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OVARIAN CYSTS IN WOMEN

by Women Times on

An Ovarian Cyst is a fluid filled sac that develops on an ovary. They are common in women who are in their menstruating age. They are very common and do not usually cause any symptoms.

Most ovarian cyst occurs naturally and go away in few months without needing any treatment.
SYMPTOMS OF OVARIAN CYSTS
1. Abdominal pain and bloating
2. Pain during sexual intercourse
3. Irregular or painful menstrual cycle
4. Tenderness of the breasts
5. Frequent urination
6. Dull or sharp pain in the pelvis and thighs
CAUSES OF OVARIAN CYSTS
The most common causes of Ovarian Cyst includes:
Hormonal problems. Functional cysts usually go away on their own without treatment. They may be caused by hormonal problems.
 FOODS TO AVOID IF YOU HAVE OVARIAN CYSTS
What you eat may affect cyst development. Some women go on to develop multiple cysts known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) such foods includes:
Refined Carbohydrates and highly processed foods like
1. Food high in Saturated fats
2. White Bread
3. White potatoes
4. Any foods made with white flours
5. Pastries
6. Desserts
7. Muffins and other sugary foods
8. Caffeine
HOW TO GET RID OF OVARIAN CYSTS NATURALLY
To get rid of ovarian cyst naturally is to adopt and maintain a good diet. Consuming the right foods can help keep hormones in check and relieve the symptoms of the cyst.
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Health

Benefits of Breastfeeding to Women and Babies

by Women Times on
Breastfeeding which is also known as  nursing, is the process of feeding a mother’s breast milk to her infant, either directly from the breast or by expressing (pumping out) the milk from the breast and bottle-feeding it to the infant. The world Health Organization(WHO) recommends that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby’s life and continue as often and ask much as the baby wants. During the first few weeks of life babies may nurse roughly every two to three hours or often.
 Breastfeeding has a number of benefits to both mother and baby, which infant formula lacks.
*Breastmilk contains all the nutrients your baby needs for the first 6 months
*It also satisfies the baby’s thirst
*It helps develop the eyes and brain and other body systems
*The act of breastfeeding helps with jaw development
*It helps the baby resist infection and disease, even later in life
*It reduces the risk of obesity in childhood and later in life
*It contains a range of factors that protect your baby while their immune system is still developing
Breastfeeding also has many benefits for mothers. Not only is it convenient, cheap, and always available.
 It also reduces the risk of haemorrhage immediately after delivery
 It reduces your risk of breast and ovarian cancer
It is convenient and cheap
can soothe your baby
prolongs the amount of time before you get your period again
Getting started
You can usually start breastfeeding within the first hour or so of your baby’s birth.
The first milk in your breasts is called colostrum. This milk is quite thick and may be yellowish in colour. It’s very rich in protein and antibodies that will help give your baby a great start in life. Mature breast milk gradually replaces the colostrum in the first few days after birth.
Ideally, you should try to maintain close skin-to-skin contact with your baby immediately after the delivery. If you hold your baby against your chest and between your breasts for a while, there’s a good chance he or she will find your nipple and begin feeding without any help. Your midwife or a lactation consultant can also help guide you and your baby into position.
Good positioning and attachment
The key to successful breastfeeding is comfortable positioning and good attachment.
If your baby is well-attached to your breast you are less likely to experience breastfeeding problems like cracked nipples, and your baby will get the most amount of milk out of your breast.
There are lots of different ways to position and attach your baby for breastfeeding, but here are some general tips:
Sit comfortably with your back and feet supported – you can be fully upright or you might prefer to be laying back a little bit.
Unwrap your baby and hold him or her close against you.
Turn your baby on his or her side so they are wrapped around you with their nose level with your nipple.
Make sure you support your baby’s neck and shoulders with your hand, but don’t hold your baby’s head — allow him or her to find the best position for attaching to your breast.
Bring your baby to your breast, not your breast to your baby.
Gently brush your baby’s mouth with the underside of your areola (the area around the nipple) — this will usually cause your baby to open their mouth very wide.
When your baby opens their mouth, bring him or her quickly to your breast so they take a good mouthful of breast tissue.
As you bring your baby to your breast it can help to hold your breast like you would a sandwich, with your nipple aimed at the roof of your baby’s mouth.
Signs that your baby is well-attached include:
Your baby’s chin should be tucked into your breast, and his or her mouth should be wide open with the bottom lip curled back.
Your baby’s nose will be clear or only just be touching your breast.More of your areola will be visible above your baby’s top lip than below it.
Your baby’s cheeks should not be sucking in and there should be no clicking noise during sucking.
There should be No nipple pain ,you might feel a stretching sensation As ur nipple adjust To breastfeeding…
How often will my baby feed?
During the first week of life most babies will gradually develop a pattern of feeding eight to twelve times in a 24-hour period. You should feed your baby whenever he or she shows signs of hunger.
You will know your baby is getting enough breast milk if he or she:
is feeding at least 8 times a day (with some of those feeds occurring overnight)has at least 5 wet disposable nappies or 6 to 8 wet cloth nappies per day
has 2 or more soft or runny bowel movements per day for around the first 6 weeks of life (babies have fewer bowel movements once they reach about 6 weeks)is gaining weight and growing as expected
is alert when awake, and reasonably contented
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Health

