Visiting Your Gynecologist

When you are free from diseases and when your chemical or hormonal balance is right, there is little chance that you will die of bad health. Gynecology is an area which can detect a lot of problems that can otherwise reduce your lifespan or reduce the quality of life. As long as you are open with your gynecologist about your problems, you can make sure your reproductive system is right. Cancer, infertility and a lot of discomfort can be avoided with the help of gynecology. Choose a gynecologist who you feel comfortable talking to and telling your problems. A gynecologist who gives you enough time during appointments and doesn’t rush through the test should be chosen.

Improve the quality of life

When you have irregular periods, it could be because of a number of things. Your gynecologist will get to the bottom of this and find out what the problem is. It need not always be a major reason but only gynecology can explain what is wrong. Living with pain and itching in your vulvar area can severely bother you. Your gynecologist can take this away with just a few medications. Gynecology treatments can take different lengths of time to take effect. While some conditions are cured with a few weeks, other may need longer time and at times surgery may be required.

Pregnancy and gynecology

If you don’t want a baby, gynecology can help you by telling you the most appropriate contraceptive. Even if you have multiple partners, be honest as the gynecologist won’t judge you but tell you which contraceptive will be safer. If you want a baby and are having trouble conceiving, gynecology can recommend the right fertility treatment for you. A lot of babies are born with certain complication and a lot of mothers die during child birth. With regular checks, a lot of these deaths can be avoided. Gynecology also can detect and treat problems in the baby even before it is born.

Remain worry free

Every time we hear about a death from cancer, breast or cervical, we worry wondering if we could have it too. This happens more often if your family has a history of cancer. Gynecology can take away your fears with its numerous screening tests. Once you get this done, your gynecologist will tell you when to get the tests done again and this will keep you mind free of worry. If you are sexually active tests will also keep you away from worry about getting infected with STDs. And if you do get infected, the gynecologist can give you antibiotics which work during early stages.

Have a healthy attitude towards your sexuality

Most people are embarrassed to talk about their sexual problems. By visiting the gynecologist from an early age, i.e. after you start getting regular periods, you develop a healthy attitude towards gynecology. Gynecology can also explain things to you that you may have misconceptions about. Get the answers from the right people, i.e. gynecologists. Others may not answer your questions with enough detail and in the right way.

Shouldn’t Ignore Gynecology

Gynecology is one the most important yet a widely ignored branch of medicine. There are a lot of reasons why you should give a lot of importance to your reproductive health. Every aspect of health requires preventive care and gynecology is an area that needs lot of it especially if you are sexually active. There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn’t ignore your gynecologist appointments and some of important ones are discussed in this article. Gynecology is a field that is usually turned to when one is pregnant and when one has irregular periods. At other times people ignore it thinking nothing is wrong with them.

Your symptoms may be indicating something serious

One should stop playing the gynecologist for oneself and try to read the symptoms and reach conclusions. Most often the things we believe about gynecology are learnt from other people. At times this can be wrong and you may not realize what you have until you have progressed to the later stages. Even minor things should be discussed with your gynecologist during your yearly visits so that you will remain without doubt. Irregular periods may have something serious underlying it. Gynecology explains that it could be hormonal imbalance, polycystic ovary syndrome, etc.

You may become infertile

One of the major concerns of gynecology is that the ignored symptoms can make you infertile. Even a small symptom like occasional itching can be an indicator of chlamydia. If your gynecologist is not told about the itching, he/she may not run the test for this which may eventually lead to infertility. Gynecology studies Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and if this is not detected early enough by your gynecologist, it can interfere with one’s ability to have children. For all these reasons, one should take keep a check on one’s periods and make sure they are regular.

You can prevent cancer

Cervical cancer is another issue that gynecology deals with. With regular pap smear tests, which are taken once in 3 years, infection with Human papilloma virus can be detected even in early stages. You should not rest for three years just because your gynecologist says you have tested negative for pap smear test as it doesn’t detect other STDs. Another type of cancer that gynecology deals with is breast cancer. All gynecologists check for breast cancer and if in doubt run a mammogram. This is a surefire way to make sure you don’t develop breast cancer.

Pregnancy related problems

Keep in constant touch with your gynecologist during pregnancy as gynecology plays a big part in pregnancy. Other than when you are pregnant, if you have pelvic inflammatory disease, you may have tubal pregnancy. This is why you shouldn’t think that the gynecologist should be approached only during pregnancy. Don’t forget to tell your gynecologist about abdominal trauma during pregnancy. Even if it is a small incident which didn’t hurt much, bring it to your doctors notice as most of maternal mortality is because of this.

Visiting A Gynecologist

It is a common thing for people to want to get the check up with their gynecologist over with as soon as possible. It is important to know what gynecology deals with and it will help to think that the gynecologists deal with hundreds of people like you every week. Gynecology deals with diverse problems and any symptom even remotely related can and should be discussed. A few points that you need to keep in mind when visiting the doctor are discusses below.

Be open and honest

People are usually hesitant to talk about their private parts. It is perfectly normal but one should remember that the more you tell them, the easier it is for the gynecologist to diagnose your problem. You should feel free to tell them if you involve yourself in high risk sexual activity. No gynecologist will judge you. They will only increase the frequency of your pap smear tests. With gynecology, you can also ask questions you have about contraceptives, incontinence, if any, and your periods. If you have been abused or assaulted sexually, you should remember to mention this to the gynecologist no matter how difficult it is for you.

How to prepare for your gynecology check up?

