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What You should Know about Urogynaecological Health

What is urogynaecology? We explore common urogynaecology problems women face and potential treatment options for each of these disorders.

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Urogynaecology focuses on pelvic floor disorders.

Pelvic floor function, anatomy, and function are all affected by the pelvic floor in women. The pelvic floor supports organs such as uterus, bladder, rectum, and vagina.

Most women are at risk for developing pelvic floor problems at various stages of their lives when their pelvic floor is weakened and damaged by pregnancy, childbirth, ageing, and menopause. The health effects of pelvic floor disorders if left untreated can be quite significant.

It is important to note that many women can suffer from different types of pelvic floor disorders at different stages of their lives, or more than 1 type of pelvic floor disorders at any 1 time. A urogynecologist is a more qualified specialist who has specific expertise in diagnosis, investigation, and treatment of women’s pelvic floor disorders than a general gynecologist.

Common pelvic floor disorders include:

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP)
It refers to a drooping of the uterus, the bladder, or the rectum into and beyond the vaginal opening. The condition affects one in three women who have had children. It is more common in older women. One in 10 women will require surgery in their lifetimes.

It is primarily caused by weakened pelvic floor muscles caused by damage sustained during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as by aging and menopause. Chronic strain on pelvic floor muscles can also cause POP, as can obesity, coughing, constipation, and jobs that require heavy lifting or long hours. POP is characterized by feeling a lump in the vagina, or a heavy dragging sensation, bleeding after menopause, urinary issues, constipation, or painful sex.

POP can be treated non-surgically or surgically. You can perform Kegel exercises to strengthen weak pelvic floor muscles, make lifestyle changes, and use vaginal pessaries (which are soft, removable devices that are inserted into your vagina to support your prolapsed organs) as non-surgical alternatives. An urogynaecologist will perform surgery for pelvic organ prolapse based on the severity of the condition, your age, general health, medical conditions, surgical history and sexual activity.

Urinary incontinence
Under various circumstances, one leaks urine involuntarily. The urge to go to the toilet may arise when you are physically exerting yourself e.g. laughing, coughing, sneezing, running, jumping, or when you feel the urge but are unable to make it there in time. The problem can occur at any age, including in young women, during pregnancy and after childbirth, all the way up to women going through menopause.

Incontinence is caused by weakened pelvic floor muscles (damage sustained during pregnancy and childbirth, weakening from aging and menopause, obesity), weakened bladder muscles (from aging and nerve damage), and medications. Coffee, certain illnesses, and smoking make urinary incontinence worse.

Often, treating urinary incontinence involves conservative lifestyle changes such as managing weight, eating a healthy diet, adjusting fluid intake, cutting back on caffeine, doing bladder exercises, taking scheduled bathroom breaks, avoiding constipation, and Kegel exercises. Your urogynecologist may recommend surgery in certain cases.

Overactive bladder (OAB)
It happens when you feel the urge to urinate and need to visit the toilet frequently. This occurs at night while you are sleeping, and is known as nocturia. You may find that your life revolves around the toilet as this can be disruptive to your work and social life.

OAB is caused by the bladder muscles trying to empty urine that isn’t there. An infection of the urinary tract (UTI) can often cause this. Alternatively, it may result from nerve damage caused by old age, diabetes, stroke, dementia, etc. Medications and caffeine may also contribute.

Changing one’s lifestyle is the first-line treatment for OAB, like treating urinary incontinence. It is usually necessary to prescribe medications for OAB in addition to the lifestyle changes mentioned above. By relaxing your bladder muscles, you can increase the time between passing urine. Additionally, Botox injections into the bladder (which are done under general or local anesthesia) and nerve stimulation are 2nd line invasive options. They are only given to women who have not improved after trying all other measures, and usually need to be repeated six months later.

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What is A Gut Microbiome Test, And Why is It Necessary?

The importance of good health can not be stated enough, and you will certainly agree with this if you have been faced with one health issue or the other in the past. However, staying healthy demands that you make deliberate efforts towards maintaining good health always.

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The importance of good health can not be stated enough, and you will certainly agree with this if you have been faced with one health issue or the other in the past. However, staying healthy demands that you make deliberate efforts towards maintaining good health always.

But as easy as caring for your external body parts are, extending the same care for your internal organs can become tricky. We have also learned that some of these internal parts, like the gut microbiome, house thousands of bacteria. These bacteria can be very harmful to the surrounding parts and organs if they become excessive. Therefore, monitoring these parts and the bacteria level becomes very critical. Do you know that it is possible to monitor the number of bacteria present in your body? Yes, you can do this by going for a microbiome gut test. This article highlights everything you need to know about a gut microbiome testing.

What is A Gut Microbiome Test?

The gut microbiota refers to the total number of bacteria residing in the gut. These bacteria can be good or bad, and some can be very dangerous and harmful to your organs. Gut microbiome testing helps analyze the bacteria present in your gastrointestinal tract. This test basically searches the gut and looks for signs of pathogens, and inflammatory and immune markers, then give feedback on the functionality of the digestive tract.

The test is kind of unique, however, compared to other tests like blood tests, and it involves testing the poop. Yes, it is not the most convenient method, but it has proven to be the most effective way of getting accurate results. Most patients are given a take-home kit to excrete and submit for test the next day.

