Tag Archives: healthy menstrual cycle

Endometriosis Awareness Month March 2019

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Dr Andrew Orr has an honest and open talk about Endometriosis Awareness Month and also about the disease itself.

Dr Andrew Orr talks about the facts, the myths and what women with endometriosis go through on a daily basis.

He also discussed that there is help out there and what is needed in a multi-modality (team like) approach to care and ongoing management of the disease

Lastly, he wants every women, and man, to know that Period Pain IS NOT Normal and that women do not need to suffer in silence. There is always help out there and you just have to find the right people who will care, listen and help you in every aspect that you need.

Dr Andrew Orr has a special interest in Endometriosis and does research and lecturers about this horrible disease that affects 1 in 10 women world wide. If you do need help with period pain, or endometriosis and the associated symptoms, please give his clinic a call. Please do not suffer in silence alone. There is help out there. Dr Andrew Orr’s motto is “No Stone Left Unturned” and he uses this to assist all his patients.

Take care

Regards

Dr Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Expert

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Sometimes The Body is Like a Well Sprung Spring & Other Times Not

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Sometimes the body is like a well sprung spring, and over time the spring gets stretched, but , bounces back to its original shape, but overtime, one day, it will get to a point where it is slower to recoil to its original state, or, will no longer spring back to its original shape and have no more spring to recoil to its original state. No matter what you do to it, it just will not recoil and will in essence become to a state of non-repair.

As everyone knows, I always use a very integrative medicine/ multi-modality approach to treating people and getting the best for people’s health. I always believe that preventative medicine is the best approach to any health problems, but sometimes medical intervention, in the form of surgery,  is needed for some acute complaints.

It is always hard when someone comes into the clinic and they are doubled over in acute pain from endometriosis, or an acute skeletal issue, and while I can help them, I know that the best thing for their long term health would be intervention in the form of surgery. That is not saying I cannot help and assist people with acute pain, but sometimes the best thing to do is get the person in for surgery to help with the acute pain, and then follow up with preventative and rehabilitation care.

Often it can take several months to help regulate hormonal issues and pain from conditions such as endometriosis, or pelvic inflammatory disease, with more conservative forms of treatments such as pharmaceutical medicines and hormones, complementary medicines, acupuncture, supplements etc. While the outcome after treatment is always great, is it really beneficial for people to endure constant pain for months, when surgery could produce a faster result, for the pain?

In saying that some of these conditions have a high rate of return, so that is where an integrative medicine/multi-modality approach can help post surgery.

I was talking to a medical specialist colleague recently, who promotes a holistic approach for all his patients, and he explains it to his patients like this;

“Sometimes the body is like a well sprung spring, and over time the spring gets stretched, but , bounces back to its original shape, but overtime, one day, it will get to a point where it is slower to recoil to its original state, or, will no longer spring back to its original shape and have no more spring to recoil to its original state. No matter what you do to it, it just will not recoil and will in essence become to a state of non-repair.”

I see people in my clinic just like this spring. Some are well oiled, and well sprung, and bounce back into shape very quickly. Some are showing the signs of starting to lose their spring, and then others have just pushed their body to the point or no spring, or worse still to the point of non-repair.

Obviously I like seeing people do the right things and use preventative health so that they stay well oiled and well sprung. I do like to see people coming into the clinic when they get the first signs of ill health and the spring is starting to recoil slowly.

The sooner you get onto any health complaint the easier it is to treat. Early intervention is the key to any disease state, or health issue. But, we all know people who push through pain and say “She’ll be right mate” and get to that point where they just can’t recoil anymore. Then we get the ones that have gone beyond that and unfortunately no matter what they do you will never be able to get them back to what they used to be like. So, please don’t ever let your body get to this point if you can.

The reason for this blog was to not only inform people to be proactive with their health but to also make sure people are covered if they do need surgery. It is always such a shame and I always feel sorry for people who need urgent medical attention, but they don’t have private health cover. I know that not everyone can afford it, and I am not pushing it either. But, it is worth considering for anyone who have a long term health issue, or especially for women trying to conceive.

Every woman is going to need to see a gynaecologist at some stage in their life and you don’t want to be relying on a failing public health system that could have you waiting months, or even years, for an appointment, or much needed surgical intervention. Those experiencing fertility issues will need some investigation at some stage so it’s almost necessary to be prepared and well covered.

I’ve seen so many people over the years that come into my clinic, for so many different ranges of acute conditions, that actually do require some sort of urgent surgical intervention, but only to find out they can’t get the necessary treatment they need because they aren’t covered.

