Pelvic health is an important part of your overall wellbeing. Your pelvic organs are working 24/7. They support your bladder, colon, rectum, and sexual organs. This set of muscles performs many important functions including childbirth. For this reason, it is important to take care of your pelvic organs and visit a gynecologist regularly.
Keep reading to discover 5 good reasons to visit your gynecologist regularly. This will help you ensure the health of pelvic organs and a higher quality of your life.
1. Painful sex
The medical term for pain during sex is dyspareunia. This condition can cause both physical and emotional problems in a couple's sexual relationship. The most common type of pain during sex is poor lubrication. Sex causes frictions that irritate sensitive vaginal tissues and cause pain. Microtraumas in the vaginal tissues increase your risk of catching different infections.
Other serious causes of painful sex include endometriosis, STDs, problems with ovaries or uterus, vagina injury, and menopause. All these conditions require medical attention. If left untreated, these issues can cause permanent damage to pelvic floor organs.
2. Pap smear
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the lower part of the uterus. In 2018, about 570,000 women get diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and for 311,000 women, this disease becomes fatal.
Pap smear is a screening procedure for cervical cancer. This test can detect the cancerous and precancerous cells in your cervix. The doctor will take some cells from your uterus and examine it for abnormal growth. This procedure can be a bit uncomfortable, but this can decrease your risk of cervical acne and premature death significantly.
3. Irregular menstruation
Every woman is different as is their periods. Sometimes you can miss several days of your period due to hormonal changes and it’s normal. But if the number of days that your period lasts varies a lot or the time between each period starts to change, you need to consult a gynecologist. These complaints can indicate serious pelvic problems like polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, and uterine fibroids.
These conditions can cause a variety of health consequences. If you suspect you have one of these problems, schedule an appointment with a gynecologist ASAP.
4. Change in vaginal discharge
Different types of vaginal discharge may indicate different problems. Normal discharge is thick, white, and smooth. If discharges are white, cottage cheese-like, and have an unpleasant scent you most likely have a yeast infection like candida. Yellow or green discharge can be a sign of a bacterial infection or STDs. Regular brown secretions from your vagina between the periods can be a warning sign of cervical or uterine cancer.
If you notice that your vaginal discharges changed in color, scent, or structure you need to visit a gynecologist to address the risk of serious health problems. In the case, if you have any of the problems mentioned above, the doctor will prescribe you an appropriate treatment.
5. Blood in urine
The medical term for blood in the urine is hematuria. Several conditions can cause blood to appear in the urine. The conditions that can contribute to hematuria are infections, pelvic organs inflammatory diseases, and cancer. The amount of blood in the urine can differ depending on the severity of your condition. Even if blood in the urine happens only once, this still can be a sign of serious health problems that require medical attention.
If you notice blood in the urine you need to visit your gynecologist ASAP. If infection or cancer is left untreated, you risk getting premature damage to pelvic organs. Your doctor can analyze your urine. The doctor can order tests to determine the cause of the hematuria and prescribe a treatment.
Gynecological health is an important part of every woman's life. Problems with pelvic floor organs can worsen your overall wellbeing and decrease the quality of your life. If you have any complaints about your pelvic health, discuss them with your doctor.
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