Pregnancy – How exciting can it get? Every woman awaits the precious phase in her life for the arrival of her new bundles of joy. However, this bundle of joy doesn’t come to you free of minor discomforts. And, one among the list of discomforts is urinary incontinence. Urinary Incontinence in women is a common problem during and after pregnancy.

Reasons for Urinary Incontinence

For those new to this terminology, urinary incontinence refers to the involuntary discharge of urine owing to reduced control on the urinary bladder. Urinary incontinence may result from a variety of reasons but the most common of all is stress. This primarily occurs due to increased pressure on the bladder especially when a woman is pregnant. During such a stressful situation, the bladder sphincter muscle does not function properly causing minor leaks.

Another common reason for urinary incontinence in pregnant women is a result of an overactive bladder. During the pregnancy phase, some women may experience uncontrollable spasms on their bladder. This contraction in the bladder ends up affecting the muscles surrounding the urethra (passage of urine from bladder to outlet). Subsequently, these muscles which are meant to prevent involuntary passage of urine are eventually overridden.

After pregnancy, the child birth is likely to weaken the muscles of the pelvic floor. This might result in an overactive bladder. Also, other conditions that have occurred during child birth might also contribute to urinary incontinence. Some of these are:

• A cut made to the pelvic floor muscles during a caesarian delivery
• Damage to the nerves that control the bladder
• Any movement to the urethra and bladder during pregnancy or child birth

Coping with Urinary Incontinence

There are ways to overcome urinary incontinence. Kegel are extremely effective in overcoming urinary incontinence.

Do not cut down on the fluids. Instead be careful about what you drink. If you are of the opinion that reduced fluid intake can reduce incontinence, you are mistaken. Reduced intakes can increase the acidic nature of urine and in turn irritate your bladder.

Coffee, tea and carbonated drinks tend to cause a lot of irritation to your bladder. Hence, avoid them. In their place, you can consume a lot of water, green tea and decaffeinated drinks. Consume much of your fluids during the day. Avoid fluid intake at least 2-3 hours before bed time to decrease night voiding and incontinence.

There are supplements that help to boost your immunity and strengthen your urinary system. Try natural supplement as they are proven to be most effective and do not cause any side effects. Natural supplement can be purchased online or at any local health store.

Next time you are embarrassed about the problem, just remember that urinary incontinence in women can dealt easily with exercise, diet and supplements. So, start now and gain total control!

The period of pregnancy is a time of great excitement and expectations in the life of a woman. This is the time she busily awaits the arrival of her little one. Though primarily a happy phase, this period is quite often riddled with instances of morning sickness and fatigue. Let us see how to combat your pregnancy fatigue and enjoy every bit of this wonderful time.

Fighting the Pregnancy Fatigue

Fatigue, which is a common symptom during the first and third trimesters, can be easily managed. Here are a few simple ways to manage your pregnancy fatigue:

1. Whenever you experience fatigue during pregnancy, consult your health care provider immediately. Tiredness can be caused by anaemia (low count of iron in your blood), thyroid related issues or even gestational diabetes.
2. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy can also cause fatigue. There are natural supplements available online that can promote digestion and control nausea and vomiting. However, choose a supplement that is 100% safe for you as well as your baby. In case of doubts, you could take your doctor’s opinion before starting a supplement.
3. Include exercises as part of your daily activity. Pranayama and other yoga asanas can prove to be beneficial to you in more than one way. In the first place, they help relieve a lot of pressure off your back. Also, yoga helps improve blood circulation in your body and boosts the production of endorphins, which in turn can increase your overall energy level.
4. Use essential oils such as tea tree, geranium, clary sage, bergmot, rosewood, or lavender in your bath.
5. Follow a healthy diet with large portions of fruits and vegetables preferably in the form of fresh salads. Fruits and vegetables, when taken raw, require just a few hours to be digested and eventually produce energy. On the other hand, it might take a day for your system to digest meat. The key to combating fatigue during pregnancy is to eat small portions of healthy diet, say about 6 or 7 times in a day, at regular intervals rather than 3 large meals a day.
6. Ask for help when necessary. You can either have your partner, a friend or someone in the family to run quick errands for you. Any additional work can bring down your energy levels drastically.
7. It is quite natural to have mood swings during this phase. Don’t let any form of disturbances in the external environment trouble you within. Indulge in your hobbies that will keep you happy and occupied.

To summarize, you can combat your pregnancy fatigue by eating foods that produce quick energy and avoiding activities that can drain you easily. Remember that half your energy is being used by the little one inside you.  After all, your well being is of prime importance to the life that is growing within you.