The public health system is in such a mess at the moment and wait times are becoming increasingly long. If you have an acute condition, you don’t want to be waiting months, or years for treatment. The other issue is that you don’t get to see a surgeon of your choice and can then end up with the lucky dip of whomever is there on the day. The other issue is that this person may not specialise in the disease state, or issue you are there to have treated. This is what happens to many and this can then have long term health consequences if you aren’t given the right care that you need, or they actually miss crucial issues as well. It is a big issue.

Then when you finally get to having the surgical intervention, it may require multiple surgeries, and the first surgery may be just for investigation only. I’ll give you an example.

I had a friend, with acute period pain that got nausea, vomiting and even fainted, (from severe endometriosis) go on a 12 month wait list for surgery in the public system. Finally she got in for surgery only to wake up and find that the operation was one of many to come and the first one was only for investigation purposes only. She would need ‘three’ more surgeries spaced at months apart. So nothing was done with the first surgery, she was still in pain and now had to prepare for further surgeries.

Yet, a similar friend who had a private cover, got to chose the gynaecologist of her choice, got someone who specialised in her disease state, was an advanced trained excision surgeon, had no wait time, had not out of pocket expenses, had everything tidied up and the endometriosis removed on the first surgery. This same lady also saw me for assistance.  There is a huge difference in the time, the surgeon who did this the surgery, the treatment and the amount of surgery needed.

As I said, it is a hard topic to talk about and is by no means a push for private health cover. I am only talking about this to educate people that sometimes it may be a necessary part of your overall health. It just distresses me seeing people who need desperate immediate help, not being able to get it. I know that not everyone can afford it and believe me you have to shop around when you do start looking at it. The big companies are usually the worst to deal with and the smaller companies are usually the best to deal with, and give you better rebates.

In saying that, private health is a sometimes necessary part of overall health care, especially for those with ongoing health concerns and especially those that may require some form of medical intervention. There are some great smaller funds out there that don’t cost that much and give you full hospital cover with an outlay of a couple of dollars per day. You can also look into having extra’s cover as well, which will cover part of the treatments with us also.

Again some of the smaller funds provide better rebates and the best thing would be to give us a call and we can tell you who those funds are. I hate talking about these sorts of things but at the end of the day I care when people aren’t getting the right help and am here to help people with every area of their overall health. It is a very important issue that we all need to consider and that we all need to discuss too.

If you do need help with pain, or a women’s health condition, help having a baby, or just need someone who cares and can help you get the right advice and health management, please give my clinic staff a call and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-The Women’s Health Experts

-The International Fertility Experts

-The Endometriosis Experts

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The Importance of Following Through With Advice, Treatments & Change

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I see so many people who have been ‘missed’ and ‘dismissed’ and who have suffered in silence with their disease state.

But the biggest shame is when those that are offered real help, then do nothing with that advice and continue on the vicious, merry-go-round cycle of their disease.

My motto is “No Stone Left Unturned” and I apply that to every patient that I see. My initial consults are usually 1-2 hours in length and I also do lots of preliminary work prior to see a patient as well. I make sure all my patients are now only sent health appraisal questionnaires, but are also evaluated with mood and stress questionnaires for their mental health too.

I really want to delve into every fine detail of a persons life to see what may be driving their disease state and symptoms. It is to also help with diagnosing those that have not been properly diagnosed either. I then write up a comprehensive report for all my patients, with everything they need to do, the changes they need to make, the medicines they need to take, the investigations and testing they need to have and all their step by step health management moving forward. It really is a matter of ‘No Stone Is Left Unturned’ as I mentioned before.

As I mention in this video blog is that the greatest shame is those that come to get the advice and help and then do nothing with it. Just remember that if you do not change anything, or do the work needed, then nothing changes. The key to real change is actually within you.

If you so need help with a particular health issue, or you just aren’t getting the right answers and care, then please book in a time to see me and let me be your guide to better health and getting your life back to normal.

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17 Reasons You Should Having Regular Sex and Orgasms

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Part of my job as a healthcare practitioner with a special interest in and reproductive conditions, and women’s and men’s health conditions, is to talk about sex, talk about climax and the benefits of this for a couple, or an individual.

Regular sex, or regular climax, can help have many benefits for an individual, with it helping everything from menstrual pain, right through to increasing pregnancy rates, regulation of the menstrual cycle and even helping moods, sleep and helping your live longer

Here are 17 reasons why you should be having regular climax, or regular sex and many of the health benefits that go with it.

1.It’s Exercise
It’s not necessarily a full workout, but it can be as good for you as moderate exercise. It raises your heart rate about the same as a brisk walk or a slow bike ride.

