Women's Health Tips

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus develops in women during pregnancy.

Two main reasons account for the development of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus:

First, major hormonal changes occur in the body during pregnancy. These changes increase the body’s requirement for insulin. If the pancreas is not strong enough to produce the increased amount of insulin needed during pregnancy, the chances increase for the development of this form of diabetes.

In addition, hormones secreted during pregnancy tend to decrease the effectiveness of insulin, leading to raised blood sugar levels. Nearly 2 to 5 percent of women who do not have pre-existing diabetes develop this form toward the end of the fourth month of their pregnancies.
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Menopause is a topic of great discussion both in medical circles and with women in general!

Let’s start with some definitions:

Perimenopause refers to that time in a woman’s life before the periods completely stop. This can range in time from a few years to 5 years. It is often accompanied by hot flashes, some mood swings including crying easily, to vaginal dryness, sleep changes and osteoporosis.

Menopause refers to the stopping of menstruation. There are no periods for a time of at least 6 months and the woman is not pregnant.
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The following is a synopsis of the North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) October 3, 2002 report on two recent studies of estrogen-progestin therapy for postmenopausal women. Even though the studies evaluated only one hormone combination, NAMS concluded that they are the first well-controlled, adequately powered reports.

The Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) was a 4-year randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study of 2,763 postmenopausal women (average age 67) with documented coronary heart disease (CHD), while the Women’s Health Initiate (WHI), begun in 1993, looked at 16,608 healthy postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79.

The WHI study was divided into two sections, a continuous-combined estrogen-progestogen therapy (CCEPT) section for women with a uterus, and an estrogen-only therapy (ET) section for women who had undergone a hysterectomy. The CCEPT section of WHI was terminated in July 2002 after 5 years of follow-up, because the overall risks exceeded the benefits. The ET arm of WHI continues, as do ancillary WHI studies evaluating memory, dementia, low-fat diet, calcium, and vitamin D.
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Menopause has very distinct markers for most women. Menstrual periods change and eventually cease. But for women who have had hysterectomies, a different situation exists. For women whose ovaries are removed, “Menopause” is an abrupt change as the body tries to adjust to the sudden removal of its primary source of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These women often benefit from hormone therapy that is initiated soon after surgery.

For women who have only the uterus removed, the ovaries continue to function. These women often have an earlier “Menopause”.
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How does it differ from Phytohormones or Phytochemicals?

The most “natural hormone” available is that produced by your own body. When women use hormones for PMS or for perimenopausal or menopausal concerns, they may be synthetic or “natural” hormones.

A synthetic hormone, is biochemically different from your body’s hormones and imitates the actions of a particular hormone. A plant based hormone (which is also synthesized or made usable) is biochemically identical and duplicates the action of the hormone.
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A natural and gradual change.

Menopause is the final menstrual period that usually occurs between the ages of 48 to 52. It is not unusual for this to occur earlier or as late as the mid- fifties. Menopause is part of a longer life transition of hormonal change that may start in the early, mid, or late forties and occasionally earlier.

Many use the word menopause to describe the time women experience hormonal fluctuation associated with menstrual changes and hot flashes. This time of adjustment is actually called the Climateric or more commonly perimenopause or mid- life transition. Post menopause occurs 12 months after the last menstrual period.
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Pap Tests

Developed by Dr. George Papanicolaou in the 1940s, the Pap test identifies cervical changes and disease. When detected early, precancerous and cancerous changes are treated easily and effectively.

The Normal Cervix

The cervix is the bottom portion of the uterus. It has an opening to the cervical canal that leads to the uterus. The normal cervix is covered with scalelike squamous cells and the canal is lined with tall, narrow, columnar cells. The zone where the two meet, the transformation zone (T-zone), is where the cells are constantly being replaced. The transformation zone is the most likely area for abnormal cells to develop.
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