Women Health Tips from Gynecologist’s Perspectives

• Are you taking new patients? This seems like an obvious question, but many prospective patients forget to ask this up front, get very interested in a particular gynecologist and then find there are no openings available.
• Do you take my form of insurance coverage? Do you submit directly or will I have to pay you and file for reimbursement?
• If you don’t have insurance coverage, ask about fees and how they are to be paid. For example, will you be expected to pay at the time of the visit or will you be billed?
• Which hospitals are you affiliated with? If this Ob-Gyn does not have admitting privileges to any hospitals ask why. Also ask how hospitalizations are handled.
• Do you have any sub-specialty training?
• Ask whether the Ob-gyn has any special training or experience managing any complicated medical, obstetric or gynecologic conditions you may have (such as diabetes, endometriosis, infertility, etc.).
• Do you agree to an informational interview/introductory visit by prospective patients? What is the charge for such a visit? (insurance companies generally do not cover such a visit).
• Do you have a general information pamphlet you can send me and/or a biographical overview for the gynecologist? Once you’ve made an appointment with a new gynecologist, it is usually a good idea to ask the office to send you any new patient forms before your first appointment so you can make the most of your time there.
• How does the practice handle emergency (or after hours) visits or phone calls?
• Does the practice have a doctor on call 24 hours a day or do they share call with other groups? If an answering service picks up calls after hours, how long is it usually before someone returns your call? If you phone the office, can you talk to a gynecologist or other health care provider immediately? Some physicians return all calls at a certain time each day, while others reserve a special line for messages or have nurses or physician assistants answer questions. The most important factor is not who answers the calls, but how quickly they are answered and whether you have access to emergency medical advice.
• Who covers for the doctor when s/he is unavailable?
• Ask whether other physicians or non-physicians (such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) will participate in your care. If so, ask whether this is considered optional.
• If you are nearing menopause: ask about the doctor’s approach to menopause and hormone replacement therapy.
• Does the gynecologist (or another affiliated health care provider) answer e-mail questions?
• Does the gynecologist or the practice have a web-site to which you can get practice related or medical information?
• What are your views about recommending alternative, complementary or integrative medical approaches?

Important Questions to Ask Your Gynecologist During Your First Visit:

• Ask any of the questions listed above that you didn’t get answered before your first visit.
• Write down any questions you have about your condition before your visit and ask them during the visit.
• Are there any other questions I should have asked you?
• When should I schedule my next visit?

Important Questions to Ask Yourself After Your First Visit:

• What did I think of Dr. So-and-So?
• How was the overall experience of the visit?
• Was I treated with courtesy and respect by the physician and the office personnel?
• Do I feel like I’m in good hands?
• Did I feel comfortable asking all of my questions?
• Did I feel rushed?
• Did I feel heard and understood?
• Do I want to see this doctor again?

Your relationship with your gynecologist is one of the most intimate professional relationships you may have. While this relationship will take time to nurture, you should have a feeling even on the first visit that this is a person you will be able to trust with your most private or serious concerns.

Foods men should include in their diets to improve health and prevent disease.

Men are different from women in all kinds of ways -- including their nutritional needs. Just as women need particular nutrients during pregnancy or for protection from breast cancer, men need nutrients that can help them maintain muscle mass, prevent prostate cancer, and more.

Many foods that tend to be favorites among men are not the best choices for good health. Yet a healthy diet and regular physical activity can help prevent heart disease and cancer, the No. 1 and No. 2 killers for men over 35. They can also enhance performance, from the board room to the bedroom.

Nutrients that are good for the heart improve circulation to all parts of the body, and these same nutrients provide a layer of protection against cancer and other chronic diseases,

Quality nutrients are also critical for maintaining immune function and preventing bone loss, muscle loss, and oxidative damage from the environment, Of course, any one (or 10) foods can't do the job alone. An overall healthy lifestyle, which also includes not smoking and getting regular physical activity, is what's really important for health, say the experts.

It is not about one single food or even a handful of foods. What is more important is the pattern of regularly consuming a diet rich in a variety of essential nutrients,

Still, adding nutrient-rich super foods to the diet, as well as taking a daily multivitamin designed exclusively for men (for nutritional insurance), can give men's nutrition a boost.