What Microbiome Tests Reveal

A microbiome gut test can be an eye-opener because the result shows many unknown health conditions. Here are some things you stand to learn from a gut microbiome test.

Parasites: Your sample will be examined under a microscope for parasites, and the parasites will be diagnosed using the DNA found.
Yeast overgrowth: Yeast is a fungus that lives in the digestive system. When the yeast overgrows, it causes an infection called a yeast infection. But a gut microbiome test will help you spot yeast growth promptly.
Bacteria overgrowth: The first function of the microbiome test is to examine bacteria. Hence, it will inform you if there are excess bacteria in your system.
Immune markers: The microbiome gut test studies the immune markers and checks if the immune system is under-performing or functioning correctly.
Protein and fat: The level of protein and fat present on your stool is also considered during a microbiome test. The information is used to analyze how well you digest your food.
Good Bacteria: Yes, there are some bacteria that the body organs need for efficient performance. Your system may not appreciate the lack of sufficient amounts of these bacteria. The test helps to sort out the good bacteria and assess if they are sufficient in your body.

Conclusion

Taking a gut microbiome test may be the difference between assuming you are healthy and actually being healthy. It is essential because it helps to show some information vital to your organs’ efficiency, helping you tackle several threats promptly before they grow to cause infections.

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10 Bizarre Things You Should Know About Your Skin

Do you know what is the largest organ of the human body? Yes, it is the skin, and it weighs approximately 15% of our total body weight. Learning more about your skin’s particularities is highly important for a healthy body, so let’s dive right in!

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The skin is an organ because it consists of several tissues and cells of different and specific functions. It is an organ of protection, first and foremost, and it changes depending on age, internal health, and external factors. Due to its specificity across different areas of the same body, the skin is a sensitive, ever-changing organ. Since the skin around the eyes is made of a thinner layer of the epidermis, it needs different care than the skin on your legs, for example.

The structure of the skin

There are three main types of layers of the skin: epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layer. The epidermis, the outer layer, contains cells that produce the pigment (color/nuance of the skin), and they protect the immune system.

The dermis, the middle layer, contains connective tissue, capillaries, nerve tissue, and hair follicles. It also contains the sweat glands, and the body oil glands (sebum). The subcutaneous layer is the innermost layer of the skin and contains the large blood vessels, nerves, fat and connective tissues. It regulates body temperature and protects the internal organs and muscles from damaging impacts. It also produces the hormone called leptin which stabilizes the metabolism. Now that we understand how important the skin is for our survival, let’s see what are the negative factors that affect the health of the skin, and therefore, our general health.

Internal negative factors
The internal factors that can influence the health and aspect of your skin are genetics, hormones, and disease such as diabetes. Genes determine our skin type and aging process, so we cannot do much about it, except reduce the factors that would worsen our genes’ predisposition. Genes can influence our cell regeneration and biological aging; they can also determine how our sebum and sweat glands function.

Change of hormones can cause acne, especially during teenage years, or during menstruation in women. Female estrogen decreases after menopause, so the natural moisturizing function of the skin also decreases.

Some grave internal diseases can manifest at the skin level such as diabetes, cancer, and most commonly liver issues – intoxication, or bile malfunctioning. Liver issues manifest either as skin rashes or yellowish pigmentation of the skin. Hence, in many cultures, there is an old mentality that glowing, smooth skin indicates an internal healthy body. What you eat is what you are, and shown on the skin, so healthy, and vitamin-rich diets are a must for healthier skin. Other internal factors that can affect the skin are severe medical treatments such as chemotherapy. There are also viruses that affect the skin by eruption such as varicella and variola viruses.

External negative factors
External negative factors are the most known by people, because we hear about them in TV commercials, and they are highly visible at the skin level. The most common negative external factors for the skin are:

Sunburn/UV radiation
Excessive spray or artificial tan
Drastic change in temperature
Chemical products
Excessive washing
Smoking
Common skin conditions

Depressed because of acne, or depigmentation? You should know that acne and depigmentation are one of the most common skin conditions. Acne affects more than 50 million Americans annually, according to American Academy of Dermatology Association statistics. Atopic dermatitis will affect 1 in 10 people during their lifetime. 50 million men and 30 million women are affected by hair loss, according to Medline Plus, National Library of Medicine. Rosacea or redness of facial skin affects up to 16 million Americans, mostly over the age of 30. Vitiligo, another very common disease, manifesting as depigmentation or white patches on the skin surface, affects over 70 million people globally. All these skin conditions are often related to external negative factors and improper nutritional care.

The skin is a sensitive and complex organ that requires intensive care. It’s a wonderful part of our body and it is hiding even more miracles.

10 Bizarre Things You Should Know About Your Skin
It renews itself every 28 days;
Approximately 50% of the dust in your home is dead skin;
Body hair growth rate is 2 to 6 years;
The thickest skin is on the sole of your feet;
The thinnest skin is on the eyelids;
We lose around 20 – 100 hairs daily;
Scars don’t have hair and sweat glands;
Sweat doesn’t smell, but the bacteria in it does.
The skin has its own 1000 species of bacteria;
Babies develop their skin tone in 6 months.
The human body deserves care and respect, including the skin. This means that we need to be careful about what we eat and what we expose ourselves to, from a stressful environment to weather conditions. Don’t forget that health care is a modus vivendi.

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