Amazing sex always appears to be a piece of cake in the movies. However, real-life sex might provide us with unexpected challenges, such as pain that interferes with situations we had previously expected to be entirely pleasurable.
Many people avoid talking about painful sex since it can be uncomfortable, even with a doctor. But if you're struggling with it, you're not alone. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, discomfort during intercourse is incredibly frequent, with over three-quarters of women feeling pain at some point in their lives. Additionally, up to 60% of women report having painful sex in the run-up to menopause and afterwards.
Strong research shows that women often don't share this concern with their health care providers unless they're specifically asked, and doctors rarely ask
What makes sexual activity painful? It could involve burning, soreness, dryness, or a general feeling of discomfort in addition to the actual jabs or twinges of pain. Although it can affect nearby areas, including the pelvis and lower back, it is often most visible in the vagina and vulva. Sexual activity with partners of either gender can also cause pain.
You don't have to accept painful sex, though. It's time to look at why pleasure becomes discomfort and figure out how to restore enjoyment to the bedroom. Physical intimacy is important for couples.
Why may sex become uncomfortable after years of usually pleasurable lovemaking? Your stage of life is a major contributing factor, but there are many other important elements as well. Gynecologic disorders such as pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and fibroids may play a role. As well as other medical conditions like arthritis, radiation, pelvic surgery, or cancer. Even the thought of having sex can be impossible for someone with vulvodynia, a persistent pain illness affecting the vulva.
The following scenarios account for the most painful sex instances:
Childbirth. Undoubtedly, giving birth vaginally is difficult for the vagina, perhaps even more so for women who have undergone an episiotomy or perineal tears. The healing process can take several months. Vaginal dryness can be exacerbated by hormonal changes during childbirth and breastfeeding.
Menopause. A chronic, increasing absence of natural vaginal lubrication can be brought on by declining estrogen levels during the years preceding menopause and after. It typically starts with a sense of dryness or soreness low in the vagina, but over time it can become really uncomfortable everywhere.
High pelvic floor tone (Hypertonic). After a stressful experience, like a sexual assault, the muscles surrounding the vaginal opening may automatically constrict. Ironically, however, the disease might even start with the thought of discomfort in the bedroom. The more you expect sex to hurt, the more your pelvic floor muscles tense, creating a vicious cycle. Your pelvic floor muscles contract whenever intercourse is attempted, making sex even more uncomfortable. It's almost like your body is attempting to protect you. There may seem to be a wall there.
How to increase comfort
If you're afraid it'll hurt, sex can lose its appeal. The proverb "use it or lose it" is not applicable in this instance, however, as having less sex as menopause approaches does not increase the likelihood of painful intercourse.
2,247 women, aged 42 to 52, who reported no sexual pain at the trial's start and consented to log their sexual frequency and symptoms participated in the study, which was published on June 1st, 2022, in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Over the course of up to 10 follow-up visits over the next 13 years, nearly half of the participants reported experiencing pain during sex at least occasionally. While having oral sex or being aroused more frequently (with or without sexual activity) were connected to lower odds of experiencing sexual pain, vaginal dryness revealed the highest association. But it wasn't taken into account how much sex the women had.
There are thoughts that intercourse is good for the vagina, stretching it and bringing in secretions and blood flow however, there is no data to back this up.
1 comment
Have you noticed a decline in your sleep quality? Are you frequently waking up during the night and struggling to fall back asleep? Don't worry, you're not alone. Sleep fragmentation, a natural part of aging, can disrupt your sleep patterns. However, if it consistently reduces your sleep duration or prevents you from feeling refreshed upon waking, it's crucial to identify the underlying causes and seek appropriate treatment.
Sleep plays a vital role in restoring and rejuvenating the body. During sleep, the brain flushes out toxins, muscles repair, memories consolidate, and hormones are released. Insufficient or fragmented sleep over time can lead to concentration and mood impairments, as well as an increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cognitive decline, premature death, and possibly glaucoma.
Numerous factors can interrupt your sleep, and it's possible to have multiple disruptors exacerbating the issue. Here are some common examples:
1. Electronics: While electronic devices bring convenience to our lives, the blue light emitted from smartphone screens can hinder falling asleep. Similarly, noise from TV shows, music playlists, or podcasts playing overnight can disrupt your slumber.
2. Bed Partners: Snoring or restless movements from a bed partner, as well as pets or children climbing into bed, can disturb your sleep, especially if they encroach on your sleeping space.
3. Food or Alcohol: Consuming caffeine-containing items like chocolate, tea, or coffee later in the day can make it challenging to stay asleep. Late-night snacks may taste good initially, but they can cause heartburn and acid reflux during the night. Additionally, alcohol may help you fall asleep initially but can lead to sleep fragmentation as it wears off.
4. Underlying Conditions: Various health conditions, such as sleep apnea, chronic pain, neuropathy, hot flashes, stress, anxiety, depression, frequent nighttime bathroom trips, or tinnitus, can prevent you from sleeping through the night.