2.Good for a Woman’s Heart
Women who have sex a couple of times a week are less likely to get heart disease than those who have it once a month. Whether that’s because healthier women enjoy it more often, or because it helps protect a woman’s heart is unclear.

3.May Help Your Headache
Say goodbye to the old standby “Not tonight, Dear. I have a headache.” It turns out sex can help with pain, and that includes some kinds of headaches, such as migraines. Not feeling frisky? Try: “Not tonight, Honey. I have a highly contagious stomach bug.” Works every time.

4.Lowers Stress
People who have more sex are less anxious when they’re faced with stressful tasks like public speaking or arithmetic. But according to the study, it only works when you have a partner — masturbation doesn’t count.

5.You May Live Longer
One study suggested that married women who climaxed more often had a slight tendency to live longer. Researchers aren’t sure if the sex actually lengthens your life or it’s just a side effect of a healthy lifestyle. But why take any chances?

6.Sharpens Your Mind
Sex has been linked to the making of new brain cells, and that’s a good thing. People over 50 who had more sex were better able to recall numbers and do basic math, and the difference was pretty big. It seemed to help men more than women, but both did better than those who had less sex.

7.Makes You Happy
You don’t have to overdo it — once a week is plenty. More than that, and the effect fades. But scientists only studied couples in committed relationships, so if you’re trying to meet your quota by picking up strangers at your local bar, all bets are off.

8.Bonds You to Your Partner
The hormone oxytocin is released during sex, and it sparks feelings of intimacy, affection, and closeness with your partner. That helps build a strong, stable relationship, which is good for everyone.

9.Keeps You Lean
The more sex you have, the slimmer you’re likely to be. Is that because more sex keeps you trim? Or because lean people have more sex? Scientists don’t really know, but all you need is a partner and a bathroom scale to try to find out.

10.Good for Mental Health
Adults in committed relationships who have more sex are less likely to be depressed or take medication for mental health issues. Orgasm also helps with the release of beneficial hormones such as oxytocin and these help us feel euphoric and also help with other endorphins in the body. These then make us feel better emotionally.

11.May Help Your Immune System
Move over, vitamin C. College students who had sex twice a week had more cold-fighting antibodies in their saliva than those who had sex less often. Couples who have regular sex have healthier immune systems and tend to be healthier overall.

12.Helps You Sleep
Orgasm triggers a surge of endorphins and oxytocin in both men and women, and that dulls pain and relaxes you. Both of those can help you sleep more easily, though according to scientists — and many women — the effect is more pronounced in men.

13.Lowers Risk of Cancer
Men who have more sex may be less likely to get prostate cancer, and women less likely to get breast cancer. Pregnancy and contact with sperm are both linked to the lower risk in women.

14.You Could Make a Baby
If you’re trying to have a baby, the more sex you have, the more likely you are to hit the right time of the month. But more sex may also prime women for pregnancy and improve sperm quality in men, which can speed things along. An egg has but 24 hours to be fertilized otherwise it dies. We also know that ovulation does not occur just mid-cycle either. Couples doing IVF also need to have regular sex as climax helps with implantation (by hormones and increased blood supply into the lining) and sperm also assist in helping with implantation as well. Many couples stop having sex during IVF and this is where they are going wrong.

15.It helps regulate your menstrual cycle
Regular climax nourishes the uterine and vagina with blood flow, but it also stimulates hormones, which help to also nourish the uterus, vagina and reproductive organs. Oxytocin helps with moods but it also helps with keeping your cycle regular. Research has also shown that sperm actually help to trigger ovulation.

16.Climax helps with Gynaecological issues and menstrual pain
Regular climax (not just sex with penetration) helps with increasing blood flow into the pelvic cavity, the uterine lining, vagina and surrounding areas which helps to keep your reproductive organs and muscles healthy. Hormones and increased blood flow also help with pain and circulation too. Climax helps with the microcirculation of the reproductive organs and also helps with keeping ovarian function regular and healthy too. As said before regular climax can help trigger ovulation, keep the cycle regular, but sperm can also help with this also. We do know that some women with endometriosis and adenomyosis do have pain with penetrative sex, but climax does not necessarily need for penetration to happen.

NB-  If you do have pain with intercourse, please make sure you get investigated properly as there are treatments and management to help this.

17.Helps Your Future Health and is Anti-Aging.
People who have more sex may have better quality of life — and not just now, but in the future, too. If you have an active sex life in middle age, you’re more likely to keep it up as you get older, which is linked to better health and happiness. Regular sex and climax is also anti-aging.

