Gyno Reports

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5 Supplements Every Woman Should Take



Calcium

Why You Need It: Everyone knows calcium builds strong bones, but this mineral is also crucial for other functions, such as transmitting nerve signals.Women ages 19 to 50 need 1,000 milligrams per day. Figure out how much you get from food and drink, and supplement the rest.

Daily Dose: Women ages 19 to 50 need 1,000 milligrams per day. Figure out how much you get from food and drink, and supplement the rest.


Vitamin D

Why You Need It: Not only does D help the body absorb calcium, it also might play a role in preventing colon cancer, breast cancer and diabetes.
Daily Dose: 2,000 international units (IUs) of vitamin D-3 in the winter. In summer, drop down to 1,000 IUs or skip it on days you get lots of sun.


Fish Oil

Why You Need It: Low levels of these healthy fats can lead to internal inflammation, one culprit behind heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Daily Dose: 1 to 2 grams (1,000 to 2,000 mg). Take fish-oil supplements with food, which absorbs the oil and staves off fishy burps.


Probiotics

Why You Need It: Probiotics, or good bacteria, have been shown to assuage gastrointestinal problems, like diarrhea, and even help reduce colds.

Daily Dose: One capsule with 10 billion colony-forming units (CFUs), preferably in the morning so it can aid your digestion throughout the day.


Folate

Why you need it:  You need folate to look healthy. Our cells need it to make DNA, and without DNA, cells wouldn’t function properly. Nor would they make new cells and tissue, such as skin and hair.  During pregnancy, especially the first couple of weeks when women often don’t know they are pregnant, folate is critical in preventing neural tube abnormalities in the fetus, such as spina bifida. 

Daily Dose: Healthy, non-pregnant women should look for a multivitamin supplement providing 400 micrograms daily. Pregnant women should take a prenatal supplement with 400-800 micrograms of folate. Talk to your obstetrician or gynecologist about taking folate along with other key supplements that can support a baby’s development.


Source: Allyou.com 

National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.


September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Get the Facts. Recognize the Signs.

Ovarian Cancer is one of the most deadly of women's cancers. Each year, approximately 21,980 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 2014, approximately 14,270 women died in the United States from this disease. It is estimated by the World Health Organization IARC department that there are over 238,000 new cases diagnosed annually and nearly 152,000 deaths worldwide.

 

This cancer typically occurs in women in their fifties and sixties with the median age being 63. Many women who are diagnosed with Ovarian cancer have a genetic history that may include carrying the BRCA mutation gene and having a strong family history of ovarian cancer.

 

Unfortunately many women don't seek help until the disease has begun to spread, but if detected at its earliest stage, the five-year survival rate is more than 93%. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are often subtle and easily confused with other ailments.

 

Symptoms may include:

 

• Bloating

• Pelvic or Abdominal pain

• Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

• Urinary urgency or frequency

 

Other symptoms may include:

 

• Nausea, indigestion, gas, constipation or diarrhea

• Extreme fatigue

• Shortness of breath

• Backaches

• Weight Gain

 

There is no adequate screening test of ovarian cancer at this time which is one of the reasons that this cancer is often discovered in later stages.

Talk to your doctor if symptoms last more than 2-3 weeks. You are your best advocate.


Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis

Your doctor may order the following tests:

Physical examination - Your doctor will palpate your abdomen to look for discomfort and tenderness or abnormal fluid

Pelvic examination

Blood Test - Your doctor may order a CA-125 blood test. This test measures CA-125 in the blood. CA-125 is found on the surface on ovarian cancer cells and also normal tissue. A high CA-125 level may indicate ovarian cancer or other conditions.

Ultrasound

Biopsy


Stages of Ovarian Cancer

There are four stages of ovarian cancer. Your doctor will determine your stage of ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is treated differently depending on which stage you are diagnosed with.

The four primary stages are:

Stage I: The cancer is completely contained within the ovary or ovaries

Stage II: The cancer is in one or both of the ovaries and has spread to additional organs located in the pelvis such as the bladder, colon, rectum or uterus.

Stage III: The cancer is in one or both ovaries and has spread to one or both of the following: the lining of the abdomen or the lymph nodes.

Stage IV: The most advanced stage of cancer. The cancer has spread from one or both ovaries to additional organs such as the liver or lungs, or there may be cancer cells in the fluid surrounding the lungs.

Recurrent: The cancer has returned after successful treatment.


The four stages of cancer are also divided into sub-groups.

Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors

Ovarian cancer does not discriminate. It can strike a woman of any race or at any age. We do know that women with certain risk factors may have a greater chance of developing ovarian cancer.

These risk factors include:

  • Family history of breast or ovarian cancer
  • Personal history of cancer
  • Women over the age of 55
  •  Women who were never pregnant
  • Women on menopausal hormone replacement therapy
Heredity

Studies have found that women who have a mother, daughter, or sister with ovarian cancer have an increased risk of developing this disease. Women with a family history of breast cancer, uterine cancer,  colon cancer or rectal cancer many also have increased risk.

Women with the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. 


Source: ovariancancerawareness.org