6 Habits That Can Harm Your Sexual Performance

by Women Times on

A great sex life does not happen by chance or magic, it takes conscious effort. And that effort includes having a healthy lifestyle that improves not just your overall health but also your sexual health.

According to a study published in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology in 2020, an unhealthy lifestyle contributes to the development of sexual disorders and dysfunctions in the long run.

Listed below are some habits that can be harmful to your sexual performance and health:

 

A little too much drink
consuming too much alcohol can change the way a person’s body responds to sexual activity and may result in less satisfying sex.

Alcohol may also affect sex because it has a numbing effect on the genitals. Females also reported less vaginal lubrication and difficulty reaching orgasm.

Males with alcohol dependence are also more likely to experience issues such as erectile dysfunction, unsatisfying orgasm, premature ejaculation, and loss of libido.

In men, alcohol can cause difficulties getting and maintaining an erection – while women may experience reduced lubrication, find it harder to have an orgasm, or have orgasms that are less intense.

Smoking
There are many health risks of smoking. Cigarette smoking can damage just about every part of your body. The chemicals in cigarette smoke injure the lining of your blood vessels and affect the way they function. Those chemicals can also harm your heart, brain, kidneys, and other tissues throughout the body.

A 2005 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that ED is more likely in men who smoked compared with those who never did.

It is known that the significant risk factors associated with ED are also frequently seen in smokers

Not enough sleep
Good sleep is necessary for good health as well as your sexual health. In fact, insufficient sleep disrupted sleep, and sleep disorders affect many aspects of human health including sexual function.

According to a study published in May 2015 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, just one hour of extra sleep per night increases the odds that a woman will have sex with her partner by 14 per cent.

The study, which followed 171 women who recorded their sleep and sexual activity for 14 days, also found that women who chronically lack sleep experience poorer vaginal arousal during sex than those who get enough shut-eye each night. The women with longer sleep duration slept for 7 hours and 22 minutes, on average, per night.

Stress
Stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response to maintain normal function. The body may react to changes with physical, emotional or mental responses.

Chronic stress, ongoing stress over an extended period of time, can affect testosterone production, resulting in a decline in sex drive or libido, and can even cause erectile dysfunction or impotence.

Not paying attention to your partner
Love is not a one-way street. Pay attention to your partner’s desires as this makes sex pleasurable for them too. Do you have a partner that takes a longer time to get turned on? Does your partner need to be touched or stimulated in a certain type of way?

Bad foods
When you fill-up your body with lots of refined carbs, simple sugars, and saturated and trans fat, they can slow your blood flow and affect how well you can perform during sex.

Here’s a secret; to increase your libido eat oysters. They have been known to have sex-drive-sharpening properties for hundreds of years. That may be because they contain a whole lot of zinc. Studies have shown that people who consume a sufficient amount of this mineral tend to have normal levels of testosterone.

