Health Beauty & FitnessHealth, Beauty, Fitness Tips

Q. What are some causes of normal vaginal bleeding during pregnancy?

A. There are a few normal reasons for vaginal bleeding.

* Implantation of your fertilized egg causes slight spotting in a minority of woman. If it happens, it will be near the time you would normally have your period. This bleeding should be very light spotting and last for a day or two. [Spotting: very light bleeding similar to the end of your period.]

* Cervix is more prone to bleed as blood flow is naturally increased during pregnancy. That said, anything that may touch or irritate the cervix can cause bleeding. Sex, gynecological exam, pap smear, physical work, exercise. This bleeding should only spot and last for a day or two.

* If you notice spotting after exercising or working, ease off a bit and see if the spotting stops. Keep a log of your workouts and spotting frequency. This way you know how much you can work or exercise.

* If you are spotting for more than two days, or see an increase in the amount, or do not see a cause of the bleeding, contact your health provider.

* At around 37 weeks, a mucous plug may come out tinged with blood. This is an early sign of labor.

Q. What are some causes of abnormal vaginal bleeding during pregnancy?

A. As the cervix is more engorged, STD’s or any type of vaginal infection may cause bleeding. Infections irritate the cervix causing bleeding or spotting for more than a day or two. Bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, Chlamydia, Herpes are some common infections that may cause prolonged bleeding. See your health provider. They will do a pap or wet mount slide prep to see if an infection is present and treat accordingly.

Spontaneous abortion is a cause of abnormal bleeding. Of the 10% to 25% of women who report spotting during the 1st trimester, 20% to 50% of those will spontaneously abort. If you cannot pin-point a cause of the spotting or it progresses, see your health provider.

Pain with spotting may indicate an ectopic pregnancy or early signs of miscarriage. Pain and spotting is not normal. An ectopic pregnancy must be terminated for the woman’s safety. Ultrasound can confirm or rule out an ectopic pregnancy. This occurs in the first trimester and occurs in 1.5% of all pregnancies.

Abnormal bleeding in pregnancy may indicate placenta problems (eg. placenta previa during any trimester which presents as painless bleeding) or premature labor. Again, if bleeding is more than spotting, increasing in amount or duration, call your health provider.

Q. What is too much bleeding?

A. Duration or quantity are the keys here. If spotting is happening for more than two days and you cannot pin-point a normal cause, contact your health provider.

If bleeding is increasing beyond spotting, it is necessary to contact your health provider. There does not have to be pain associated. If painless bleeding is present, do contact your provider.

If you think it is too much bleeding and you need reassurance, call. Relaxation is very important for a healthy mom and baby. One cannot relax when unsure. Don’t be tough. Call. Your health provider is there to assist and educate you during this amazing time.

GOOD NEWS!
An ultrasound that shows a heartbeat between 7 – 11 weeks, the chances of continuing the pregnancy are better than 90%

Disclaimer: This is information only. Seek the advice of a trained healthcare professional. Bleeding during pregnancy can be life-threatening to the woman and/or the baby. Do not delay professional assistance.

Women’s reproductive health is something that they must be aware of for their entire lives. Taking good care of ones self from puberty on will affect whether a woman can have children, and if she will get through the rest of her life without any serious problems. Typically, a good diet, exercise, and yearly exams are all that women need to stay on top of their reproductive health but sometimes, especially when pregnant or going through menopause women need a little bit more help. It seems that women’s reproductive health becomes even more important after suffering from some menopause symptoms or even something as simple as a yeast infection. A simple problem or some mild symptoms are enough to make any woman really stand up and take notice of her overall health. When young, women’s reproductive health concerns usually revolve around pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, yeast infections, and the occasional bacterial infection. Women that have just have children may also have to consider depression treatment as well as help with weight loss. These are standard women’s reproductive health concerns and they usually pass as women age. If women continue to seek treatment for yearly exams and when they have odd symptoms, they are helping to ensure that things will be well in the future as well as right now. Sometimes young women are more inclined to seek homeopathic treatments for their illnesses, which can be a great way to manage women’s reproductive heath. As women age reproductive health concerns may concern sex and weight loss, depression treatment, menopause symptoms, mammograms, and anti-aging efforts. Menopause is a huge concern for many women as they begin to experience hot flashes and simply have the need to do something about their changing hormones. Many women find that homeopathic treatments can help them stabilize their hormones so that they can be comfortable and continue to live their lives. It’s understandable why the focus turns as one ages from babies to hormones and many women simply do not give it much thought. While homeopathic treatments often work for the occasional menopause symptoms, yearly pap smears and mammograms are a must so that you can be proactive to reproductive health instead of reactive. Perhaps the lack of thought about aging is why many women find that they need depression treatment. Some women have a hard time with waking up one day and realizing that they are “old” and are well past the reproductive age. While some women have a hard time aging, other women really bask in the glory of middle age, as it no doubt has its responsibilities, but other women find that some old responsibilities are gone. No longer is pregnancy an issue, now women just need to take good care of themselves: mind, body, and spirit. Attitudes toward the care of ones reproductive health typically change over time. Many women are very relaxed about reproductive health when they are young, but as they age most women begin to take it more seriously. Perhaps the change in attitude is due to experience, watching ones friends being sick or getting sick themselves, but it happens with most women. A lot of women feel the shift in their focus on reproductive health when they get pregnant and then they carry it with them. Luckily, women have the Internet at their disposal, which will help them decide when they need to seek help from a professional and when they may be able to handle things on their own. Having advice their fingertips really allows women to take complete control of their reproductive health and can arm them with all of the information they could possibly need.

What are Flavonoids?
Flavonoids are actually plant pigments and are referred to as Vitamin P in order to identify them in foods. They are the pigment that gives color to plant life. They have other names to identify them that are specific to the foods that contain them. Flavonoids are found in literally thousands of different substances and their chemical groupings.

What is the purpose of Flavonoids?
The main purpose of the flavonoids is to protect the body usually by acting as antioxidants. As an antioxidant their job is to protect the healthy cells of the body from the damage that free-radicals cause. Flavonoids have the capability of making the levels of glutathione higher. Glutathione is a very robust antioxidant that protects cells from being compromised.

Flavonoids are particularly associated with Vitamin C and are an invaluable support to the benefits of Vitamin C. They are like little power-boosters. When both Vitamin C and Flavonoids are working together the antioxidant qualities are super-charged.

What diseases do flavonoids help to prevent?
There are a number of harmful diseases that flavonoids have been found to either prevent or help in the cure. These are allergies, yeast infections, Atopic dermatitis, diabetes, cataracts, asthma, macular degeneration, gout, hemorrhoids, stomach ulcers, periodontal disease, varicose veins, stomach ulcers and migraines. When inflammation becomes extreme flavonoids comes to the rescue. In severe conditions like the herpes simplex virus, HIV virus or HSV-1 flavonoids have proved to be a help to the antibiotics administered.

When do you know you need to add foods that contain flavonoids?
There are certain physical conditions that directly point to the need for flavonoids in your diet. Things like nose bleeds, hemorrhoids, extreme bruising and swelling after an injury will be greatly improved with the addition of foods containing flavonoids. This will improve the immune system and help in preventing infections like yeast infections and the common cold.

What happens when vegetables containing flavonoids are cooked?
Cooking vegetables or fruits containing flavonoids does drastically reduce the potency of the flavonoids contained in the plants. Steaming vegetables is the best choice or eating them raw if possible will keep protect the integrity of the plants. As a general rule, do not overcook vegetables. The deeper or more intense the color the more of the nutrients it will contain or retain.