Pregnancy is billed as a beautiful experience punctuated by simple joys like feeling the first kick or picking colors for the nursery. But complications can sometimes create stress for soon-to-be parents. Cleveland Clinic experts offer state-of-the-art care and emotional support to families facing underlying medical conditions, difficulties with poor pregnancy outcomes, or suspected or known problems with mother or baby. “When a problem occurs with a pregnancy, family members can experience…

Acupuncture Acupuncture, the practice of placing hair-thin needles into certain areas of the skin, is being used to reduce back pain, headache and many other types of pain. Location, Location, Location There are more than 360 classic acupuncture points and several hundred nontraditional points throughout the body, including points on the: face ears hands feet A skilled practitioner or acupuncture inserts hair- thin sterile, disposable needles into the skin, just deep enough to…

Endometriosis Endometriosis is a common and often overlooked problem in young women. A study funded by the World Endometriosis Research Foundation included more than 1,400 women from 10 countries who reported that they experienced painful symptoms for an average of seven years before they were diagnosed with the condition. Two thirds of the women had symptoms before they turned 30. Endometriosis is a disorder in which the endometrium, the tissue that lines the uterus, grows outside of the…

Kathryn Kilpatrick offers suggestions for lifelong learning and successful aging. As a speech-language pathologist with over four decades of experience working with older adults, Kathryn Kilpatrick specializes in working with older adults and their families facing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In the last decade people of all ages seem to be complaining about their memory. Have you noticed that your memory is not what it used to be? Join the many people, both young and old,…

Few women are untouched by uncomfortable periods. As with most painful events, the severity of pain is a subjective experience. There are numerous reasons why a woman may experience menstrual pain, such as: FibroidsOvarian cysts EndometriosisCrampingFibroids Fibroids are found in 80 percent of women. They are benign growths formed of muscle and tissue from the uterine wall, and their cause is unknown. They can be as small as a pea or as large as a watermelon. Most fibroids occur in…

Gynecologic Cancers Each year, approximately 106,000 women are diagnosed with cancer of the reproductive organs, including ovarian, uterine and cervical cancers. These diseases are collectively referred to as gynecologic cancers. Gynecologic cancers attack a woman's reproductive organs, including the: Cervix Uterus Ovaries Endometrium Fallopian tubes Vagina Vulva When they are caught early, gynecologic cancers can be treated successfully most of the time. Unfortunately, these…

Feeling tired, gaining or losing a few pounds, or having trouble sleeping? If so, you have plenty of company. These common complaints can be symptoms of a myriad of conditions, including disorders of the thyroid, a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland. So how do you know whether or not to be concerned? In women, changes to the menstrual cycle can be an indicator of a thyroid problem, but many things can influence the menstrual function. How Common are Thyroid Disorders? The answer is very, with…

Cervical cancer occurs when the cells that make up the cervix, which is the opening of the uterus, undergo changes where they multiply out of control, accumulating and resulting in a tumor. About one in 147 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in their lifetime. However, routine screening and preventative measures make it one of the most preventable types of cancer. Although we don’t know for sure what causes some cells to grow abnormally, we do know that certain risk factors are…

Kathryn Kilpatrick offers suggestions for lifelong learning and successful aging. As a speech-language pathologist with over four decades of experience working with older adults, Kathryn Kilpatrick specializes in working with older adults and their families facing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In the last decade people of all ages seem to be complaining about their memory. Have you noticed that your memory is not what it used to be? Join the many people, both young and old,…

To welcome the healthiest possible baby into the world, you’ll want to do everything you can to enjoy a healthy pregnancy and a safe delivery. Optimizing your weight before pregnancy and continuing on a healthy path after delivery will create a brighter future for you — and your child. Pregnancy puts a significant strain on your body — for nine months! Like training for a long-distance race, it’s important to get in shape for your pregnancy. You can do this by making changes in your lifestyle…