Pregnancy and childbirth are the most exciting phases in any woman’s life. Nevertheless, it is also a time when your body and mind undergoes physical and emotional exertions. From pregnancy until childbirth, you might have gone through nausea, cramps, labor pain, incontinence, bleeding, and perineum pain. And, after delivery, you seldom get your much deserved break as you are busy taking care of your new born. So, along with physical exertion, sleeplessness in having to feed the baby through the day and night, stress to get back to your former shape, fatigue and hormonal changes begin to take a toll on your emotional health too. Hence, it is necessary to recover your health after childbirth. Only then would you have the energy to take good care of your child.

Useful Tips to Help your Recover your Health

Here are some useful tips that can help your recovery your health post-delivery:

1. Diet plays an important role in recovering the health. Choose a diet that is rich in nutrition and fiber. Fresh fruits such as oranges, green vegetable such as broccoli and cabbage are highly recommended.
2. Do not even think about diet or reducing weight for at least 3 or 4 months after delivery. Remember, as long as your baby is breast-feeding, all the necessary nutrients for the baby go through your diet.
3. Constipation is a common problem post delivery.  Hence, apart from fiber rich diet, drink a lot of water. It also helps to keep your body hydrated.
4. If you had a significant blood loss during delivery, you might develop anemia. Hence, increase the intake of food rich in iron such as lean red meats, soy beans, lentils, greens and spinach.
5. Due to weight changes, your bone density could decrease when you lose weight. This can affect your bones and lead to problems such as arthritis. Hence, include calcium rich food such as broccoli, almonds, figs, yogurt and milk in your diet.
6. Try natural supplements that are rich in nutrition. These supplements can be purchased online or in a health store. However, only opt for a natural product that does not cause any side effect, as you need to be extremely careful about your diet as long as you are breast feeding. If you are still worried about side-effects, you could get your doctor’s approval before starting the supplement.
7. Keep your perineum clean to avoid any infection. If you have pain or irritation, wash the area with cold water.
8. Depression is another common problem after delivery. It can happen due to fatigue and lack of sleep. Do not hesitate to get help your family and friends. If not, hire a nurse for a few hours. A few hours of sleep or even spending some time shopping can help you relax and overcome depression.
9. Whether you had a normal delivery or a C-section, you need to begin exercising within a few days of childbirth, after getting your doctor’s approval. Start with gentle exercises.  You could also try walking or swimming. They help in tightening and toning your organs which had expanded to accommodate your baby during pregnancy. Apart from helping to reduce weight and tone your body, exercising help with your sex life as well.
10. Incontinence is a common problem during and after pregnancy. Perform Kegel exercises that help in overcoming this problem.

Follow all these steps meticulously to recover your health after childbirth.  And, you would be able to enjoy and cherish every moment of your motherhood.

With the changing times, life is becoming more challenging and strenuous for women. In a race to maintain balance between house and work, the personal health and fitness has begun to take a backseat. However, it is quite important to do some simple exercises regularly to keep the mind and body fit. Among the other exercises, kegel exercises for women are extremely popular. So, what are kegel exercises for women and why is it important?

Kegel exercises are popular because of the incredible benefits it offers especially related to the sexual health of women. If these exercises are done properly, they can prove to be quite beneficial in strengthening the pelvic floor muscles, thereby increasing the orgasmic and sexual responses.

Benefits of Kegel Exercises

It is a medically proven fact that kegel exercises helps in bringing about some major life changing benefits. These exercises are usually recommended to women during pregnancy, after child birth or to those who are aging or obese. Apart from helping in sexual health, they also help in prevention of prolapse of the pelvic organs. Kegel also helps in making the childbirth process easier. They assist in overcoming incontinence that usually starts during pregnancy and continues after childbirth.

Exercise the right way

Once you have decided to go kegel exercises, it is important that you do it the right way. Hence, it is advisable to go through the human anatomy as this will provide you with the complete knowledge of the structure of the pelvic muscles. This will assist you to exercise better.

In order to recognize the pelvic floor muscles, you have to start and stop the urinating process in midstream. During the process, keep focusing on the muscles that controls the process. Once the muscles have been recognized, the next step is to exercise those muscles. Also, once the muscles have been recognized, avoid doing kegel when you are full bladder or urinating.

Basic Kegel

To do kegel, first contract your pelvic muscles. Hold it for a few seconds, say 3-5 seconds. Then, relax the muscles for the same amount of time that you had contracted it. You could repeat the exercise several times a day and even gradually increase the period of contraction and relaxation.

