Women’s Health: Cervical Smears

All women at some point in their life will have to have a cervical smear as a part of a health checkup. But do you know exactly what a cervical smear is, and how it can affect, diagnose or treat women’s ailments? Read on for more information about this common procedure. Women’s Health: What is a Cervical Smear? A cervical smear is a test used on women to tell if there are any changes in the health of the cervix. This is helpful to diagnose the early stages of cancer. The cervix is located at the end of the uterus, and connects to the top of the vagina. There is a central canal that connects the vagina to the inside of the uterus, and it measures approximately 3cm square. Women’s Health: Why Have a Cervical Smear? The main reason to have a cervical smear is to monitor the health of the cervix, and to lower the number of women who contract cervical cancer. The smear is targeted to detect early strains of potentially cancerous cells. If caught in time, women’s health may not suffer terribly, and the growth of the cancer may not progress further. However, a cervical smear is just a screening process; it won’t detect all forms of cancer, all of the time. Women’s Health: Who Needs a Cervical Smear? Women who are sexually active, or who are 18 or older (whatever comes first) should take their health in their own hands and have regular cervical smears until the age of 70. A regular smear would be every three years for most women, depending on their health and the results of the last smear. Also, women who are not healthy should have annual smears, such as those with HIV. Women who have had a hysterectomy who have had abnormal pap smears in the past should get themselves checked every year by a health practitioner; there is still a risk of abnormal cell growth at the top of the vaginal canal. Women’s Health: How is a Cervical Smear Done? A cervical smear is only taken when women are in good health, and are not bleeding. Any blood that appears during the testing can skew the results unnecessarily. The procedure is performed with women on their backs, and their legs held up in the air by a health practitioner or stirrups. A speculum is placed inside the vagina, so that the health practitioner can view women’s cervix closely. Then a brush-like instrument is placed over the cervix, and cells are wiped onto the brush, and then placed onto a glass slide for diagnosis. Women’s cervical smears can be done by a health practitioner, such as a doctor or nurse. The procedure usually only takes a couple of minutes, at the most, and isn’t painful, although it may be a bit uncomfortable.

Wonder Food For Women

The humble soybean boasts some extraordinary benefits. This nutritional powerhouse has stayed under wraps for too long. Apart from being the only vegetable protein with all 22 amino acids essential for our health and well being, the humble soybean has many other virtues...including an excellent foundation for fast, safe weight loss program. According to Dr David Heber in "The LA Shape Diet" women who are on a weight loss program, need about 100 grams of protein per day to fight against hunger and to build their best personal lean muscle shape whilst still losing weight. Without the appropriate level of proteins in a low calorie diet, people and women in particular, risk losing 1 pound of muscle for every 4 pounds of weight lost! Dr Heber recommends soy-protein shakes or soy-protein fruit smoothies as a safe and healthy way to achieve fast and permanent weight loss. Apart from the wonderful health advantages of soy, this a safe protein source without the unwanted cholesterol and saturated fats that accompany animal protein sources and sabotage low calorie weight loss programs. Read on to discover some other wonderful benefits of this incredible this food source. 1. Soy contains health enhancing isoflavones. Isoflavones are compounds found only in plants which have strong antioxidant properties. hese compounds repair, and help prevent damage to cells caused by pollution, sunlight, and normal body processes. Free radicals can easily cause harm to the immune system, whose cells divide often. They may also be responsible for some of the changes of aging. 2. Reduce risk of heart disease. Soy's protein and isoflavones lower LDL cholesterol and decrease blood clotting, which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. In one study, people who drank a "milk shake" containing 25g of soy protein for nine weeks experienced, on average, a 5% reduction in LDL cholesterol. And people with the highest LDL levels experienced a 11% drop. (For each 10% to 15% drop in the LDL level, the risk of a heart attack decreases 20% to 25%). 3. Protection against cancer. Soy's soluble fiber protects the body from many digestive related cancers, such as colon and rectal cancer. While its isoflavones may protect the body from many hormone related cancers, like breast, endometrial (uterine) and prostate cancer. Isoflavones act against cancer cells in a way similar to many common cancer-treating drugs. 4. Counter the effects of endometriosis. The isoflavones in soy products may help to offset the action of the body's natural estrogen, which is often responsible for instigating the monthly pain, heavy bleeding and other symptoms of endometriosis. 5. Protect against prostate problems. Eating soy products may protect against enlargement of the male prostate gland. The size of the prostate gland tends to increase with age, causing various types of urinary difficulties, including frequent nighttime awakenings. 6. Guard against osteoporosis. Soy's protein enhances the body's ability to retain and better absorb calcium in the bones, while its isoflavones slow bone loss and inhibit bone breakdown, which helps prevent osteoporosis. There is evidence to suggest that isoflavones may also assist in creating new bone. 7. Control symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Soy's isoflavones help the body regulate estrogen when this hormone is declining or fluctuating, which helps alleviate many menopausal and PMS symptoms. Research has shown that soy isoflavones can reduce menopausal hot flushes in women. 8. Help control diabetic conditions and kidney disease. Soy's protein and soluble fiber help regulate glucose levels and kidney filtration, which helps control diabetic conditions and kidney disease. What an incredible little bean! With such profound health benefits how can you overlook this wonderful food source? If you haven't yet noticed, gone are the days when the only way soy products came were in strange tasting meat substitutes. You can now access a wide range of soy products and use soy in a variety of ways to suit any taste palate.