women's health Archives - Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc.

Women’s Health Through All the Stages of Life

May 31, 2022 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

We often think about women’s health in terms of reproductive health and mammograms, but women’s health encompasses so much more. Your health journey begins as a teen and extends through your senior years. Think about the impact we can make on our daughters and granddaughters if we teach them to care for their health before they are responsible for the health of other people like children, parents, and spouses.

Women often prioritize caring for the health of others over themselves. During Women’s Health Month it’s time to focus on your wellbeing. Afterall, if your health fails you won’t be able to care for the ones you love as you wish.

A woman’s body and health concerns change with every stage of life. So, where do you start with maintaining a healthy lifestyle? You begin way back in the teen years, but don’t worry if you’re long past that stage in life. Starting now is always the best time to start.

The Office on Women’s Health provides a handy checklist for various stages of women’s health from ages 18-100. We’re including a shortened version of that list here.

Ages 13-18

Healthy lifestyles start early. By taking your teen for a women’s health visit early, you’re teaching her to care for her body. You’re also providing her with access to a trusted medical provider to whom she can ask all those questions she may be too embarrassed to ask you. At this age, your daughter’s visit will mimic a wellness visit. You can expect the doctor or nurse practitioner to check:

Blood pressure
A1C for Type1 Diabetes
Body Mass Index

They will likely also screen for

Depression
Alcohol use
Tobacco use

These visits are the perfect time to take care of immunizations such as flu and meningococcal. For sexually active teens, providers can discuss birth control and test for STDs.

Ages 19-39

Women of childbearing age add a few screenings and tests to their usual well-women checkups. If you fall into this category, be prepared for these screenings:

PAP test every 3 years from age 21-30 and every 5 years after age 30
Chlamydia and gonorrhea for women who are sexually active
Syphilis if you’re at increased risk
Clinical breast exam starting at age 21
HIV screening with follow up as needed

Sounds like a lot, but your doctor or nurse practitioner can cover all these screenings in one short exam. Plus insurance generally covers your yearly women’s health exam which makes checking off your health exam an easy fix.

Ages 40-49

It’s time to schedule your yearly mammogram! Once you hit age 40, you’ll add this screening to your yearly appointment. Luckily, the list of additional screenings isn’t very long after 40. Your doctor will continue to monitor your blood pressure and blood glucose if you’re at risk for high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes.

Ages 50-64

Although it doesn’t sound like a “women’s health” issue, you’ll add a colorectal screening to your list at age 50. Most women only have a colonoscopy every 10 years so it’s not a routine part of your yearly wellness check. You’re also eligible for the Shingles vaccine at age 50. If you do not have a cervix at this age, you will no longer need a PAP test. Your doctor will likely recommend a lung cancer screening if you smoke. And you’ll want to talk to your doctor about a bone mineral density test.

Ages 65+

Depending on your risk factors your doctor may check your blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol every two years, every year, or more regularly. You may also be able to stop PAP tests for cancer now.

Talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner about whether or not you still need these tests after age 75:

Colorectal screening tests
Mammogram

All these tests and screenings help you and your doctor stay ahead of any problems that may crop up in your health, but your health depends on your daily activities to stay strong. Regardless of your age it’s important to talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner or licensed therapist about any mental health struggles you have. Depression, anxiety, and addiction don’t strike based on your age. It’s important to learn how to manage stress in healthy ways through every stage of your life.

Other important factors for women’s health include:

Eating a balanced diet
Exercising 2-3 times per week
Maintaining a healthy weight

Mantachie Rural Health Care offers nurse practitioners and licensed therapists to help with all your healthcare needs. Contact our office at (662) 282-4226 for an appointment.

Connections Between Mental Illness and Substance Abuse in Women

May 18, 2022 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

When we talk about women’s health, we often think about PAP tests and mammograms. While these provide important preventive health measures for women, women’s health concerns go further. Mental health concerns make up an important but little-discussed aspect of women’s health.

Statistics show that 1 in 5 women has a mental health diagnosis, and women are twice as likely to experience depression as men. In addition, almost 3% of all women in the United States have both a substance use disorder and a mental illness.

Common Mental Illnesses Among Women

Women struggle with specific mental illnesses in greater numbers than men. Although women do experience other mental illnesses below are the ones most commonly diagnosed in women at greater rates than men.

Depression — twice as many women experience depression compared to men

Anxiety — women are twice as likely to experience anxiety compared to men

Trauma — 20% of women will experience a rape or attempted rape at some point in their lifetime

Eating Disorders — the majority of individuals who struggle with anorexia and bulimia are women

Suicide — women are likely to attempt suicide although men are likely to die by suicide

Mental illnesses don’t happen in a vacuum. They affect a woman’s family, work, and friend groups.

