Gynecology services

Gynecology, sometimes known as gynaecology, is the branch of medicine that deals with the treatment of illnesses affecting women, particularly those affecting the reproductive system. It is typically integrated with obstetrics to form the united field of Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN). Gynecology covers treating women who are not pregnant, whereas Obstetrics deals with pregnancy and all of the procedures and issues that go along with it.

Gynecology includes both the medical and surgical sciences. Cancers, fibroids, etc. must be surgically removed, whereas many gynecological disorders require hormonal and other prescription medication.

A gynecologist is an expert in providing care for the reproductive health of women starting with the onset of her first menstruation and continuing until post-menopause. A gynecologist is responsible for both the diagnosis and treatment of any conditions that affect the reproductive system, including those that affect the cervix, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, or vagina.

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Menstrual Irregularities

Menstrual irregularities are common abnormalities of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Menstrual irregularities include a variety of conditions in which menstruation is irregular, heavy, painful, or does not occur at all.

Menstrual irregularities or their symptoms, such as abnormal vaginal bleeding, can be caused by a wide variety of abnormal conditions, including pregnancy, hormonal imbalances or changes, infection (sexually transmitted diseases and other infections), malignancy (cervical, uterine or vaginal cancer), trauma, and certain medications. Treatment of menstrual irregularities varies and is tailored to the individual case, the underlying cause, the severity of symptoms, and the presence of any complications.

Dysmenorrhoea

Dysmenorrhea can be literally translated as “difficult monthly flow.” Although it’s normal for most women to have mild abdominal cramps on the first day or two of their period, about 10% of women experience severe pain.

Primary dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain that’s not a symptom of an underlying gynecologic disorder but is related to the normal process of menstruation. Primary dysmenorrhea is the most common type of dysmenorrhea, affecting more than 50% of women, and quite severe in about 10%. Primary dysmenorrhea is most common in late adolescence and the early 20s. Fortunately for many women, the problem eases as they mature, particularly after a pregnancy. Although it may be painful and sometimes debilitating for brief periods of time, it is not harmful.
Secondary dysmenorrhea is menstrual pain that is generally related to some kind of gynecologic disorder. Most of these disorders can be easily treated with medications or surgery. Secondary dysmenorrhea is more likely to affect women during adulthood.

Pelvic Inflammatory disorder

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the upper genital tract, including the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. It happens when infections travel up from the vagina or internal genitals through the cervix.

If you have PID, it is common to not notice any symptoms or to mistake your symptoms for a different illness. The most common symptom is pain in the lower abdomen, usually on both sides. The pain may be crampy or a dull constant ache and it may be worse during sex, or when you urinate or have a bowel movement.

PCOD

PCOD or Polycystic Ovarian Disorder, as the name suggests, is a disorder of the ovaries characterised by three things-

Imbalanced hormones
Enlarged ovaries
Multiple small fluid-filled cysts (closed bubble-like sacs) on the ovaries.

It is a metabolic disorder most commonly found in women of reproductive ages, that is, from the onset of puberty to the offset of menopause.

Typically, a woman’s ovaries are the storehouse of all the female hormones, as well as the reservoir of all her eggs. In a normal menstrual cycle, the ovaries release around 6-12 small cyst-like structures, called follicles. Though each of these has an egg, only one of them gets matured, luteinizes, and funnels towards the uterus to help conception while the others dissolve naturally over some period of time.

However, the problem begins when the woman’s hormones get imbalanced. Here, the pituitary gland (the gland responsible for the release of hormones)starts releasing more male hormones (androgens) instead of female hormones(oestrogen). This causes an excess of luteinising hormones which disturb regular ovulation. As a result, multiple eggs start maturing in the follicles while none break opens to release. This forms multiple tiny cysts on the ovarian surface leading to a list of problems including – irregular cycles, constant fatigue, terrible mood swings, weight gain, nausea, and very often- difficulty in the natural conception.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) is the severed version of Polycystic Ovarian Disorder, and hence, precisely the reason why it is called a -Syndrome. PCOS in the simplest sense is the metabolic syndrome or an endocrine disorder that happens when the PCOD has spread to the whole body. Here, the cysts are multiple and hormones severely imbalanced. In PCOS, a woman’s ovaries produce way more male (androgen) hormones than a female’s (estrogen). This severely hampers ovulation and affects fertility adversely. It also causes extreme and frequent mood swings, anger and male pattern hair growth and baldness. However, unlike PCOD, PCOS is rare and irreversible.

Contraception Advice

Contraceptives help protect people from getting pregnant and from catching infections during sexual activity. It is important for all adolescents to learn about contraception so they have information they’ll need to make safe and healthy decisions.

Adenomyosis

Adenomyosis is a condition in which the endometrium (glandular tissue) of the uterus breaks ectopically through the myometrium (muscular wall) of the uterus making the uterine walls thicker and distorting the vasculature of the uterus. It is formerly referred to as endometriosis interna, but it has been found that the two diseases differ though they may occur together.

The disease is more prevalent in multiparous middle-aged women, it may also occur in the younger population. Adenomyosis is thought to be hormone-sensitive and estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, and follicle stimulating hormone are implicated, it is also known to subside after menopause when hormone levels decline.

