PERIODIC PROBLEM

POPPONG A PILL TO SETTLE BACKACHE AND STOMACH CRAMPS IN’T ALL THERE IS TO MONTHLY PERIODS. TANIA AMEER KHAN FINDS OUT BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL REALITIES OF THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

Do you snap at your boyfriend when he teases you for having moodswings during your Pre-Menstrual Sndrome? Many women have to face the brunt due to their erractic behavior during this time of the month. “She has gone mad”, “Oh! You must be PMSing, that’s why you behave so?” or “Learn to deal with it and don’t crib”- these are some of the comments hurled at you during the PMS phase.

Most girls have to reckon with various Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) related problems. PMS typically refers to a general pattern of physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms occurring one or two weeks before menses.

Akshi 22 mentions that passing each second during PMS is a really tough for her. “I become irritable and I tend to shout a lot. The back pain is unbearable. For these few days mostly I laze around, talk less and just try to keep to myself. I also drink a lot of tea and coffee.”

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME IF YOU SUFFER FROM ANY OF THESE:

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

• Depression
• Anger
• Irritability
• Anxiety
• Sensitivity to rejection
• Sense of feeling overwhelmed
• Social withdrawal

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

• Lethargy or fatigue
• Sleep disturbance (usually hypersomnia)
• Appetite disturbance(usually increased)
• Abdominal bloating
• Breast tenderness
• Menstrual Migraines

Neha mentions that this time is simply awful for her because of the unbearable pain. “During my PMS days I become quite extra-sensitive. Often I cry without any reason. Invariably throughout the day I sleep and also tend to overeat. Sometimes when the pain is unbearable I often go on popping pills without keeping a count.”

PMS is not simply a physical (hormonal) problem, it also affects one’s psyche to a great extent. Talking about the attitude of most people to PMS, Dr Shivani Sachdev Gour, gynaecologist explains, “Most cases of women suffering from PMS-related problems seek instant relief. In a few selected cases, we even suggest that the patient should consult a psychologist. They discard this idea and don’t listen at all. They believe that popping a pill is the best way to ward off menstrual pain but some cases might even need counselling.”

There are ways one can tackle PMS. One, via the hormonal treatment and secondly, via the natural treatment. Both treatments are based on medication prescribed by the doctor but the natural one focuses on pills made from natural products.

Taking care of one’s diet or meal patterns during PMS is also important. In a few cases women even suffer from menstrual diarrhoea. Some dietary changes that can be helpful during these days are-limiting caffeine, alcohol and salt intake, eating small, frequent meals high in complex carbohydrates, eating a healthy, low-fat, high-fibre diet with good vitamin and mineral balance.

This time of the month can be hellish for every woman-the onset of the much-feared menstrual cycle. The fairer sex is well aware that the period time can be a big pain, both literally and figuratively.
Irritability, mood swings, a swollen abdomen, fatigue and even depression, the list of PMS dilemmas is endless. If you experience some or most of these problems in the days before your monthly period, you can blame it on PMS.

But now one can tackle this problem PMS brings along with it. It is others around you who need to be more sensitive and understanding this time.

If you have infertility problem, then drink green tea and tomato juice

The problem of infertility is seen due to lack of micronutrients. Green tea and tomato juice can help to overcome this problem, says infertility expert. Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society organised a state level conference in which Dr Shivani Sachdev Gour from New Delhi and Dr Shubhada Neel from Mumbai said that according to study, over 90 percent of women and over 70 percent of men who came for infertility treatment. Vitamin B12 deficiency was noted in over 50% of women and 30 percent of men who approached for infertility treatment. Green tea and tomato juice could benefit these kinds of people.