5. Medications: Certain medications meant to alleviate health issues can interfere with sleep. Examples include some antidepressants, steroids, beta blockers for high blood pressure, and drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
6. Sleeping Environment: Uncomfortable beds, excessive room temperature, and light seeping through windows can all disrupt your sleep.
This design is very popular in Nigeria. My mom is one person I know who makes great choices when it comes to wearing wrappers and has the best wrappers. I have seen mostly Igbo women wear it, and my partner even made a joke and said I was wearing Igbo material. Not that other tribes do not wear this design, but I guess Igbos use it for meeting uniforms and wear it to other occasions even more.
This two-piece outfit, known as an "iro and buba," also includes a free-size long-sleeve blouse that may be worn in a variety of ways. The Igbo style is achieved by tying the two wrappers together, but the Yoruba style is achieved by wearing one wrapper. To make my outfit stand out, I also wore high-heeled sandals.
Remote monitoring and virtual visits are both practical and affordable approaches to improve cardiovascular care.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing and conversing with a doctor via smartphone, tablet, or computer while at home became the norm. The number of in-person medical consultations has increased during the last year or so. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) that was published on December 20, 2022, in Circulation states that video visits and other telehealth methods can still be a good alternative for treating people with heart disease.
What we're seeing now is an increase in blended care that includes a combination of in-person and virtual visits. The hybrid model has been most successful for health care institutions that have built the infrastructure to incorporate virtual health care into their operations. According to her, it's critical for physicians and patients to pay attention to each person's unique needs, preferences, and level of comfort with various forms of care.
Telehealth in its various forms
There are three ways to deliver telehealth:
Synchronous communication between the patient and the doctor over the phone or another device with an Internet connection.
asynchronous—when information is transmitted between doctors and patients but not in real time, akin to e-mail monitoring—when data like weight, blood pressure, or a basic electrocardiogram (ECG) are delivered to the clinician by wirelessly connected equipment.
Most medical offices already had Internet-based portals that consumers used to schedule appointments and get test results before the outbreak. These portals frequently act as the entry point for synchronous visits, which are perfect for a lot of the care patients who have or are at risk for heart disease need.
For instance, doctors frequently discuss any lifestyle or medication modifications you may make to better manage your illness after reviewing information from various measurements or tests you've performed at home, such as weight, blood pressure, and blood sugar readings, or from a lab (a cholesterol test). According to the AHA statement, numerous studies have demonstrated that telemedicine therapy can significantly reduce blood pressure and other heart-related risk factors.
Currently, frequent communication between physicians and patients frequently comes from the medical office and frequently consists of reminders or surveys concerning screenings or testing. However, there would be more time for conversation if information was sent through a portal before a virtual visit.
In today's world of social media, it's not uncommon to come across medical advice that lacks scientific evidence. One such trend gaining attention is mouth taping to address snoring. However, while conscious nose breathing during the day can have its benefits, such as regulating breathing, filtering allergens, and reducing anxiety, using tape to maintain nasal breathing during sleep can pose risks. It may lead to difficulty in breathing, disrupted sleep, or skin irritation. Surprisingly, there is no scientific research supporting this practice, and in some instances, it may even lower oxygen levels during sleep.
Because I didn't have any skin problems, I remember being confused as I walked through a store looking for products to add to what I already used for my skin. I wanted something very affordable, so I looked for a product that I could use both morning and night. When I came across Osiris Avise recovery oil, I decided to give it a try. This is what I have to say about this product.
1. The pricing is reasonable given what the item does.
2. The product is a good one to own because you can use it with makeup and it gives your skin a brightly shining, moisturised appearance.
3. It also somewhat lightened my skin tone and became my go-to skin care item, especially on lazy days.
4. According to what is written on the product, it heals scars. I have a scar on my face, but I didn't keep note of whether or not it improved my appearance, so I can't speak to that. However, it definitely enhanced the appearance of my skin and made it smoother.
According to Harvard research, top-rated hospitals had "stunning" price differences for common testing.
You probably browse around to compare prices before paying for a service, like a house repair or a plane ticket, for example. But because of the way our healthcare system is set up, you can't do that for medical services. Until the bill comes, you frequently don't even know how much your health insurance will cover or how much is your obligation.
The new federal Transparency in Coverage rule, which goes into effect in January 2021, aims to address this issue. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the rule, which requires hospitals to: (1) publish the prices for every good and service they provide; and (2) create a user-friendly interface so that patients can estimate their expected costs for common tests and procedures.
Clear and varying prices
Clarifying the true costs related to diagnosis and treatment makes sense because cardiovascular disease is the most costly chronic disease for the American health care system. To achieve that goal, researchers at the Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research made use of information made accessible by the new transparency rule. They were able to compare costs for six common heart tests and operations by browsing the websites of 20 of the best hospitals in the United States. These costs are the outcome of discussions between an insurance provider and a hospital or healthcare organization. Wide price disparities were uncovered by their research, which was published in the September 2022 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
According to lead author Dr. Rishi Wadhera, "The variation in prices for identical cardiovascular tests and procedures across different hospitals was, quite frankly, stunning." There was a 10-fold variation in the median cost of an echocardiogram (a cardiac ultrasound) between institutions. Prices varied even further for procedures like pacemaker implantation and percutaneous coronary interventions, which include minimally invasive techniques like stent placement to unblock blocked heart arteries.