IUD Insertion and Removal

An IUD is a small T-shaped device that is inserted into your uterus to prevent pregnancy. IUDs offer long-term, reversible protection against pregnancy by interfering with the sperm’s ability to reach the egg and achieve conception. IUDs can stay in place for between 3-10 years, depending on which type of IUD you choose.

IUDs are incredibly effective with a success rate of more than 99%. Once your doctor places your IUD, you don’t need to think about birth control again until you need to replace or remove the device. The device is long-lasting and completely reversible.

Fibroids

A fibroid is a lump or growth in the uterus that is not cancerous. Fibroids can be as small as a pea to as large as a basketball. They are usually round and pinkish in color, and they can grow anywhere inside or on the uterus.

About 30% of women older than 30 years have fibroids, and they usually appear between the ages of 35 and 45. Some women are more likely to get fibroids, including black women, women who have never been pregnant and women who have a mother or sister with fibroids.

The cause of fibroids is unknown. However, the female hormone estrogen seems to play a role in stimulating the growth of some fibroids.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common disorder in which endometrial-like tissue grows where it isn’t meant to be. Endometrial tissue is the tissue that grows and sheds in the uterus. In most cases, this growth happens on and around organs in the pelvic cavity. The tissue in endometriosis acts similarly to that inside the uterus: it grows, thickens, and tries to shed with every menstrual cycle. Since the tissue has no way of leaving the body, it can cause adhesions, nodules, and lesions which trigger an inflammatory response. This can lead to pain and other complications, like infertility.

Endometriosis may affect about 1 in 10 women of reproductive age, though estimates vary widely and prevalence probably differs across populations. Incidence may be lower in black and hispanic women

Genital Prolapse

Prolapse of the uterus or vagina is usually the result of loss of pelvic support, and causes mainly non-specific symptoms. It may affect over half of women aged 50 to 59 years, but spontaneous regression may occur. Risks of genital prolapse increase with advancing parity and age, increasing weight of the largest baby delivered, and hysterectomy.

In the case of vaginal prolapse, one or more regions of the vaginal wall protrude into the vaginal canal. Vaginal prolapse is classified according to the region of the vaginal wall that is affected: a cystocoele involves the upper anterior vaginal wall; urethrocoele the lower anterior vaginal wall; rectocoele the lower posterior vaginal wall; and enterocoele the upper posterior vaginal wall. After hysterectomy, the apex of the vagina may prolapse as a vault prolapse.

Ovarian cyst

An ovarian cyst is a fluid-filled sac in or on a person’s ovary. The ovaries are part of the female reproductive system. They produce eggs and hormones.

Ovarian cysts are very common. They often occur during ovulation. This is when the ovary releases an egg each month. These are called functional cysts. Most are noncancerous. Many times, these cysts go away on their own without treatment.

Often, functional cysts do not cause any symptoms. You may have one and not know it. Other times they can cause symptoms, including:

A sharp or dull pain in the lower abdomen, usually on one side
Bloating
Menstrual irregularities
Nausea and vomiting
Feeling full after eating a small amount
Constipation

Ovarian Tumors

Ovarian tumors are abnormal growths on the ovaries, the female reproductive organs that produce eggs. Ovarian tumors can be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant).

Symptoms of both benign and malignant ovarian tumors may include:

Stomach bloating
Increased belly size
Stomach or pelvic pain
Constipation
Either difficulty urinating or urinating frequently
Feeling full more quickly than usual when eating
Painful cramps during menstruation
Lower back pain
Nausea or vomiting
Pain during sex
Vaginal bleeding after menopause

Breast Cancer screening

Breast cancer is screened for before any symptoms or indicators are present in women. The best screening method for healthy women for breast cancer is mammography, which has been shown to reduce breast cancer-related fatalities. Breast imaging is done with a mammogram. Mammograms are often the most effective technique for women to detect breast cancer early when it is less difficult to treat and before it has grown large enough to feel or produce symptoms. Regular mammograms can reduce the likelihood of dying from breast cancer.

Cervical Cancer Screening

Typically, cervical cancer progresses gradually over time. Before cancer develops in the cervix, the cervical tissue undergoes a process called dysplasia, during which abnormal cells start to proliferate in the tissue. Later, cancer cells begin to multiply and deepen their invasion of the cervix and the region around it.

A Pap test is widely used as a cervical cancer screening tool. During this process, cells from the cervix’s surface and its surroundings are collected using a tiny brush. A microscope is used to examine the cells to determine whether they are abnormal. A Pap smear is another name for this treatment.

Endometrial Cancer Screening

Endometrial cancer is cancer of the lining of the uterus, or womb. Endometrial cancer screening is only recommended for women at increased risk.

Being at increased risk doesn’t mean you will definitely get endometrial cancer. But it does mean you should start regular screening exams to detect cancer if it develops. When found early, the chances for successfully treating the disease are greatest.

If you’ve been diagnosed with or have a family history of Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, you should be screened for endometrial cancer. The following screening exams are recommended:

Transvaginal ultrasound every year
Endometrial biopsy every year

Well-Woman Checkup

A well-woman screening is a checkup given to women to assess elements of their reproductive health as well as other areas. It is a preventative health screening that identifies any early indicators of degenerative diseases or other potential health-related risk factors and is developed to address the unique health needs of women.