London gynaecologist answers women's health questions on topical health issues.

The most common women's health questions asked of a gynaecologist are:-

When should I seek professional advice?
Will I require any tests and if so what will these involve for me?
Do I require treatment?
What will be my treatment options?

What are reproductive hormones and how is the menstrual cycle controlled?

How can I tell which will be the best treatment for me?
How will I benefit from a particular treatment?
Could a proposed treatment cause side effects for me?
Could I change my treatment if I am not happy with it?
What is the best way for me to avoid an unplanned pregnancy?
Will we be able to have children when we wish?
What will happen to me at the menopause?

Women's health problems and related questions are extremely common. There are seldom simple answers to these questions.
Every woman is an individual, with her own particular set of circumstances.
Every clinical problem requires evaluation and the potential benefits and risks of investigations and treatments demand careful consideration and explanation.
If you have a recurring pain that does not require even a Paracetamol tablet it is unlikely that you would require an operation to determine the cause or remove the source of the pain - the risks of surgery are likely to be greater than the potential benefits.
This website offers simple introduction to each subject followed by greater detail for those who may require it whether patients or professionals.

These are all very personal and intimate matters that are rarely discussed with others.
Frequently the relationship with a partner may be affected sometimes leading to marital disharmony.
For a gynaecologist, and in particular for those sub-specialising in reproductive medicine, there are quite complex issues to be addressed.
It is relatively simple for a patient to understand that a 'joint is wearing out' or that a 'heart-valve is leaking' but hormones are an enigma to the majority.
The interplay of the various hormones that are involved in the menstrual cycle, fertility, general health and the psyche are not yet fully understood even by specialists.

• This website seeks to raise awareness on the range of factors that affect women's health. 
• Treatment within women's health is one of the most rapidly advancing areas of medicine. 
• This website is devoted to women's health and simplifies finding relevant information.
• The media appear to thrive on women's health issues, harping on anxieties, particularly when there is no other newsworthy story.

Information for Patients

• Women's health Issues are amongst the most popular topics in current affairs featuring frequently in TV, radio, magazines, journals and all other media.
• It is apparent to all doctors that patients are seeking ever more detailed explanations for their symptoms and information to assist them with treatment options. There is a particular interest in women's health.
• Many will have found a book or article in a magazine.
• Although few patients would wish to reach into the very depths of current research, some go as far as a computer search on the internet. These sites can provide a useful source of information although caution is required (internet information). At the end of most sections of this book, a few selected Web sites have been included, which may set you on the road to some fascinating surfing.
• Details of support groups have also been provided.
• Most of the questions answered on this website arose during consultations over several years at clinics in .

Developments in Women's health issues:

Mankind doubles its knowledge every ten years. There have been astonishing developments in women's health since I qualified nearly forty years ago.  I plan to discuss some of these developments in my forthcoming newsletters.

To give one example, during my first training post in gynaecology, we had to remove the remaining Fallopian tube of a woman as she was having her second ectopic pregnancy. In those days it was standard practice to remove the tube and we celebrated the fact that it was a sucessful life saving opertion. The operation sadly sterilized the woman who was desparate for a child. The couple wanted to know how they could have a child but sadly their only option at that time their only option was adoption. Ten years later, in vitro fertilization - IVF was developed to overcome tubal infertility. The first IVF baby is now in her thirties.

There has been a revolution in information technology. This has benefited the medical profession who have ready access to details of the latest research. Patients similarly have open access to this information and seek greater involvement in discussions about their investigations and treatment options. We shall be discussing developments in:-

• General health issues such as exercise and nutrition.
• Adolescent problems
• Early pregnancy problems including miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy and recurrent miscarriage
• Endometriosis.
• Family planning / birth control / contraception including the combined contraceptive pill, the Mirena IUS and sterilisation
• Fibroids - the most common cause of an enlarged uterus outside pregnancy.
• Infertility investigations and treatments, including IVF
• Hirsutism
• Heavy periods 
• Hysterectomy including vaginal hysterectomy and laparoscopic hysterectomy
• Infections including chlamydia, genital herpes and genital warts
• Menorrhagia - heavy periods
• menopause and hormone replacement therapy - HRT  - risks and benefits on osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer
• menopause symptoms
• Painful periods
• PMS - premenstrual syndrome about 80% of women are troubled to a lesser or greater degree.
• Pregnancy and Childbirth
• Prevention by screening -Pap smears for pre-malignant cervical problems and mammograms for early breast cancer
• Pelvic pain
• Polycystic ovary syndrome. PCOS New Video on PCOS
• Recurrent Miscarriage
• Sexual problems
• Teen pregnancy
• Urinary tract infection
• Urinary incontinence
• Vaginal discharge and the commonest causes are bacterial vaginosis and candida / thrush
• Vitamins
• Cancers such as cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and breast cancer which are understandably every woman's greatest fear.
• Depression in women may be related to PMS, the menopause or sexual problems.
• Alternative medicine including natural herbal remedies

We all know the main bad things that affect women's health. The main three obvious ones are to stop smoking, improve diet and increase exercise.

March 2012 - Three videos on the benefits of short bursts of exercise.