Final Word

Please remember that sex and regular climax has more benefits to it that the actual enjoyment part of it. It helps with intimacy, helps bring couples closer together and it helps with many other health benefits in the body. In practice I am seeing a huge disconnect with both men and women and their reproductive organs and this is why we are seeing so many issues with gynaecological conditions, couples not being able to conceive, relationships issues and issues with peoples health and lifestyles.

In a healthy relationship, couples should be having sex at least 1-3 times per week and if you are trying to have a baby, you should be having sex everyday and be going for it multiple times per day to increase your chances of conception. Maybe it’s time to turn off the TV, close the computer, turn off the mobile phone and spend more time in the bedroom with your own lives, then watching someone else’s. You will be healthier and happier for it in the long run.

If you do want to find out more about my fertility program, or how I may be able to assist you with a women’s health condition, please call my friendly staff and they will explain everything to you.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Advocate

-No Stone Left Unturned

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Endometriosis ‘Is Not’ An Autoimmune Disease

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There are many statements made about endometriosis and many of them are not factual. This goes for the statement that Endometriosis is an autoimmune disease. In this article I will explain why this statement is false, and not true, and the reasoning behind it.

Everyday I get people telling me all sorts of facts and fictions they have heard on Dr Google. As I always say to people, Dr Google is not a reliable source of health information, unless it is from peer reviewed medical sites. Even then these sites are pretty much restricted to the general public.

Many people are looking for the miracle cure for endometriosis, or the holy grail of causes of it, and why wouldn’t you if this was affecting your life. I know from personal experience with health issues, I do want to know what the cause is and how to treat it.

But like so many conditions many people face each day, sometimes there is no answer just yet. Sometimes we don’t have all the answers and that is just how it is. When this is the case for a disease, I always tell my patients to not get caught up so much on the cause, but rather do the known treatments and management to get better. This is what really matters the most. Plus, like any disease, we need to look at treating the individual and not treat the masses.

Many diseases like endometriosis need a multi-modality approach to treat them effectively and this how I treat my patients and why I have so much success with treating endometriosis. It is about employing the right treatments and treatments that work.

Endometriosis does not fit the classification of an Autoimmune Disease. 

What we do know is that endometriosis is made worse through diet and lifestyle and external influences. We also know that internally there are many things that exacerbate endometriosis too. Behind it all, it is an inflammatory based disease. Any inflammation in the body makes it worse. Plus, endometriosis itself can inflame the body too.

Endometriosis is very much an ‘autoimmune like’ disease, because inflammation is a major driving factor, but it isn’t an autoimmune disease. Endometriosis does not fit the classification of an autoimmune disease as it does not produce auto-antibodies. We also know that endometriosis is normal tissue growing in abnormal areas. Again not producing auto-antibodies.

What we do know

We know that retrograde menstruation is a big factor for some women, but we also know that retrograde menstruation isn’t a factor for others. What we do know is that estrogen is a big driving factor and that endometriosis is estrogen driven. It isn’t from estrogen dominance, or estrogen excess either. What we do know about endometriosis, is that like autoimmune diseases, it is also passed on via genetic and hereditary factors. But again, endometriosis is not an autoimmune disease and does not fit the classifications of an auto-immune disease at this stage.

Like many diseases we get in our body, we often have other disease states expressed at the same time and can be purely coincidental. Some can come from hereditary factors and people are just predisposed to getting this diseases and when the body is inflamed, it just causes this other diseases to be expressed too. If someone has an autoimmune disease and also has endometriosis, this does not mean that endometriosis is autoimmune. There are many women who have endometriosis and who do not have autoimmune diseases as well.

Inflammation is a driving factor 

If a woman has an autoimmune disease at the same time as endometriosis, this is purely coincidental, or it is another hereditary factor that may have been passed onto them through their parent. It needs to be treated independently and not as part of endometriosis. It is all inflammation at the end of the day, so addressing inflammation and immune response will not only help the secondary autoimmune disease, but it will also help the endometriosis.

I’ve talked about the facts and fictions of endometriosis before and we really cannot say endometriosis is an autoimmune disease, because there is no credible, or conclusive research to back that up at this stage.There maybe in the future, but at this stage there is not, so we cannot say that endometriosis is an autoimmune disease.

Is the immune system & inflammation a part of endometriosis? … It sure is

Is endometriosis and autoimmune disease? … It isn’t at this stage

Hope this helps to shed some more light on this disease that affects so many women around this world. Hopefully one day soon we will have all the answers and we can end the horrible world of endometriosis.