Depending on which commercial insurance company a patient had, there were significant price variations within the same hospital. According to Dr. Wadhera, the cost of a stress test varies fivefold in one facility.
You probably browse around to compare prices before paying for a service, like a house repair or a plane ticket, for example. But because of the way our healthcare system is set up, you can't do that for medical services. Until the bill comes, you frequently don't even know how much your health insurance will cover or how much is your obligation.
The new federal Transparency in Coverage rule, which goes into effect in January 2021, aims to address this issue. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued the rule, which requires hospitals to: (1) publish the prices for every good and service they provide; and (2) create a user-friendly interface so that patients can estimate their expected costs for common tests and procedures.
Clear and varying prices
Clarifying the true costs related to diagnosis and treatment makes sense because cardiovascular disease is the most costly chronic disease for the American health care system. To achieve that goal, researchers at the Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research made use of information made accessible by the new transparency rule. They were able to compare costs for six common heart tests and operations by browsing the websites of 20 of the best hospitals in the United States. These costs are the outcome of discussions between an insurance provider and a hospital or healthcare organization. Wide price disparities were uncovered by their research, which was published in the September 2022 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
According to lead author Dr. Rishi Wadhera, "The variation in prices for identical cardiovascular tests and procedures across different hospitals was, quite frankly, stunning." There was a 10-fold variation in the median cost of an echocardiogram (a cardiac ultrasound) between institutions. Prices varied even further for procedures like pacemaker implantation and percutaneous coronary interventions, which include minimally invasive techniques like stent placement to unblock blocked heart arteries.
Depending on which commercial insurance company a patient had, there were significant price variations within the same hospital. According to Dr. Wadhera, the cost of a stress test varies fivefold in one facility.
Lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol levels is crucial for preventing heart disease, but what about "good" HDL cholesterol? Understanding the role of HDL in heart health is just as important. This article explores the significance of HDL cholesterol and provides tips for maintaining healthy levels.
Why LDL Cholesterol Matters
Reducing LDL cholesterol is a key strategy for protecting against cardiovascular disease. When LDL levels are high, plaque can build up in the arteries, leading to heart attacks and strokes. The target LDL level varies based on individual risk factors. For those at high risk, aiming for an LDL of less than 70 mg/dL is recommended. Individuals at average risk should strive for levels below 100 mg/dL through lifestyle changes or medication.
The Role of HDL Cholesterol
While HDL cholesterol often takes a backseat in discussions about cholesterol, it plays a crucial role in heart health. HDL patrols the blood vessels, collecting excess cholesterol and transporting it to the liver for removal. This process prevents the formation of harmful plaque. Guidelines recommend an HDL level between 40 mg/dL and 60 mg/dL for men. Levels below 40 mg/dL may indicate insufficient HDL function.
Is Higher HDL Always Better?
Contrary to popular belief, extremely high HDL levels above 80 mg/dL may not provide additional benefits. HDL's protective effects depend on a balance with LDL and triglyceride levels. To optimize cardiovascular protection, all three lipid components should be maintained at healthy levels.
The Impact of Junk Food on Deep Sleep: How Your Diet Affects Restful Nights
Are you looking to improve the quality of your sleep? It might be time to reconsider your junk food habits. Recent research has revealed that consuming an unhealthy diet high in processed foods can have a detrimental effect on deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep. This particular stage of sleep plays a crucial role in the release of growth hormone, which aids in the repair and development of muscles, bones, and other tissues. Additionally, deep sleep contributes to enhanced cognitive function and memory.
A study, published online on May 28, 2023, in the prestigious journal Obesity, examined the sleep patterns of 15 healthy men with regular sleep routines, averaging seven to nine hours per night. These participants were divided into two groups: one consumed a healthy diet, while the other followed an unhealthy diet for a week. Although both diets provided the same number of calories tailored to each individual's daily needs, the unhealthy diet contained higher levels of sugar and saturated fat, along with a significant portion of processed foods.
The positive effects of afternoon napping are widely known, as they can boost mood, reduce tiredness, and enhance alertness. However, it is important to consider the optimal duration of these naps. A recent study published in the May 2023 edition of Obesity suggests that keeping midday naps under 30 minutes is ideal for maintaining good health.
The study involved 3,275 individuals who were in good health. Baseline health assessments were conducted, and participants completed a questionnaire regarding their napping habits as well as other lifestyle factors such as diet and sleep patterns. The findings revealed that individuals who took midday naps lasting 30 minutes or longer had higher body mass index, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure compared to those who did not nap. On the other hand, participants who had shorter naps, lasting less than 30 minutes, did not exhibit these risks and were even less likely to have elevated blood pressure compared to non-nappers.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)