Don’t Strain your Muscles Too Much

While doing kegel do not overstrain your muscles. Also, empty your bladder before you do the exercises. Depending upon the response of the muscles to everyday exercises, gradually increase the timings. Keep in mind Rome was not built in a day. In your effort to treat one problem, you should not end up with another. So, maintain caution.

So, have you learned about basic kegel exercises for women and why is it important? Next, you might be interested to know about advanced kegel exercise programs that can be done with assisted devices such as kegel exerciser. They help in further enhancing your sexual responsiveness. However, make sure you learn it right before trying it on your own. There are various programs and books available online that can train you in advanced kegel exercises. So, what are you waiting for? Start today and enjoy an extremely satisfying sex life!

Every woman in her life has to go through the difficult phase of menopause. Menopause is  bound to cause many discomforts such as sweating, hot flashes, depression and mood swings. Such symptoms are associated with perimenopause that marks the onset of menopause.  As frustrating as this could be, there is no means to avoid it. At such junctures, the only question that constantly prevails in our minds is ‘How long does menopause last?’ The answer to this cannot be given in a single line due to the complexity that surrounds the issue. However, a deeper understanding of the issue would help attain clarity.

What is menopause?

Menopause marks the stage in a woman’s life where she stops menstruating and is no longer fertile. Perimenopause denotes the period of 3-5 years that precedes menopause. During perimenopause, the estrogen levels in the body begin to lower.

Sings and Symptoms of Menopause and Peri-menopause

Menopause and Perimenopause have similar symptoms and it is often confusing to determine which one of them a woman is going through. According to experts’ opinion, menopause is confirmed only when there is no occurrence of menses for a period 12 months. Nevertheless, the symptoms begin even before completion of 12 months. Listed below are a few symptoms that are common during both Peri menopause and menopause:

• Low fertility
• Irregular periods
• Hot Flashes
• Dryness of the Vagina
• Night Sweats
• Disturbed Sleep
• Mood Swings
• Hair Loss
• Urinary Problems

How long does Menopause last?

There are numerous factors that affect menopause such as genetic conditions, lifestyle and the age at which a woman attained her puberty. These factors play a vital role in the duration of menopause. Menopause starts and ends at different ages for every woman depending on the above mentioned factors. For some women, it lasts only for 3-4 years while for a few others, it might last as long as 7-10 years. Let us say that if a woman had attained puberty at the age of 13, then there are many chances that she experiences menopause at an early stage. For some women, the age at which their mothers experienced menopause can also be a deciding factor.

Considering the above mentioned facts, the only answer available to the question ‘How long does menopause last?’ is: There is no fixed duration for menopause. All one can do to escape the discomforts is introduce few lifestyle changes such as indulging in regular physical activities, following a healthy sleep routine, trying herbal supplements and a well balanced diet.  If further complications exist, it is always advisable to consult your physician.

Do you have blisters and painful sores in your mouth? Well, the most common reasons for mouth sores could either be oral herpes or canker sores. Does it make you wonder if it’s contagious? And, is your partner worried, if it could spread through kiss or sex? The answer could be yes and no. It depends upon the type of the mouth sore that you have.

Oral herpes also referred to as cold sores is the most common type of herpes. It is caused by herpex simplex virus 1 or HSV1 and it is extremely contagious. When you kiss a person with cold sores, you can end up with oral herpes. Now, I have seen a lot of people wonder if you can get genital herpes from a mouth sore. Yes, if you indulge in oral sex with a person with oral herpes. The infection occurs when the virus from the oral blisters come in contact with the genital region during oral sex.

Statistics show that women are at a higher risk of acquiring genital herpes than men. If one of the partners is suffering from herpes, the couple needs to abstain from having oral sex. Alternatively, the risk of herpes infection can also be reduced considerably through the use of condoms. In addition to condoms, you could also take antiviral medication to further decrease the possibility of genital herpes.

Herbal treatment for herpes is both effective and cheap. Click here to read more.

However, even with all these precautions, a person can still get infected with herpes. Apart from genitals, the infection could also spread to other areas such as the thighs or buttocks.  So, if you are keen on avoiding the infection, it is advisable to avoid oral sex until the cold sore is healed.

Canker sores are commonly occurring painful, blisters in the mouth. They aren’t contagious and do not spread through kiss or sex. So, if either you or your partner has blisters in your mouth, check for the symptoms. If the blisters are white with a reddish border, it is most likely a canker sore. On the other hand, if the blisters are red, it could be oral herpes.

If you are interested to know more about the symptoms of herpes, click here.