If you want to find out more about how endometriosis is not an autoimmune disease, have a read of this great article by A/Prof Jason Abbott from Endometriosis Australia’s page. Click Here

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-The Endometriosis Experts

-The Women’s Health Experts

-“Period Pain is Not Normal”

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Endometriosis a burden on women’s lives

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Research published in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care found that endometriosis affects women’s sex lives, personal relationships, work life, and emotional well-being.

Endometriosis often takes a long time to be diagnosed and affects all areas of a women’s life, a study has found. Endometriosis is a chronic, recurring disease that is experienced by approximately 10 per cent of women worldwide. This number could be greatly understated as many women have not being diagnosed properly and many women still think period pain is normal.

But, while period pain is part of endometriosis, a significant portion of women with endometriosis are asymptomatic (meaning no symptoms) and only get diagnosed when there is a need for fertility treatment.

Common symptoms include of Endometriosis
• Painful menstruation,
• Heavy menstrual bleeding,
• Painful sex
• IBS like symptoms
• Bladder issues (UTI like symptoms)
• Ovulation Pain
• Pain with bowel movement
• Chronic Fatigue
• Infertility

The Research Unit at the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, reviewed a number of papers that documented women’s experiences of endometriosis. The most common theme was that women had experienced delays in diagnosis.

Many women feel they are being dismissed and this is evident in the fact that it often takes up to “10 years, or more” for women to be diagnosed properly.

The study found that women were more likely to be diagnosed sooner when they approached their doctor describing symptoms as fertility-related rather than a menstrual issue.

The study showed that some women initially delayed seeking help for their symptoms because they believed all women had painful periods. When women revealed their symptoms to a family member, friend or medical professional their experiences were typically normalised as being what all women must endure. Period pain is not normal and all women need to know this.

The study also found that women often felt frustrated and angry at unsatisfactory experiences with healthcare providers, and had concerns about the effectiveness and side effects of treatments.

Women want their doctors to really listen to their experience and concerns. They want to explain the true impact of the condition on their lives, rather than simply rank their pain on a scale from one to 10, or be dismissed each time they try to have their doctor listen to what they are going through on a daily basis.

The study found that further research was needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of endometriosis as experienced by diverse groups of women.

This research will contribute to the improved health care of women with endometriosis in Australia, and around the world.

Too many women being ‘missed’ and ‘dismissed’

I see so many women who have been misdiagnosed, had symptoms missed and been dismissed for years and seen multiple healthcare practitioners, both medical and complementary.

There are clear-cut signs and symptoms that point to endometriosis and we need for healthcare practitioners to start to know this. We also need for practitioners and the public to know that endometriosis can only be diagnosed by a laparoscopy (surgical intervention) and that scans and blood tests, do not diagnose endometriosis.

Lastly, my message to all women is ….. “Period Pain IS NOT Normal” and people need to stop telling women it is.

There is too much BS out there about endometriosis and we need all women and all healthcare practitioners to start knowing the facts. 10 years, or more, to a diagnosis is unacceptable for any health condition. It means many women are being ‘missed’ and ‘dismissed’ along the way.  Let’s put an end to Endometriosis.

If you do need help with period pain, or help managing endometriosis properly, then please call my friendly clinic staff and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-The Endometriosis Experts

-The Women’s Health Experts

-No Stone Left Unturned

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Ultrasounds and blood tests have limited value for diagnosing some causes of period pain and menstrual irregularities

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I know I have said this often, but it seems that every day I get another email saying that “I have period pain and I have been to the GP and done scans and bloods tests and he/she says that there is nothing wrong”

The problem is that there is something wrong and the first thing wrong is that someone was told that there is nothing wrong, when they have only had very basic testing done.

The second thing wrong is that most of these women are not being referred onto an appropriate specialist, which is what good sound ethical practice is. This is why some conditions like PCOS are taking up to 3 years to be properly diagnosed and conditions such as endometriosis are taking up to a decade to be properly diagnosed. It just should not happen.

I can’t begin to tell you how many women I have seen over my years in practice, that have been told that there is nothing wrong with them, or that the practitioner hasn’t found anything, when really all they have done is a basic scan and a few random blood tests. Then when these women are properly investigated we end up finding all manner of issues. Yet, these women were told that there is nothing wrong.

All I can keep telling people is that while ultrasounds can find some causes of gynaecological issues, there are many issues they cannot find. It also depends on the technician, or person scanning you too. I know that there are not that many specialised gynaecological radiologists and this is why many things do get missed. I have viewed scans that show abnormalities and the report says that everything is fine. This is why I will only ever read scans and not just reports.