Gynecology deals with all the health problems regarding your reproductive system. There isn’t much you need to do before you visit the doctor except take a regular shower and wear clean underwear. If you want to you can shave but if you don’t, the doctor won’t judge you. Be prepared to remove your bra as the gynecologist will have to check for lumps. As gynecology takes care of your periods and related problems, always make a note of when you had your last period. You can also talk to the burse at the gynecology nurse as they will be quite experienced as well.

Do not rush through your check up

In case of gynecology, a lot of information can get lost if you refuse to explain things to the doctor. The treatment given by the gynecologist could go wrong too if the treatments are based on the symptoms you tell them. If you hide certain embarrassing symptoms, you may also miss having yourself screened for a certain serious sexually transmitted disease. Don’t worry that the gynecologist is waiting to get to the next patient. Most gynecologists want to give their patients the best so feel free to stay as long as you need to.

Sexual problems

One of the gynecology questions that most young women, especially those who are unmarried, find embarrassing is the one that involve their sexuality. A lot of sexual problems like low libido can be because of certain medication. Your gynecologist is the best person to approach regarding these issues. Pain during intercourse is explained in gynecology and could be an indication of endometriosis and some other diseases or could be something as simple as yeast infection. So it is important to discuss problems during sex with the gynecologist.

Gynecology

Gynecology deals with diseases and other conditions related to breasts, uterus, vagina, etc. A gynecologist is a specialist in this field and diagnoses as well as treats problems regarding female reproductive health. A gynecologist not only deals with diseases but can also be consulted to learn about good practices with regard to hygiene, pregnancy, etc. Gynecology is a very important branch of medicine for a woman and one should make sure they visit a gynecologist once every year. As people now have started to realize the importance of these checks, a lot of serious problems have been prevented.

Infection

A gynecologist can be approached if you suspect that you are infected with a STD like HIV, HPV, herpes, etc. The gynecologist will look at symptoms and run a few tests before starting the treatment. Swelling and itching in one vulva can occur because of a lot of things including sexual activity, bubble baths, bad hygiene, etc. Gynecology takes care of both fungal as well as bacterial infection. Gynecology has made it possible to detect problems even before symptoms become evident. The screening tests are now simple and give results very quickly as some of them are automated.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is greatly covered by gynecology and every pregnant woman will have to regularly visit a gynecologist for check-ups to make sure the baby is growing well. It also deals with infertility and related problems. The pregnancy check ups will vary from person to person. If you are having a high risk pregnancy, your gynecologist may ask to see you as early as 6 weeks otherwise it may be 12 weeks. Gynecology uses ultra sound to check the progress and the health of the baby around 20 weeks of pregnancy. Advice with respect to contraceptives and other care will also be given by the doctor on consultation.

Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most feared cancers in women and gynecology has found ways to detect them in early stages. Some of the doctors will also have mammograms to check for breast cancer. In addition to self exams, during your regular visits to the gynecologists, you can get your breasts examined for lumps. Pap smear tests can check for cervical cancer. If an abnormal result is obtained, it need not always be cancer. If cancer is detected in its early stages, it can be treated. Gynecology suggests a pap smear test every three years for women above 21 years. Sometimes the doctor can ask you to get tested more often.

Surgeries

Gynecology includes surgeries related to the female reproductive system such as C- sections, hysterectomies, etc. Minor procedures like colposcopy which is a follow up for abnormal results in pap smear test will be done by the gynecologist. Laparoscopy is a surgery in gynecology which is performed usually under general anesthesia with the help of various instruments guided by a camera. All these surgeries are routinely performed by gynecologists to fix various problems of the reproductive system.

Gynecologist

Gynecology deals with the female reproductive system and is one of the most important branches of medicine. We all know that yearly dental check up and a yearly visit to the GP for a check up is a healthy practice. Similarly if you are a woman, a yearly visit to the gynecologist is a must too. Even if you don’t have any problems, the gynecologist can give you advice on healthy practices and a lot of other things you may not have known before.

Frequently asked questions

Girls in their teenage wonder if gynecology is important and if they should get a check up done even if they are still virgins. Gynecologists say that once you start getting almost regular periods, it is a good practice to have yearly check- ups done even if you have not been sexually active. This also takes away the fear and anxiety that usually develops in people if they have never seen a gynecologist. If you have no trouble with your periods or any discomfort or pain in your private parts, you may not even have to undergo the actual exam. It is important to know that gynecology is like any other department of medicine and aims at making you healthy.

How to make yourself comfortable?

It is natural to feel uncomfortable and nervous during your first visit to the gynecologist. If you tell the gynecology staff that it is your first visit, they will make sure to let you know what they are doing and why they are doing so that nothing takes you by surprise. If you have a male gynecologist, you can ask a nurse to be in the room if you want to. You can also ask your mother or anybody who is accompanying you to remain in the room or leave. Gynecology is a department that understands nervousness and is used to seeing women who are uncomfortable and will do all they can to make you visit as pleasant as possible.

Abnormal periods

A lot of women have irregular periods which can lead to a lot of worry especially if they are sexually active. Apart from this, gynecology also says that it is not healthy to have irregular periods over a long period of time. Gynecology gives a number of reasons for irregular periods. When you visit your gynecologist complaining about this, you may be asked to do a blood test to check your hormone levels.

If you are sexually active and are over 21

Gynecology deals with sexually transmitted diseases too. If you have been sexually active, ask your gynecologist for blood and urine screening for STIs. A bimanual exam where the doctor examines your vagina may follow. A speculum test is where the gynecologist uses a device is used to open the vagina so the doctor can check the walls of the vagina and the cervix. A pap smear test is done in gynecology to see if there are any cell changes in your cervix. Gynecology is a branch of medicine which makes sure your reproductive system works properly and a visit to the gynecologist every year should keep you worry-free for the rest of the year.