Herpes does not have a permanent cure and once you contract the simplex virus, it remains in your body forever. So, it is also advisable to confirm the nature of the mouth sore. And, if it happens to be the contagious herpes take necessary precautions so that you do not get Genital Herpes from a Mouth Sore.

Can Pap smear detect STDs? There are millions of women who want to know the answer to this question. If you are one among them, the first step in this direction will be to inform yourself on the basic facts pertaining to Pap smear test.

Pap smear test has been one of the most common methods of diagnosis for cervical cancer in women. It involves collection of the cervical cells and its subsequent testing to detect any conditions that may lead to cancer. It is recommended that women who are sexually active should undergo Pap smear test at least once in every 3 years. However, this doesn’t mean that all sexually transmitted diseases can be detected through a Pap smear test. This brings up another question to the fore.

What are the sexually transmitted diseases that can be diagnosed by Pap smear test?

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that affects about 4 million women annually. It can be considered similar to Gonorrhea considering the symptoms and nature of the bacterial multiplication. When left untreated, this can lead to contraction of infections like HPV and HIV. Although Pap smear tests cannot detect the presence of the bacteria, the changes occurring in the cervix due to Chlamydia can be determined. This is quite helpful, as in most cases, Chlamydia is asymptomatic.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is one of the most common yet curable sexually transmitted disease. Pap smear test is known to show about 60% accuracy in the diagnosis of this condition. When the cervical cells are tested by means of Pap smear test, a transparent corona, which surrounds the exterior cell nucleus, indicates Trichomoniasis. Inflammation and presence of red sores in the cervix are also considered signs of Trichomoniasis.

The complication of this condition involves increased susceptibility to herpes infection and HIV. Diseases related to pelvic inflammation, cervical neoplasia and tubal infertility are also linked to Trichomoniasis.

Herpes Infection:

In rare occasions, cells injured due to herpes infection are detected by a Pap smear test. During physical examination, evident sores due to herpes outbreak can be recognized easily.

If you want to know more about the symptoms of herpes, click here.

A Word of Caution

If you are still pondering over the question ‘Can Pap smear detect STDs?’, then the answer is a clear No. Pap smears cannot be considered a reliable method of detecting all sexually transmitted diseases. The fact that it indicates the presence of a few sexually transmitted infections does not make it a reliable option.  It is always recommended that you consult a health care expert to know more about the appropriate methods of testing STDs.

Once infected with herpes, the herpes simplex virus resides in your body forever. However, the virus is not active at all times. There might be times when the virus remains latent and you do not have any symptoms of infection. There are medications that could have the virus remain latent for longer periods of time. However, most of these medications can cause side effects like diarrhea. Also, they might not be effective on people with a weak immune system. Hence, it is advisable to resort to herbal treatment for herpes because it is both effective and devoid of any side effects.

Herbal Treatment Methods

There are various herbal remedies that can help prevent the outbreak of the herpes simplex virus. Here are a few simple and effective herbal methods that you can opt for.

1. Tea Tree Oil – This essential oil is effective in fighting cold sores and blisters caused by herpes. Apart from this, the oil is also an effective antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic agent. Just apply a drop of the oil on the affected area to get rid of the infection.
2. Samento Extract – This herbal extract helps to treat herpes by boosting the immune system. This is an extract from a Peruvian plant called the cat claw. Samento extract can either be purchased in pill or liquid form.
3. Nutritional Supplements – Increasing the intake of Vitamin C, Magnesium and Zinc helps boost the immune system. This in turn helps prevent the outbreak of herpes virus. Also, include food that are rich in Vitamin B and nutritional yeast. Garlic also helps to fight viral infections to the same effect.
4. Herbs –There are a variety of herbs that help treat herpes. Licorice root has proved to  be extremely effective in fighting the virus. However, if you have high blood pressure, you might want to get professional advice before using this herb.Aloe vera gel can also be applied to on the infected area. You could also use formulas that contain Echinacea and goldenseal herbs. Lemon balm has been clinically proved to be effective in fighting herpes when applied on the infected site. You could also mix 1 oz of dry chaparral leaves, 4 tbsp of baking soda and a few drops of tea tree oil to your bath. This will help relieve the pain and fight the virus.
5. Diet – Herpes can be controlled by making slight modifications to your diet and lifestyle. Include yoghurt, flax seed, nuts, whole grain food, garlic and fishes such as salmon and tuna that are rich in omega fatty acids. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, food containing high sugar, chocolates and caffeinated drinks.

Stress level also plays a vital role in herpes.  Indulge in sports such as tennis or squash,  yoga and exercises to avoid stress.

