Health they say is wealth and this we totally
agree with. It is easy to take our health for granted when we are hale
and hearty yet when you start to notice a few changes in your body
especially unusual changes it is good to take action as soon as
possible......
Many women feel that they only need to see a gynecologist when they are sexually active or pregnant but this
shouldn’t be the case.
A gynecologist is a doctor who specializes in
women’s reproductive health. Most adult women should see a gynecologist
regularly, whether they are sexually active or not. When and how often
you see your gynecologist depends upon your age and life circumstances.
Here are some circumstances that require that you visit your gynecologist as soon as possible.
1. You’re bleeding and it’s not that time of the month yet.
Spotting in between periods is normal for many
women. It’s a common side effect of the Pill. But if you’re bleeding
heavily or it continues for a few days, it’s a good idea to check in
with your gyno.
Spotting can be a sign of a pelvic
infection, cysts, fibroids, polyps, or in rarer cases, gynaecological
cancer. It’s also common during pregnancy and usually not a big deal—but
your doctor will want to know about it to make sure it’s not a
worst-case scenario: a sign of miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy.
2. Your period is unbearably painful.
Everyone’s cramps are different, and it’s normal
for many women to feel some pain. But your cramps shouldn’t leave you
feeling incapacitated. If they do, it can be a sign of a bigger problem.
If you’ve had bad cramps your whole life, chances are it’s less
clinically significant. If they start later in life, or the pain worsens
or changes over time, that’s more concerning—it could mean you’ve
developed a condition (such as a benign tumor called a fibroid) that’s
causing your discomfort.
3. Sex hurts, but not in a good way.
Pain during intercourse is actually pretty common,
and most of the time, can be fixed by changing positions or lubing up.
If it’s not, it may be a sign something’s going on internally. Deep pain
can mean endometriosis, and a sudden, sharp pain could be a ruptured
ovarian cyst.
Fibroids or cervicitis, inflammation of the cervix
caused by an STI or other infection (like yeast), can also make sex
painful. If the pain is more of a burning or stabbing around the opening
of the vagina, it could signal a condition called vulvodynia; pain with
insertion (or inability to insert anything into the vagina) may be a
condition called vaginismus, which causes involuntary muscle spasms. A
pelvic inflammatory disease may also cause painful sex, but many times
is symptom-less.
4. You notice a funky smell down there.
Regular discharge is mostly odorless. If you
notice a slight change in the way your vagina or discharge smells,
that’s totally normal. What’s not normal is a sudden foul or fishy
odour, especially if it’s accompanied by a change in discharge color,
irritation, or itchiness. That’s a good indicator of an infection like
bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis (a common STI), or a yeast
infection.
5. You experience vaginal swelling, itching, and/or pain after sex.
If the pain only lasts for about 36 hours, you
might just be allergic to latex. Some women have a latex allergy, which
can cause vaginal swelling, itching, and pain during and up to 36 hours
after sex. Most condoms are made of latex, so if you experience these unwelcome post-coital symptoms, you might be having a reaction.
If these symptoms last longer than a day or two or
don’t go away after switching condoms, seeing your doc will help you
figure out if an underlying problem, like a vaginal infection, is to
blame.
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