Gynaecological issues such as endometriosis cannot be diagnosed by ultrasound and can only be diagnosed by surgical intervention, in the form of a laparoscopy and with histology. Then, as I have said many times too, it all depends on the surgeon you have seen. If your surgeon isn’t an advanced trained laparoscopic surgeon there is a very good chance you may not have been investigated properly. I have mentioned this in many of my previous posts.

Even some cysts, PCOS, polyps and other masses can be missed on scans and let’s not even talk about blood tests. Sure, some hormones levels can be a pointer to a certain issue, but they are not an accurate diagnostic. To be completely honest, many women with serious gynaecological issues will have normal hormonal levels and have completely normal blood results. This can even happen in certain cancers and why some of the cancer markers are now not being used as definitive diagnosis.

I can tell everyone that I have seen many gynaecological issues being missed, and women being dismissed over the years, and it still happens on a daily basis. If you have menstrual issues, or are in pain daily, or just with your menstrual cycle, and you are being told everything is fine, then you need to get a second opinion and a referral to a good  specialist.

If you would like help with a women’s health condition, please give my friendly staff a call and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-Master of Women’s Health Medicine

-Women’s Health Expert

 

 

 

Could it be PCOS

Could you have PCOS and not know it ?

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Nearly everyday I get young teenage girls, or women in general, coming to my clinic with bad acne and/or menstrual issues only to be diagnosed with PCOS.

For many this is a shock, because they have seen multiple doctors, natural medicine practitioners and even medical specialists whom have missed this very common gynaecological/endocrine/reproductive disorder.

I have previously done posts about it taking many years to get a proper diagnosis previously so please take a look at those posts. Click Here

The problem is many are unaware of the long-term implications on their health and their fertility.

So instead of doing a long post of what PCOS is and how to treat it etc, I am just going to do up a short post about what the signs and symptoms are and if you have 1-2 of the symptoms, there is a big possibility that you actually have PCOS.

Of course you need to see an expert or someone who has a special interest in women’s health medicine and issues such as in PCOS,  to help you have it confirmed and diagnosed properly, but we do need to bring about more awareness about this very common gynaecological/endocrine/reproductive disorder that affects many women around the world.

Signs and Symptoms that you could have PCOS
1.Acne
2.Irregular menstrual cycle
3.Skipped menstrual cycles
4.Extended menstrual cycles ( more than 30 plus days)
5.Lack of a menstrual cycle
6.Excess hair growth/Excess Dark hair growth
7.Hair loss
8.Irregular mid-cycle bleeding
9.Ovulation pain
10.Pot belly/ Fluid around the belly/Excess weight around the lower belly
11.Prolonged periods of PMS like symptoms
12.Chronic Pelvic Pain
13.Infertility

All these are common signs that you may have PCOS and you only need to have 1-2 of these symptoms to have it. Some may have all the symptoms while some may just have acne and a cycle that isn’t completely regular.

Acne is a big pointer to PCOS and often what people come to get treatment for, not realising that actually have a gynaecological/endocrine/reproductive issue.

PCOS is known to be a hereditary disease, but, we also know that diet, lifestyle and stress can be a big part of this disease state developing too.

PCOS can have long term affects on your fertility and can also lead to diabetes and other health complaints, therefore it is so important to get early treatment and early intervention.

In the mean time please have a look at my previous post about PCOS and how to treat it and manage it properly. Click Here

Lastly, please know that period pain and bad ovulation bad is not normal not matter what anyone tells you.

If you do have any of these signs, please call my friendly staff to see how we can assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s Health Expert

-No Stone Left Unturned

 

Adenomyosis or Endometriosis 2

Is it Endometriosis, or Adenomyosis, or both?

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Endometriosis and Adenomyosis can often present with the same symptoms and many now believe they may be one in the same disease, just in different locations.

Despite both of them sharing similar symptoms, there are pointers for properly trained professional to which disease may be presenting. Both diseases are often missed and dismissed as well. To learn more about Endometriosis, or Adenomyosis please click on the hyperlinks.

I have previously put up posts about hysterectomy not being a cure for endometriosis. It often causes lots of people to question this statement, because some uneducated healthcare practitioner has told them differently. Some may have had some relief from having a hysterectomy and now believe their endometriosis has gone.

Before I go any further, I do need people to know the facts. Hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis, but is can help Adenomyosis. There is no cure for endometriosis. I have explained the reasons why in my resent post Hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis. Please click on the hyperlink to find out the facts.

Many women who have Endometriosis, or Adenomyosis are often missed and dismissed for up to 10 years or more, before a diagnosis is made. This is due to the fact that many healthcare practitioners do not know the symptoms of these disease states, or dismissed them as being normal. That is a fact. This is why it is important to see someone who has a special interest in Endometriosis, or Adenomyosis.