You have to remember that the herbal treatment for herpes cannot provide a complete cure for herpes. Just like any other medication, they help avoid the outbreak of the virus. Follow the herbal treatment carefully and prevent the outbreak of the virus!

Herpes is an infection caused by herpes simplex virus. When the infection affects mouth and face, it is referred as oral herpes. When the infection is restricted to the genital area, it is referred as genital herpes. Although, there are other types of infections caused by the herpes simplex virus, oral herpes and genital herpes are the most common herpes infections.  So, before treating them, it is necessary to confirm that the infection is caused by herpes and that it is not a bacterial or a yeast infection. So, how do you know if you have herpes?

Signs and Symptoms of Herpes

Here are the common signs and symptoms of oral herpes:

1. In oral herpes, even before the infection becomes visible, you might experience pain or itching.
2. Then the infection becomes visible in the form blisters and redness of the skin.
3. You might notice blisters opening up into tiny ulcers against the reddened skin.
4. As the blisters break opens, the fluid inside them ooze out. The area around the infection might start to itch.
5. Other symptoms include fever, headache and muscle pain in rare cases.

Signs and Symptoms of Genital Herpes

The signs and symptoms might be hard to notice at the beginning. It might even take up to a week or two after the infection, for the symptoms to show up.

1. Blisters could appear on the genitalia, anus, inner thighs, urinary tract and cervix.
2. Itching or burning sensation in the vagina, genitalia, anus and penis.
3. The infection could also be identified by vaginal discharge.
4. You might experience pain during urination.
5. Abdominal pain or pressure can also indicate genital herpes.
6. Apart from this, low fever, leg pain or body pain could also occur as a result of genital herpes.

If you wish confirm if you have herpes through medical examination, you might be asked to take blood culture test. Alternatively, a swab test containing the sample from the sores could also be used to test for herpes.

Once, you get herpes, there is no cure for it. The virus remains in your body forever. However, it results in health related problems only when there is an outbreak of the virus. And, the good news is that this outbreak is treatable. The natural methods of treating herpes are highly effective and simple.  If you are interested in herbal treatment for herpes, click here.

So, as soon as you begin to get blisters or itching, just refer to the symptoms given in this article, ‘How do you know if you Have Herpes?’ If your symptoms match with the ones listed here, consult your doctor or opt for home remedies to avoid an outbreak of the virus.

Thrush or candidiasis is an oral yeast infection caused by an enormous increase of the candida fungus in our body. Bacterial Vaginosis, commonly referred as BV, is a vaginal infection resulting from a huge increase of bacterial flora in our system. The infection-causing candida fungus as well as bacterial flora is present in the body of all healthy human beings. However, due to medical ailment or other reasons, when the immune system is compromised, these micro-organisms multiply to a very high level leading to thrush and BV.It is possible to cure these infections naturally. In this article, I’m going to discuss various natural home remedies to treat thrush and BV.

Home Remedies for Thrush

Although, thrush is a simple oral infection, it could cause serious problems, if untreated. So, here are a few simple and effective steps to help you treat thrush naturally:

1. Pure, virgin coconut oil, oregano oil and clove oil can be applied in the infected region to treat thrush. This remedy can also be safely used to treat thrush in infants.
2. Mix baking soda in water in the ratio of 1:8 and apply it in the mouth to get rid of the yeast.
3. A diet rich in protein helps to fight thrush. Raw eggs and steamed fish are found to be effective in fighting the yeast.
4. Aloe vera gels can be applied to the mouth to cure thrush.
5. Plantain seeds can be soaked overnight and the gel can be used to get rid of the infection.

Home Remedies for BV

BV causes unpleasant smelling vaginal discharge and it can be easily treated at home. Here are a few natural ways to treat BV:

1. Apart from consuming yoghurt to fight the infection, you could also apply plain yoghurt in your vagina to get rid of the infection-causing microorganisms.
2. Avoid douching if you are sensitive to it. However, if it does not cause any problem, try douching with the solution prepared by mixing a tablespoon of vinegar in a liter of water.
3. Add a cup of apple cider vinegar to warm water in your bathtub and sit in it for about 15 minutes. Make sure that the water is deep enough to cover your vagina. This procedure can help get rid of the BV.
4. Cranberry juice and orange juice have high acidic content that helps to fight the infection.
5. Also, wear loose, cotton underwear and dry your vagina after bath to cure the vaginal infection and to prevent it from recurring.

These natural home remedies to treat thrush and BV, are simple, easy-to-follow, effective and cheap. So, just follow these steps at your home and wave goodbye to itching.