Food for Men No. 1: Oysters

Could there be something to the legend that oysters are the food of love? Well, it's true that just a few oysters each day will deliver a full day's supply of the antioxidant mineral zinc. Zinc is involved in hundreds of body processes, from producing DNA to repairing cells.

Research shows that adequate zinc may protect against cellular damage that leads to prostate cancer. "Sexual functioning of the male reproductive system, including increased sperm counts, is also enhanced with zinc."

You can also get your daily recommended dose of 11 milligrams a day by eating other shellfish, lean beef, lean pork, or legumes.

Food for Men No. 2: Bananas

Bananas are a great portable source of quick energy and are rich in potassium, which is needed to regulate nerves, heartbeat and, especially, blood pressure. Diets rich in potassium and magnesium (which is also found in bananas) can reduce the risk of stroke.

As a super source of vitamin B-6, bananas can also aid your immune system, help form red blood cells, ensure a well-functioning nervous system, and assist protein metabolism. So enjoy a banana each day, at breakfast on your whole grain-cereal or before your workout at the gym.

Not a banana fan? Orange juice, milk, tomato products, and beans are other good sources of dietary potassium.

Food for Men No. 3: Fatty Fish

No list of superfoods would be complete without the healthy fat, omega-3 fatty acids. These polyunsaturated fats are the preferred form of fats in your diet for many reasons. They can benefit the heart, circulation, and immune system and reduce the risk for prostate cancer, among other things.

Omega-3 fatty acids are potent anti-inflammatory foods that can help lower triglyceride [blood fat] levels, reduce aches and pains in athletes, and offer relief with certain kinds of arthritis.

Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel, herring) are the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. In fact the American Heart Association recommends that everyone eat fish twice weekly.

You can also get omega-3s in plant-based foods, like flaxseed, walnuts, soy, canola oil, and fortified products such as eggs. But there are other good reasons to eat fish.

Fatty fish are also a good source of vitamin D, a nutrient that tends to be deficient in our diets and [which] in adequate supply can help prevent cancer, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and bone disease.

Food for Men No. 4: Broccoli

While virtually all vegetables deserve a place on the superfoods list, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli are helpful in the prevention of heart disease and cancer. It's loaded with vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, and a phytochemical called sulphoraphane, which has strong anticancer (prostate and colon) properties.

5 Things Your Wrinkles Say About Your Health

You can try to erase wrinkles with cosmetic procedures, or you can accept them as a badge of aging—a sign that you've lived your life long and well. You probably know that some creases can indicate a quick smile and a genial nature; others, a lifetime of lounging in the sun. What you may not realize is that your wrinkles can also reveal potential health concerns. 

Take a look at the following 5:

1. You're at risk for osteoporosis.

Your skin may actually be a window to your bones. Researchers looked at more than 100 women in their late 40s and early 50s who were in the first three years of menopause and found that those with the most and deepest wrinkles actually had the lowest bone density. (None of the women were on hormone therapy.) "Both bone and skin share common building blocks, a group of proteins known as collagens, which decrease in both as we age".

2. You have early stage heart disease.

A diagonal wrinkle in your ear lobe may be an early warning sign of ticker trouble. In fact, folks with this ear crease (known as "Frank's sign," after the researcher, Sanders T. Frank, who discovered it in 1973) were much more likely to show signs of heart disease during a CT scan than people who didn't have the crease, according to a 2012 study done at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. One theory is that the wrinkles are caused by the collapse of tiny blood vessels to the ear lobe, and this is a reflection of the changes in blood vessels around the heart.

3. You have high blood pressure.

Women who look younger than their years—meaning they have less facial sagging—tend to have lower blood pressure. The study also found that both men and women from families with longevity were less likely to have skin wrinkling on their upper arms than other people the same age.

4. You're under a ton of stress.

Doctors say worrying can give you wrinkles. When you're stressed, you tend to furrow your brow, which over time can lead to permanent forehead wrinkles. But you'll see them elsewhere on your face as well: When you're constantly anxious, your body pumps out large amounts of the stress hormone cortisol, which degrades collagen in your skin. (Are you just stressed, or is it an anxiety disorder? It's more common than you think.)