 

 

Credit: The Guardian

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Health

Ijeoma Isimokwenye: The Shocking Story Of An Endometriosis Survivor

by Women Times on

Ijeoma Isimokwenye is a survivor of Endometriosis, a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus. In this interview, she recounts her ordeal with the killer health condition.

 

Why did you have to consult 40 different doctors when you travelled to the United States?

 

I had to, because my body cracked down, I was having many things going on at the same time. I was having a nerve blockade, I was very low on iron, I was suffering from fatigue, I had a lot of complications going on at the same time including lungs collapse which made me gasp for breath. This warrants me going into the emergency ward to have an oxygen ventilator jut to be able to relief the lungs from that stress. I had to keep moving from one specialist to another until I got to parkland Hospital where I was diagnosed with “Extra Pelvic Endometriosis”.

 

How come much is not known about endometriosis in Nigeria?

 

There is little or no awareness about endometriosis in Nigeria, the reason why my case got complicated. The first time I had a lungs collapse in Nigeria after series of surgeries to remove Cyst, I went to see a gynaecologist who casually told me I had endometriosis. The series of surgeries led to me having lots of scarred tissues which in turn worsened the endometriosis. Lack of excision surgeons in Nigeria is likely another reason why the awareness of the disease is almost non-existent in Nigeria.

 

What would be your advice to women as regards endometriosis?

My advise to women especially mothers is to take complains from their young daughters about painful menstruation seriously, that is one of the signs. It is not enough to administer pain relief medication, endeavour to take the child to a gynaecologist for a possible early detection of endometriosis if that is the case. Long-time neglect leads to a lot of damage if the child has endometriosis.

 

My case led me to depression at a point, which made me attempt suicide, due to the various medical issues I was having at the same time, a timely visit to a psychiatric doctor saved me from going on with suicide.

So, Please, mothers, do not neglect heavy bleeding and painful menstruation in your daughters.

 

How have you been funding the treatment?

Besides my personal income and that of my husband, I majorly got financial support from family and friends who understood my situation, they were all very supportive. Very touching was the support I got from secondary school mates Federal Govt College Enugu, besides their personal donations, they helped set up a Go Fund Me account for me in Nigeria using my details :Isimokwenye Ijeoma,  Account no: 0041689955, Bank Name: Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).  It is important to note that, for now, Endometriosis do not have a permanent cure, it can only be managed. At the moment, I am in dire need of funds to carry out other surgeries, laboratory investigations and medications. Frequent scans and medical consultations could be financially sapping. We hope to get financial assistants from NGOs, and government bodies, so I will be grateful to get any information on how to get such financial aids.

 

So you have to live with it?

 

Yes, I have to live with it, which requires lots of money, and good medical care, at the moment, Nigeria do not really have the expertise and equipment to properly manage endometriosis patients, and as such you find endometriosis patients relocating to other countries especially the US where they are sure of a reliable medical attention.

Are you married? If yes, has this affected your marriage in any way?

 

Yes I am married and I am one of the lucky ones who have a supportive husband. My marriage has not been affected in anyway, instead, the tough times endeared us more to each other, it has really kept me going.

 

 

What is your message to those living with endometriosis at the moment?

Firstly, endometriosis financially consuming because it requires lots of medical specialists, the pains and trauma that comes with it means they have to be strong mentally and be focused to fight back! Do not be alone, join support groups. We have Endosurvivor groups present in Nigeria and abroad. Try as much as possible to be happy, get busy as much as your health can carry you.

 

 

For how long have you lived with it and what has kept you going?

I have lived with it for 20 years of my life. What has kept me going were prayers, family, friends and support groups, when those around you show you much love and attention, you tend to be able to fight back stronger and have a reason to hold on.

 

What have you learnt from your health experience so far?

 

I have learnt to be patient; my belief in God waxed stronger and most importantly made me value more the importance og good health and the need for good health care system all over the world.

 

 

 

Credit: Vanguard

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