Incorporate healthy actions into your working day

Modern working environments are full of deliverables and deadlines, and many people struggle to fit it all into a typical eight-hour working day. Working smart doesn’t always get you an hour or so to spare. If you aren’t too careful, you may find yourself slipping down the path of workaholics. That means a struggle to fit in gym time, quiet relaxation moments, or even time for an unhurried healthy meal. You’d be losing in matters of health if all you did is work, work, and more work. You can let everything else slip, but you must dedicate time for health in any typical working day.

If you are health-conscious, you can easily incorporate health activities into your day’s schedule. And the quality of your work will not be compromised in any way, in fact you may end up performing even better. If you are an early riser, you could start off in the gym. But if not, don’t worry, have a healthy breakfast and head off to the office. Get off your car or public transport a few blocks away from your office, and walk the rest of the way. Once inside the office block, hit the stairs rather than squeezing into the lift. All you are doing is accumulating small bits of physical activities that will add up as the day progresses.

Make some conscious efforts to remain active whilst in the office. Occasional stretches while on your desk are good for your muscles. Take every opportunity to stand up while working. Open and close the door for whoever comes into your office. Don’t allow coffee to be served right onto your desk, rise up and get it yourself from the office kitchenette. And don’t accept the usual carbs-laden office snacks, bring along a fruit or some nuts. Wash down your snack breaks with some cool water.

If you require some breaks in between, don’t just look out other office mates and sit around for a chuckle. Walk out for five to ten minutes, this will reboot your brains, get you some fresh air, and exercise your stiff muscles. This also gives you some private relaxation moments. Occasionally skip the office canteen for lunch and take advantage of a walk to the quick shop round the corner. If you carry packed lunch, you don’t have to gobble it on your desk. Walk out with it to the farthest shade in the compound. And make sure you are only eating healthy stuff.

If you can work-out after work, well and good. If you cannot, get some physical stuff to do on your way out or when you get home. Give the pub a miss every so often after work, it will do you lots of good. If you plan it well, you will not only be the top dog at work, but also the healthiest.

Non-contraceptive benefits of Family Planning

Contraception, commonly known as Family Planning, has been in existence for over 50 years. Most contraceptive choices concentrate on women, but novel male contraceptives are on the horizon.

The main reason for contraceptive use is to prevent unintended or ill-timed pregnancies. This in turn reduces the need for unsafe abortions, especially in countries where this is illegal. But contraceptive use does much more than just prevent pregnancies, added health benefits have been observed since the 1960s.

From a public health perspective, there is an associated decrease in maternal deaths with improved contraceptive use, more so in countries where maternal deaths are highest. Long-acting and permanent methods confer the greatest benefits in reduction of pregnancy-related maternal deaths. Spaced births translate into better maternal health and good quality of life. Reduction in early childhood deaths follows as a consequence. Planned families enable parents to cater for their children’s nutrition and schooling needs more affordably.

Hormonal contraceptives come in various forms: pills, implants, injections, skin patches and intra-uterine devices. They are highly effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies, and equally have a long list of non-contraceptive benefits.

Many menstrual problems are ameliorated by use of hormonal contraceptives. Painful, heavy and irregular periods, together with the dreaded pre-menstrual symptoms all fair better whilst on hormonal contraception. Such improvements in abnormal bleeding patterns serve as alternatives to traditional surgical treatments, like hysterectomy. There is also improvement of acne, better bone health and less risk of non-cancerous breast disease and ovarian cysts. The risk of pelvic inflammatory disease is lower, and if the disease develops, it’s usually less severe.

Hormonal contraceptives also confer a substantial reduction in the risk of cancers of the ovaries and uterine lining (endometrial cancer). There is also perhaps a reduction in the risk of cancer of the large intestines (colorectal cancer). This benefit appears to last even up to 10 years after stopping hormonal contraceptive use.