With both Endometriosis and Adenomyosis, they share many common symptoms such as:

  • Painful periods
  • Pain with intercourse
  • Ovulation Pain
  • Dark and clotted menstrual blood
  • Digestive upset
  • Pain on bowel movement
  • Bowel or bladder issues
  • IBS like symptoms
  • Pelvic pain and rectal pressure
  • Infertility

What is the difference between Endometriosis and Adenomyosis?

The one thing that usually sets them apart is that Adenomyosis usually has more heavy menstrual bleeding, abnormal uterine bleeding and more flooding symptoms. Endometriosis can have this too, but usually adenomyosis presents with more blood loss symptoms and abnormal bleeding.

Endometriosis ‘cannot’ be definitively diagnosed via ultrasound, or MRI, but adenomyosis can be diagnosed via both of those methods. Endometriosis can only be definitively diagnosed via surgical intervention (laparoscopy). This is the biggest difference with the two disease states. The other thing is that both disease states can be present at the same time and quite often do.

The biggest issue for many women is that when one disease state it found, the other one is quite often overlooked, or misdiagnosed. Many women, and healthcare professionals, are unaware that both the disease states can be present at the same time and this is a real issue.

Hysterectomy will help Adenomyosis, but it ‘will not’ cure Endometriosis.

As I have mentioned earlier, hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis, but it can help adenomyosis. Many women have been led to believe that hysterectomy will cure their endometriosis and associated symptoms, but this is not true.

Some women who have had a hysterectomy and then think they are getting relief from symptoms of endometriosis, but are actually getting relief from adenomyosis not being there anymore. It is just that they did not know it was there, they have never been diagnosed, and then believe their endometriosis is cured. Once the uterus is removed, the adenomyosis is removed too. Then all the adenomyosis abnormal bleeding, period pain and period related symptoms are usually gone as well.

The only trouble is, if a woman has been diagnosed with endometriosis, the endometriosis will still be there. That is a fact. Endometriosis does not miraculously go away after a hysterectomy. Endometriosis is not in the uterus. Some symptoms (usually the menstrual related symptoms) can settle for some people, but for many it does not. Regardless the endometriosis will still be there and can continue to grow and cause havoc elsewhere in the body too.

Proper investigation is important

When women come to see me for help with Endometriosis, or Adenomyosis, I always make sure they are investigated for both disease states. If a women has abnormal uterine bleeding, or heavy menstrual bleeding and they have only been diagnosed with endometriosis, I will always make sure that they are investigated to see if they have Adenomyosis as well. I will also screen for genetic issues such as Von Willebrand’s Disease and other pelvic pathology that may cause bleeding as well.

It is also very important that women with both Endometriosis, or Adenomyosis, or both are are also screened for iron deficiency too.

Hope this explains a little bit more about Endometriosis and Adenomyosis and a bit more about which disease state hysterectomy will, or won’t help.

If you do need help and assistance in managing endometriosis, or adenomyosis, or both, please give my friendly staff a call and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Regards

Andrew Orr

-No Stone Left Unturned

-The Endometriosis Experts

-The Women’s Health Experts

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Why Early Puberty Is More Common Than Ever

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In today’s modern world we are seeing more and more young girls going through puberty much younger than they used to. We do know that girls as young as 7 years old are getting their menstrual cycle and going through all the changes of puberty, yet these poor children aren’t able to fully comprehend the emotional changes that go with it, or what this means for them on a reproductive level.

Researchers Blame Childhood Obesity, and Endocrine Disruptors, and I will discuss this at length for you all.

It wasn’t that long ago the average girl would begin menstruating around the age of 16 or 17. On average, the general consensus would have been that girls could be starting to begin menstruation around the age of 14 years old. By early 2000’s, that age had fallen to less than 13 years old and now it has fallen again to being as young as 7 years old.

What we forget is that even before a girl gets her first period, there are signs of maturation that signal impending changes, and these come even earlier. So actually, some of these girls are beginning their puberty phase when they are 5 years, or 6 years old.

A generation ago, less than 5 percent of girls would see these changes in their bodies— being breast growth, body hair, acne, pubic hair and all the other things that go with puberty. But now many of these young girls are seeing this around 7 years old, with an average age being 8 years old, for all of these changes to start to happen. This is definitely becoming the increasing norm and some experts think this age is still falling. Some doctors see fit to begin assessing girls for puberty-related changes at age 6.

Early Puberty

Classically, precocious puberty has defined puberty that begins before age 8 in girls and 9 in boys, but this is no longer universally accepted. In general experts are now saying that 7 years old is now probably a normal age to have some signs of puberty. While they are some that may not agree, we do need to start asking the big questions as to why this is happening?

