Category: Women’s Health

In the late 1970s, a strange new disease appeared on the scene in the United States. The victims appeared to have an acute case of the flu at first but quickly degenerated into such severe signs of battling an illness that doctors became alarmed. A series of tests and studies determined that the victims suffered…

Toxic shock syndrome, sometimes referred to by the initials TSS, is a bacterial illness that first came to attention in the late 1970s, when symptoms of high fever, rash, low blood pressure and organ failure were linked to certain tampon use in American women. Despite its discovery related to women’s products, men and children can…

Jenny Matarelli Shimon had always had a good sense of self. She knew her strengths and felt comfortable in her own skin. But then a routine mammogram changed everything. At 40, it was her first. She didn’t think much about it. Why would she? The only breast cancer in her family had been found in…

It has dozens of euphemisms: That Time of the Month, Aunt Flow, Shark Week, and so many others that range in length, creativity, and maturity level. We’re talking about the dreaded period. For about 14 percent of women though, the onset of a menstrual cycle is no laughing matter. These women have a condition called…

Okay, who in the room every sneezed or coughed a hard one, only to experience a little or a lot of urine leakage to your embarrassment? If you answered a resounding “yes,” you’re in good company. According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, almost 25 percent of women suffer from pelvic…

Almost every woman is going to get vaginitis, or an irritation of the vagina or vulva, at least once in her lifetime. One of the most common causes of vaginitis is a yeast infection, although bacterial vaginosis is another common cause of vaginal irritation. Most of these infections are uncomfortable or inconvenient, but they are…

The term stiletto is derived from a long, thin blade of the same name, similar in profile to the shape and length of the heels that women now covet, from designers like Prada, Jimmy Choo and Louboutin, whose signature red soles are a status symbols for shoppers from coast to coast. We love to look…

The Hollywood image of a heart attack has given us a clear image of what a heart attack should look like: sudden, intense and crippling pain that causes the sufferer to clutch at her chest before collapsing. In real life, heart attacks can look like this, but most start out much more slowly, with milder…

When it comes to drinking during pregnancy, no means no. The National Institutes of Health strongly urge pregnant women not to consume any amount of alcohol during pregnancy. The risks posed to the unborn child far outweigh any benefits the mother may have, health-wise, socially or otherwise. While a glass of red wine can have…

As a mother-to-be, there are very few things you wouldn’t do for the precious life you’re about to welcome. You read books about what nutrients are especially important at different stages of development, read up on baby proofing and preparing your home for your baby’s arrival, and commit to eating well and staying fit during…