of calories you consume so that you are not only consuming protein in a low-calorie diet.

However, many women who are trying to eat healthy think they need to stock up on protein. Low carb diets in particular are often high in protein. In reality, the average American woman is already getting too much, and adding to that already high amount can result in serious bodily damage.

Studies show that too much protein in a woman’s diet can lead to kidney damage in people with already decreased kidney function. Though protein doesn’t have any proven negative effects on women with fully and normally functioning kidneys, it can accelerate damage in those who don’t yet know their kidneys are in danger. Older women are also at risk for kidney problems as a result of too much protein because kidney function naturally declines with age.

If you have a kidney problem, you should be extremely careful about consuming too much protein. Even if you don’t, consuming too much protein can have other negative effects since it hinders the absorption of other important vitamins and minerals in your diet. Protein is a healthy part of the female diet, but only in moderation.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Women's health news | 2 Responses »
Tags: healthy diet, kidney disease, protein, women's health

Do Failed Emergency Contraceptive Result in Birth Defects?

Monday, December 31st, 2012

As I’ve discussed before, emergency contraceptives should never serve as your main form of birth control. In certain circumstances, the morning after pill is perfectly acceptable. Maybe your usual form of birth control didn’t work, or maybe your sexual encounter was unplanned, or—worse yet—unwanted. Occasional use of emergency contraceptives such as the Plan B pill is fine, especially if it will prevent the birth of a baby that cannot be properly cared for. However, these pills are not always 100% effective in preventing pregnancy. If you took an emergency contraceptive but still got pregnant, you’re probably wondering how the hormones might negatively affect your baby’s health.

Luckily, the creators of the emergency contraceptive already thought of that, and they are designed in a way that will not harm a developing baby should the hormones be ineffective at preventing pregnancy. One study in particular showed that emergency contraceptives had absolutely no effect on the likelihood that a woman would have an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancies are extremely dangerous for the woman having it, and most are aborted so that the mother can live through them. They occur when the fetus is growing outside the uterus. If you took an emergency contraceptive and it failed, you are just as likely to have a normal, healthy baby as if you hadn’t taken anything at all. Preventing pregnancy with an emergency contraceptive is just as safe as preventing it with regular birth control, even though “morning after” pills such as Plan B give you twice the amount of hormones as a high dose birth control pill.

While you’ll have a perfectly safe pregnancy if an emergency contraceptive fails, you should absolutely never rely on it as your only birth control. If you know that you are going to be having sex, you should already be on birth control to prevent pregnancy. On top of that, you should be using a condom if you aren’t sure of the sexual history of your partner. Doctors aren’t entirely sure what the long-term effects of high doses of hormones are, so taking pills like Plan B regularly could easily lead to blood clots or strokes. If you need to take an emergency contraceptive in a true emergency, rest assured that it will probably work. If it doesn’t, you’ll soon be the mother of a healthy new baby.

– Yvonne S. Thornton, M. D., M. P. H.

Posted in Contraception (birth control), Women's health news | No Responses »
Tags: birth control, ectopic pregnancy, emergency contraceptives, women's health