So far, researchers haven’t proven any physical risks that come with early maturity. Although this could pose a significant risk to their ongoing fertility, bone health and also be putting women into menopause earlier too.

Many researchers have suggested that the main risks that come along with precocious puberty are not biological. Recent studies have found that girls who began the process early had an increased risk of depression during their adolescent years. There are also social risks that can disrupt a girl’s healthy development.

Puberty can be very confusing and emotionally damaging for girls, as they may face “sexual innuendo or teasing” long before they’re ready for it, according to researchers and experts. Early puberty may change the way a girl behaves, along with the way others behave towards her. This could pose other significant risk factors such as early pregnancy, but also exposure to STI’s and many other things these young girls are too young and too naive to know. This could even lead to earlier use of alcohol and drugs as well.

Why Is It Happening?

One of the biggest issues for young girls, and women in general, is changes in diet and higher use of highly processed foods and high intake of grains. This leads to higher levels of insulin and then the body storing more fats and stops the burning of fats and this then also creates inflammatory disease in the body. High insulin levels also lead to higher levels of estrogen in the body too.

This is leading to more children being overweight and problem with changes to hormones, their cycles and gynaecological conditions. Childhood obesity rates have increase exponentially in the past 30 years, with more than one-third of children and adolescents weighing in as overweight, or obese.

What people fail to realize is these fat cells produce estrogen ( now known as Obestrogens), which plays a central role in stimulating breast growth in girls, causing problems with hormones, causing gynaecological conditions and playing a major factor in them getting their cycles much younger.

Researchers and experts are saying that obesity is leading to earlier puberty and this theory is well supported by the fact that these girls’ breasts are developing at a much younger age, and the age at which they start to menstruate has declined. The ovaries control menstruation, signalling that earlier breast development may be occurring because of different variables such as diet and environmental factors

There may be are other factors at play, other than diet, lifestyle and obesity though. Girls at a normal weight have been starting puberty earlier as well, though at a lower rate than these girls whom are overweight, or obese.

Chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, such as the phthalates used in the production of plastics, as another potential contributor to early puberty have been cited as the most likely cause. They mimic estrogen and also cause disruption to the reproductive function and could therefore cause precocious breast growth and issues with the menstrual cycle.

We know that there are over 87,000 chemical found in our foods, plastics, and preservatives and even in our water ways from detergents and even small traces of the contraceptive pill making its way into our water we drink as well. Others have said stress during childhood can play a role in prompting puberty as well.

Many children now face far more stresses that did in generations gone by, with many children growing up in families with a lot of domestic violence, arguing at home, or violence in their neighborhood are more likely to develop earlier. There have been studies and research that has suggested that girls who grew up without their biological father were twice as likely to get their period before age 12.

Scientists are even researching prenatal variables. Researchers now know that the parental mode of inheritance, through genes, is one way parents health, diet and lifestyle is being passed onto children. One study found that overweight mothers who developed gestational diabetes while pregnant gave birth to daughters who would start puberty earlier in life, regardless of what the girls themselves weighed.

But, we also now know that the sins of the fathers can play a part in a child’s development. If the father isn’t healthy at the time of conceptions, or has genetic abnormalities, or genetic issues, these can be passed through the sperm and then onto a child, who then is affected with this issues that get expressed later, or now early, in life.

Regardless of whether its cause is environmental, genetic, biological, or some combination, precocious puberty may be reaching a biological breaking point.

This is why we need to be more aware of our children’s health early on, but we also need to be aware of our own health, before conceiving too, as we can pass our genetic disposition onto our children.

Teenagers and younger women are not too young to have gynaecological issues

Early intervention and prevention is the centre of managing any issue such as this and this is why we need to teach our children better eating habit, having a healthy active body and also being in touch with their bodily functions and emotions at a young age

Period pain and menstrual irregularities are not normal and we need to teach young girls this. We know that teenagers and younger women are not too young to have gynaecological issues such as Endometriosis and PCOS. Please see our article of what a proper menstrual cycle should be like to familiarize you and your daughter with this. The earlier you get onto menstrual issues and gynaecological issues, the better long term prognosis they have for their health and future fertility overall.

As I have said before, the earlier we start educating young women on what is right, then the better it is for them later on in life and for their future health and fertility

If you, or your daughter need help with menstrual issues and want to know more about better menstrual health, please give my friendly staff a call and find out how I may be able to assist you.

Take care

Regards

Andrew Orr

-Women’s and Men’s Health Crusader

-Leaving No Stone Left Unturned

-The Women’s Health Experts