10 keys to women’s health

To start the year, nothing better than to review the points that every woman should take into account to enjoy good gynecological health. Our specialist gives you the 10 keys to women's health to get it.

1. Gynecological examination

The gynecological examination is important to carry out every year since, among others, it has the purpose of detecting women with premalignant lesions in the neck of the womb in order to treat them while they are curable with minor surgery. In the revisions, one is carried out that consists of obtaining cells from the cervix with a scratching technique and subsequent analysis of them. In the event that altered cells are observed, a control or treatment can be carried out if necessary to prevent them from becoming malignant.

2. Choose the best contraceptive method

There are different contraceptive methods to be able to adapt to the characteristics of each woman and it is a question of choosing well, with the advice of the specialist. The hormones carry hormones that can be administered by different routes, orally in pills, vaginally in vaginal ring, transdermally with patches, subcutaneously with implants, or intrauterine route with an intrauterine device.

Barriers like him condom or diaphragm they do not carry medication and simply create a barrier to prevent the passage of sperm into the uterus.

The intrauterine devices they have a local barrier effect as well as an effect of hindering the implantation of a possible fertilized ovum. There are two large groups, those of copper or those that also carry hormones with which they have a double contraceptive effect.

Finally the definitive methods are surgical and are the l

3. Attention to the symptoms of menopause

At a certain age, from about 45-50 years old, a woman may begin to experience symptoms that could announce the cessation of menstruation. Menopause can be preceded by a few months or years in which cycles become irregular and finally disappear permanently.

Some women will have no symptoms other than the disappearance of the rule, but others may have hot flashes, joint pain, weight gain, dry mucous membranes, especially vaginal dryness, mood changes ... For this reason, a visit to the specialist is recommended to improve these symptoms in the most appropriate way for each woman.

4. Control of the papilloma virus

HPV or human papillomavirus is a group of sexually transmitted viruses that can affect a woman's health. Some of them usually produce genital warts called condylomas that must be treated for their removal or removed surgically.

Other HPVs are classified as either high or low risk for cervical cancer. Those at high risk, as their name suggests, have a greater capacity to alter the normal cells of the cervix until they become cancerous, so women who carry these viruses should do a more strict monitoring.

5. Stop menstrual pain

Dysmenorrhea is abdominal pain that occurs at the time of menstruation. There are women for whom menstruation does not cause any pain but many of them, and especially those who have not had childbirth, may have abdominal pain, sometimes accompanied by gastrointestinal disturbances.

Physical measures such as local heat and rubbing can help to cope with these discomforts but sometimes it is necessary to administer analgesic or anti-inflammatory drugs. These tend to work best when given when the pain starts or even shortly before it starts.

6. Attention to cycle alterations

Normal menstrual cycles are 28 days from the start of menstrual bleeding to the start of the next menstruation. Ovulation, that is, the fertile days are in the middle of the cycle, around day 14 from the start of bleeding.

Many women have regular cycles but not 28 days, sometimes they are usually 30-35 days and even some women have regular periods but 40-50 days. In the years before menopause, cycles tend to shorten and can last up to 21 days.

Other women do not have regular cycles, but the interval between one rule and another can be highly variable, from one to several months. These women do not usually have regular ovulations either, which can be a problem when trying to get pregnant.

7. Prevention of breast cancer

The is basic in the prevention of breast cancer. It is easier if it is done just at the end of menstruation since it is the time of the cycle when the breasts are usually less dense. He will attend routine check-ups and will request mammograms or ultrasounds according to clinical criteria. The best technique for the early diagnosis of breast cancer continues to be annual mammograms after the age of 40.

8. Sex without pain

pain with intercourse is called dyspareunia, and it can have several causes. Sometimes there is a malformation in the vagina, such as a vaginal septum, which causes a vagina that is smaller than usual and therefore can cause pain in relationships.

At other times there is an involuntary contraction of the pelvic floor muscles, in vaginismus, which reduces the capacity of the vagina and therefore prevents painless intercourse. Endometriosis is an entity characterized by significant abdominal pain, especially with periods, but which can also appear with stools or with sexual intercourse when it affects the septum that separates the vagina from the rectum.

But the most common cause of dyspareunia is vaginal dryness. A very common cause of lack of lubrication is menopause, but the use of hormonal contraceptives or periods of breastfeeding can also cause vaginal dryness.

To improve this lubrication, lubricating creams or some that contain hormones that fight vaginal atrophy can be used. If this does not work, hyaluronic acid injections can be used.

9. Protection against STDs

Sexually transmitted diseases are more common than some people think. The best way to prevent them is to use a condom during sexual intercourse.. Some of them are mild and only cause flow disturbances such as trichomonas or chlamydial infection.

Herpes can cause significant swelling and severe pain at the first infection and then cause milder outbreaks intermittently throughout life.

HPV is asymptomatic at first but can cause changes in the cells of the cervix that degenerate into cervical cancer or it can cause genital warts. Finally, both hepatitis B and C and HIV infection seriously endanger the life of the infected person if they are not properly treated.

10. Vaginal infections at bay

There are multiple vaginal infections that, despite not being serious, can be very annoying. In many cases these infections are not sexually transmitted.

The most typical is yeast infection. It usually occurs with an increase in vaginal discharge, which becomes thick and lumpy with the appearance of yogurt and is usually accompanied by vulvar and vaginal itching. It is usually treated with topical drugs and in case of recurrences, oral treatment is indicated. The most common bacterial infection is bacterial vaginosis caused by which usually occurs with increased flow but without the whitish appearance as that of candida and with less itching. On the other hand, it can be accompanied by a stronger and more annoying smell. Treatment in these cases with a topical antibiotic.