What is Urinary Incontinence? Many women suffer from involuntary loss of urine, or “urinary incontinence.” For some, it’s just a few drops when sneezing or laughing. For others, it’s a large amount after a sudden urge to urinate. Others are fine during the day but get up several times at night to urinate. Urinary incontinence has a significant impact on women’s quality of life. Unfortunately, many women think that urinary incontinence is a natural part of aging and do not seek medical help.…

A Physical Exam from a Woman's perspective If you’re a woman, the last time you had a physical exam, your doctor probably checked your heart, your lungs and your blood pressure. Maybe you had a breast exam or a pelvic exam. But when is the last time you and your doctor evaluated your health from a woman’s perspective? Women are not just humans with reproductive capacity who are more likely to get breast cancer. There’s a lot more that makes women’s bodies different than men’s. And that makes…

A staggering 55 percent of women and men age 50 and older have low bone mass and osteoporosis in the United States. But most won’t know it until they break a bone. That’s a shame, since like many diseases, osteoporosis is preventable and treatable. Why not take steps today to protect your bone health before you run into trouble? WHY DO BONES WEAKEN OVER TIME? To understand osteoporosis, you first have to understand the important role that bones play in the body. You probably associate bones…

Common Women's Digestive Problems The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, some say. But why isn't that true for a woman? Maybe it's because men's and women's digestive systems aren't the same. For one, women's stomachs tend to process food more slowly than men's. That may explain why women experience nausea and bloating more frequently. And women are more likely to have the following common digestive problems: Gallstones. Women are twice as likely as men to have gallstones,…

By Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy, Ph.D., MBA, CPC, RYT Find Your True Joy It’s been said that pleasure is in the body, happiness is in the mind, and joy is in the heart. Both pleasure and happiness are fleeting. Joy, on the other hand, is a deep-in-the-soul feeling and state of gratitude. Unfortunately, the quest for immediate gratification - which is so prevalent in our society - can inhibit the feeling of true joy. We often go for the quick “feel-good” fix of fast food, the latest gadget, a shot…

Gynecologists generally define infertility as not conceiving after one year of unprotected intercourse. Given the intricate nature of the human reproductive system, it’s not surprising that approximately one in every six couples will be diagnosed with infertility. INCREASE YOUR CHANCES There are many things you can do to boost your chances of becoming pregnant, improvimg your overall health and increasing your fertility: Healthy diet Regular exercise Maintaining a normal…

Complementary and alternative therapies are medical treatments that are considered nontraditional. They include dietary and herbal supplements, acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy, biofeedback, homeopathy and eating certain foods that are thought to prevent disease or heal. Alternative treatments are often used alone, while complementary treatments are alternative treatments that are used in combination with traditional treatments, such as drug treatments or surgery. Women going…

Web Chat Description Osteoporosis is a common, preventable and treatable form of metabolic bone disease. Fifty seven million Americans—mostly women—are affected by osteoporosis and low bone mass. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, ‘a woman’s risk of breaking a hip due to osteoporosis is equal to her risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancer combined.’ Additionally, ‘a man age 50 or older is more likely to break a bone due to osteoporosis than he is to get prostate cancer.’…

Kathryn Kilpatrick offers suggestions for lifelong learning and successful aging. As a speech-language pathologist with over four decades of experience working with older adults, Kathryn Kilpatrick specializes in working with older adults and their families facing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. In the last decade people of all ages seem to be complaining about their memory. Have you noticed that your memory is not what it used to be? Join the many people, both young and old,…

Estrogen and progesterone are hormones that are produced by a woman's ovaries. Why Does the Body Need Estrogen? Estrogen thickens the lining of the uterus, preparing it for the possible implantation of a fertilized egg. Estrogen also influences how the body uses calcium, an important mineral in the building of bones, and helps maintain healthy levels of cholesterol in the blood. Estrogen also keeps the vagina healthy. As menopause nears, the ovaries reduce most of their production of these…