Barrier contraception methods include male and female condoms. They are highly effective in reducing the risks of sexually transmitted infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea. There is also reduction in the risk of HIV transmission, and exposure to the human papilloma virus (HPV) which is associated with cervical cancer. Indeed individuals with multiple sex partners, like adolescents and sexual workers, can accrue dual benefits by additionally using barrier methods regardless of being on other contraceptives. Such an approach dramatically reduces the risks of both unwanted pregnancy and sexual infections.

What about undesired side effects? Modern contraceptive choices are so varied that every individual is bound to find a method that suits both their medical profiles and lifestyle. The benefits of a well-chosen contraceptive far outweigh any potential untoward effects. Every woman (and man) should be able to find a contraceptive that is easy to use, easily accessible, affordable and tolerable.

Understanding Endometriosis

What is endometriosis?

Endometriosis (say "en-doh-mee-tree-OH-sus") is a problem many women have during their childbearing years. It means that a type of tissue that lines your uterus is also growing outside your uterus. This does not always cause symptoms. And it usually is not dangerous. But it can cause pain and other problems.

The clumps of tissue that grow outside your uterus are called implants. They usually grow on the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the outer wall of the uterus, the intestines, or other organs in the belly. In rare cases, they spread to areas beyond the belly.

How does endometriosis cause problems?

Your uterus is lined with a type of tissue called endometrium (say "en-doh-MEE-tree-um"). It is like a soft nest where a fertilized egg can grow. Each month, your body releases hormones that cause the endometrium to thicken and get ready for an egg. If you get pregnant, the fertilized egg attaches to the endometrium and starts to grow. If you do not get pregnant, the endometrium breaks down, and your body sheds it as blood. This is your menstrual period.

When you have endometriosis, the implants of tissue outside your uterus act just like the tissue lining your uterus. During your menstrual cycle, they get thicker, then break down and bleed. But the implants are outside your uterus, so the blood cannot flow out of your body. The implants can get irritated and painful. Sometimes they form scar tissue or fluid-filled sacs (cysts). Scar tissue may make it hard to get pregnant.

What causes endometriosis?

Experts do not know what causes endometrial tissue to grow outside your uterus. But they do know that the female hormone estrogen makes the problem worse. Women have high levels of estrogen during their childbearing years. It is during these years-usually from their teens into their 40s-that women have endometriosis. Estrogen levels drop when menstrual periods stop (menopause). Symptoms usually go away then.

What are the symptoms?

Pain. Where it hurts depends on where the implants are growing. You may have pain in your lower belly, your rectum or vagina, or your lower back. You may have pain only before and during your periods or all the time. Some women have more pain during sex, when they have a bowel movement, or when their ovaries release an egg (ovulation).

Abnormal bleeding. Some women have heavy periods, spotting or bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex, or blood in their urine or stool.Trouble getting pregnant (infertility)- This is the only symptom some women have.

How is endometriosis diagnosed?

After a history and pelvic examination, the only way to be sure you have endometriosis is to have a type of surgery called laparoscopy (say "lap-uh-ROS-cuh-pee"). During this surgery, the doctor puts a thin, lighted tube through a small cut in your belly. This lets the doctor see what is inside your belly. If the doctor finds implants, scar tissue, or cysts, he or she can remove them during the same surgery.

How is it treated?

There is no cure for endometriosis, but there are good treatments. Treatment choices depend on whether you want to control pain or you want to get pregnant. For pain and bleeding, you can try medicines or surgery. If you want to get pregnant, you may need surgery to remove the implants.

Addressing adolescent sexual health

Adolescence is the transition between childhood and adulthood. The age interval is between 10 to 24 years, spanning through puberty and teenage.

It is one of the most dynamic stages of human growth and development, second only to infancy in the rate of developmental changes that take place.

Adolescents go through physical, intellectual and social-emotional developments, often mandating them to try and understand the immense bodily changes taking place.

The main Gynecological risks to adolescent girls relate to early onset of sexual activity. The age at first sexual intercourse has been declining in many countries, with some reports indicating 30% of adolescents have had sex before the age of 16. This predisposes them to sexually transmitted infections including HIV, teenage pregnancy with consequential unsafe abortions, unplanned motherhood and social exclusion.