Role of Micronutrients in Managment of Infertility

RAIPUR Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society has organised a conference at Vennington Court on 15th July which was attended by gynaecologists from Raipur and other parts of Chattisgarh. The speakers were Dr Shivani Sachdev Gour from New Delhi and Dr Shubhada Neel from Mumbai. Dr Shivani Sachdev Gour, Gynaecologist and Infertility expert; Hon. General Secretary for the Delhi State ISAR (Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction) and Vice President of the Delhi Gynec Forum gave a lecture on the role of micronutrients in infertility. Some salient points from the talk are as follows: Our study has shown that Infertility is a concern not only for couples above the age of 35 years but in the age group of 21 to 30 years and approx. 27 percent of couples are in the age group of 21 to 25 years.  Vitamin D deficiency was noted in over 90 percent of women and over 70 percent of men who came for infertility treatment. Vitamin B12 deficiency was noted in over 50% of women and 30 percent of men who approached for infertility treatment. Correction of micronutrient deficiency can help to reduce the burden of infertility in men and can also reduce the infertility rates in women especially with polycystic ovarian disease. The various food sources which contain micronutrients include green tea (It contains 2 main ingredients: Hypoxanthine, Polyphenols which can increase maturation of eggs). A Japanese study published in 2017 has quoted beneficial effects of tomato juice on male infertility.

Interested in IVF?

THEY’RE STILL very, very small people, but director and choreographer Farah Khan’s triplets are in the centre of a worldwide controversy about multiple births through IVF or In Vitro Fertility.

IVF is an assisted reproductive technology for women who find it difficult to conceive, usually older women. According to Dr Shivani Sachdev Gour, gynaecologist at SCI Healthcare, Delhi, a woman who turns to IVF is given a hormonal injection to stimulate her ovulation and produce more eggs. After a small surgical procedure, the eggs are collected and are mixed with sperm in a petri dish to form an embryo. The embryos are then transferred to the patient’s uterus in the hope of establishing a successful pregnancy.

Because there is only a 35 to 40 per cent chance that the pregnancy will be successful, doctors tend to implant several fertilized eggs in the womb. This is why IVF has become associated with multiple births.

“In India, we put three embryos on an average in the womb to increase the chances of pregnancy,” says Dr Sachdev. “Since the process costs more that Rs one lakh per cycle, we would really like to give couples a chance to conceive.”

The risks in an IVF pregnancy run very high. “Most women who choose to be fertilised this way are over 35, and already beginning to show signs of some lifestyle disease or the other-diabetes, hypertension, excessive stress and so on,” says Dr Sachdev. “So the mother and child have to be constantly monitored.”

 A decade ago in the US, multiple pregnancies through IVF had reached a peak of almost 62 per cent. Now the new rules of foetal reduction ensure that only two embryos are put in the womb. The decision to put one of those embryos to sleep is up to the doctor. “But in India there is no such law as yet,” says Dr Sachdev. “Doctors can put up to four embryos in the womb, because at the end of the day, everyone really wants their own child.”

STING OP

The Aedes mosquito that carries the deadly dengue virus is back. As hospitals and doctors brace themselves, experts warn people to take precaution. Pregnant women and kids need to be extra-cautious to avoid being struck down by dengue.

BE WARNED PREGNANT WOMEN

Dr Shivani Sachdev Gour, infertility specialist and gynaecologist at SCI Healthcare, says that pregnant women should take extra precaution in case of dengue infection because it can lead to pleurisy, lung enlargement, complication during labour, reduced foetal movements, excessive bleeding during delivery or slow healing of caesarean wounds.

The chances of miscarriage increase if the dengue virus enters a pregnant woman’s body. “The dengue virus can retard intra-uterine growth, premature nupture of the membrane, premature delivery and intra-uterine death,” says Dr Asha Sharma of Rockland Hospital.

HEART DISEASE NOT RULED OUT

Dr Umesh Gupta, senior cardiologist with Umkal Healthcare says, “Dengue very rarely affects the heart but if the virus reaches the heart it may lead to myocarditis, a condition in which the heart muscles swell thereby reducing its pumping capacity. This might lead to stroke. The virus may also cause pericardial effusion-a condition in which water accumulates in the pericardium layer that surrounds the heart”.

BLOOD CANCER THREAT

In very rare cases, the dengue fever may lead to cancer. Dr Amit Bhargava, consultant oncologist at Max Healthcare, says” The decrease in the level of blood platelets should be taken very seriously. A dengue serology test should be conducted immediately to check for dengue symptoms. If the test result is negative then an ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura) test should be done to rule out the possibility of blood cancer.

KIDS BE CAREFUL!

Dr Sonali Gaur, Pediatrician at Gurgaon’s Umkal Healthcare, states that kids below the age of 15 years are more prone to the infection which might result in haemorrhagic fever or the dengue shock syndrome.

“The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is most active during the day time and has a short flight span, which means that people living in close proximity to the infected person are more likely to get affected by the disease,” says Dr Gaur.