5. You're eating too much sugar.

When you consume the sweet stuff, the sugar attaches to proteins in your body to form AGEs—a fitting acronym for advanced glycation end products. AGEs break down collagen and elastin, and that can lead to even more fine lines and wrinkles. If you've got a sweet tooth, try to quench it with fruit: Many fruits (but especially pomegranates and mangos) have anti-glycating properties, which means they can reverse the damage done to your skin. 

Will I definitely get stretch marks?

Stretch marks are well-like lines that form on the belly or breasts as those areas grow bigger. They sometimes form suddenly in the third trimester or when the pregnancy is full-term. So why do stretch marks form?

What causes stretch marks?

When your belly or other areas rapidly grows bigger, the subcutaneous tissue on the outside cannot keep up with the speed at which the muscles and fat are increasing, and it may tear, causing stretch marks. Depending on your build and physique, it's not definite that you'll get them. Petite women or those who gain weight rapidly in a short period of time are more likely to get them.

Stretch marks do not hurt, but some people do feel itchy. They have no effect at all on the baby inside your belly, but it is said that once they form they never go away completely. So take a practical approach and tell yourself, "Having stretch marks is proof that I'm a mama!" Or if you're uncomfortable about marks remaining on your skin, preventing them is your best plan.

To prevent stretch marks

To prevent stretch marks before they are formed, the following 2 points are important.

Watch your weight gain

To keep from gaining weight rapidly in a short time after the first term of pregnancy, it's best to be attentive about weight management. To ensure that the baby in your belly grows up healthy, and to keep your weight gain at a normal level, be mindful about controlling calories.

Moisturize skin with cream, etc.

Stretch marks are a form of skin problem. To prevent skin problems, the basic remedy for the belly is "moisturizing," just as with the face. After your bath or when caring for your face in the morning, for example, rub some moisturizing cream on your belly, too, and gently massage it in. If you keep your skin hydrated and in a flexible condition, when your belly grows bigger the skin will stretch flexibly, warding off stretch marks. Creams specifically made for preventing stretch marks are also available, so try some.

Stretch marks often form on the lower part of the belly, which can be difficult to see for yourself in the third trimester, so the key is to moisturize your entire belly.

If stretch marks form

Once stretch marks form, it is said that they never go away completely. However, those that are reddish-purple during pregnancy will turn whitish after birth and gradually fade.

Even after stretch marks have formed, if you continue rubbing moisturizing cream on and massaging it in, you can prevent them from getting darker, so it's important not to give up!

5 Health Benefits of Drinking water stored in a Copper Vessel

Drinking water stored in a copper vessel all the night is an ancient and traditional belief.

Do you remember that our grandparents used to suggest that water stored in a copper vessel is very good for health?

Yes, it is true and lets see whether any scientific truth is hidden behind it. It is actually based on Ayurveda. The water stored in a copper vessel absorbs copper- a metal, which is needed for the body. It has to be stored for atleast 7 to 8 hours before drinking. It gives numerous benefits for the mind and body.

The water in a copper vessel does not become stale and will be fresh for days together at a stretch. These are few health benefits evolved from drinking the water in a copper vessel…..

1. Kills bacteria:

Water stored in copper vessel for few hours will get the sterilizing effect on water. It kills the bacteria present in water especially bacteria causing diarrhea. Hence, water stored in copper vessel is purified enough and cleansed naturally.

2. Regulates thyroid functionality:

The thyroid gland functions effectively with the presence of copper, an important mineral needed in the body. People suffering from thyroid due to copper deficiency may help this. Hence, problems related to thyroid may be balanced to some extent by drinking water in a copper vessel.

3. Cures bone problems:

Due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, it helps in treating the joint pains and strengthens the bones efficiently. Hence, people suffering from arthritis problems can opt to drink water in stored in copper vessels.

4. Stimulates brain activity:

Improving the brain power is one of the best health benefits that one can come across. It makes the brain work more actively, faster and more effectively. It also cures the disorders related to mental illnesses and mind.

5. Improves digestion:

The fresh and purified water in copper vessel improves your digestive system. It helps killing the bacteria formed from with in the stomach and helps in proper digestion of the food you eat.