Teenage pregnancy is associated with poor socio-economic status, and is less common in countries with economic prosperity, better education and employment opportunities. There are adverse medical and psychosocial outcomes for teenage parents and their children. Such problems are related to Gynecological immaturity and other biological and social-cultural factors. Adolescents experience more pregnancy related complications, and are more likely to deliver preterm and low birth weight babies. Both the teenage mother and her child are predisposed to longterm general and mental health problems.

Adolescents seeking unsafe abortions are at grave risks of severe pelvic infections, future fertility problems and even death. Sexually transmitted infections like syphilis and HIV have longterm health implications, while Chlamydia and gonorrhea may affect future fertility as well.

Preventive measures should be put in place to ensure optimal sexual adolescent health. Such measures may be through parental upbringing, societal or public health initiatives. There must be clear and unambiguous messages to adolescents about risks of early sexual intercourse, taking into account their sexual desires and development. This is achievable through formal or informal sexual health education, counseling and advice. Adolescent services must be available to provide information on sexual infections and contraception. Such services must be easily accessible to adolescents, and staffed by appropriately trained health care workers. Young men must be included in health measures addressing adolescent girls, and neither should be socially excluded should preventive measures fail.

As adolescents mature into adults, they should be guided into taking over decisions affecting their reproductive health. They should have had the recommended vaccinations, like HPV vaccine, in the teenage years, or before commencing sexual activity. They should take appropriate steps to avoid sexually transmitted infections, and seek prompt sexual health screening and treatment if infection is suspected. Unwanted pregnancies should be avoided by use of suitable contraceptive choices. General Gynecological health screening should commence by the age of 25. This should be combined with other healthy measures that include a healthy diet, physical exercises, reduction of alcohol intake and avoidance of cigarette smoking and other drugs.

Revealed: how doctors influence your treatment choices

It’s sometimes never completely clear how your doctor decides on specific recommendations for your treatment. You may be suffering from the same condition as someone else, but both of you may end up with very different recommendations, from the same doctor! Ever wondered why this tends to be the case?

Many factors must be taken into account before treatment options are offered. Some factors may be obvious, but other factors may not necessarily be immediately apparent to you. The first consideration is whether your ailment is immediately life-threatening. What matters next is whether your condition is amenable to a cure, control of symptoms or just reassurance. Within an instant, an experienced doctor will then make specific decisions on what to recommend.

Your doctor will often consider what resources are available. Is the hospital well equipped to offer you the best of treatment options? Or is a compromise required? If a certain equipment or gadget is unavailable, then you will simply not be offered some treatment options. And you may never know. Or if a novel skill is locally unavailable, then you will have to do with what is prevailing. Unless you can make your way elsewhere.

Experience also comes in. Your doctor is unlikely to recommend any novel treatment options that they have no clue about. When such situations arise, you should always be referred to the most qualified doctor who can handle your case. But you may unknowingly get second best with a doctor who may be out of date, or one not too keen on referring you elsewhere.

What about cost? Is your doctor completely impartial on what it costs to treat you, or do they usually have a vested interest? Could personal gain influence what your doctor ends up recommending as the best treatment option? This question comes up time and again, the answer is both a yes and a no. Doctors must always take your best interests first, and recommend the most suitable treatment option. But some unscrupulous doctors may deliberately veer you towards treatment options that will reward them most. That however goes against medical ethics.

There are a thousand-fold factors that can influence what your doctor eventually recommends. Sometimes the equation goes against you in untold ways. Can you do anything about all this? Yes you can. You need to be well informed about what ails you, and what treatment choices are available. Don’t take anything for granted, or any recommendations as the only options open to you. Your doctor should openly share all medical decisions about your treatment with you. Ask questions, make sure you understand everything, and seek another opinion if unsatisfied. Being proactive in your own treatment will often get you onto the best treatment options, without undue influences or compromises.