Most Commonly Abused Substances Among Women

Substance abuse in women is often connected to mental illness and trauma. In addition, women, especially mothers or pregnant women, face the stigma of seeking help for both their addiction and mental health illnesses and barriers related to childcare while they seek treatment. Women tend to lean toward specific substances more than others.

Alcohol — the most commonly used substance among women. In fact, an entire culture has evolved around the “wine mom” who drinks to unwind every night. Research shows alcohol use disorder among women is on the rise.

Prescription drugs — women are more likely to misuse prescription opioids to treat pain and to self-treat other problems like anxiety or tension.

Sedatives and antidepressants — women are more likely than men to die from an overdose of sleep aids or anxiety medications. These drugs also send more women to the ER than men.

Seeking Help

Unaddressed substance abuse and mental health illnesses affect a woman’s physical health. At Mantachie Rural Health Care, we offer both primary care and mental health treatment. Our providers can help you find the right treatment options and work with you to break down barriers to getting that treatment. No judgment here. We’re working hard to remove the stigma of seeking help for both substance abuse disorders and mental health illnesses. That starts with treating the whole patient.

Call our clinic at (662) 282-4226 to request your appointment. Start with one of our nurse practitioners or with our mental health nurse practitioner. Your whole health matters.

Filed Under: Mental Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: Mental Health, women's health

What to Expect After a Suspicious Mammogram

October 12, 2021 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women with the exception of skin cancer. One in eight women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Women who get screening mammograms regularly are more likely to find cancer early and beat it.

Why Women Over 40 Need a Mammogram

Some women are anxious about getting a mammogram, especially their first one. This is understandable as the unknown can be frightening, but it’s not a reason to skip the screening especially if you are over 40 and you have a family history of breast cancer. Most women will receive clear results. Only about 10 to 12 percent of women are called back for further testing after a mammogram.

What Happens if Your Mammogram is Suspicious

Even if you are called back for further testing after a mammogram, it’s not a reason to freak out. Most abnormalities found in mammograms are benign.

The next step after a suspicious screening mammogram depends on your age and the type of screenings you’ve already had. In most instances, the next step is to undergo a diagnostic mammogram, which is a more in-depth mammogram, or a breast ultrasound. Depending on certain factors like the pattern of the abnormalities and medical history, your physician may also order an MRI of the breast or a biopsy.

Growths found in the breast can be benign or malignant–most are benign or non-cancerous. Some benign breast conditions may cause pain or discomfort and require treatment while others are harmless and painless. However, many benign breast conditions mimic the warning signs of breast cancer, and a biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis.

Calcifications and microcalcifications are bits of calcium that may appear in mammograms. In fact, calcifications are common and appear in about half of all women over the age of 50. However, only about 1 in 10 younger women will have calcifications appear on their mammograms.

Most but not all calcifications are benign. Certain patterns such as tight clusters or lines of microcalcifications can be an early indication of cancer. The appearance of calcifications may be due to age, a past breast injury or surgery, an infection in the breast, or past radiation therapy.

Malignant Test Results

Unfortunately, over 320,000 women in the United States will receive a breast cancer diagnosis this year. A cancer diagnosis still isn’t a reason to panic or expect the worst. Breast cancer treatments have come very far over the last several decades and deaths from breast cancer dropped 39 percent between 1989 and 2015.

If you do have breast cancer, you will be diagnosed with one of two types–non-invasive breast cancer also known as ductal carcinoma in situ or DCIS, or invasive breast cancer. DCIS occurs when abnormal cells grow in the milk ducts of the breast. Non-invasive breast cancer is considered non-invasive because the abnormal cells in the milk ducts haven’t spread to other parts of the breast or body. DCIS typically appears as a cluster of microcalcifications on a mammogram.

Invasive breast cancer happens when abnormal cells inside the milk ducts break out into nearby breast tissue and can even spread to the lymph nodes in the underarm. Invasive breast cancer does not mean metastatic breast cancer, although metastatic breast cancer is a form of invasive breast cancer. Metastatic breast cancer is when abnormal cells in the breast spread to other parts of the body. It is also known as stage IV or advanced-stage breast cancer.

How to Get the Best Results from a Mammogram

You can’t prevent breast cancer, but you just might save your life if you start getting early mammogram screenings. Women between the ages of 40 and 44 should begin screening and have the option to get a mammogram each year. Women ages 45 – 54 should be screened each year. After age 55, women with low risks can switch to being screened every other year.

Mammograms often follow routine women’s exams that include physical breast exams. If it’s been awhile since your last women’s exam and you are reaching the age of 40 or older, it’s time to schedule an appointment. Click here to request your women’s health appointment with Mantachie Rural Health Care today.

Filed Under: Health News Tagged With: women's health

When Should I Get My First Mammogram?

October 13, 2020 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Breast cancer ranks as the second most common cancer among women. Each October we wear pink to remind women of the importance of getting a mammogram. The question is, what age should women have their first mammogram? Here’s what we know.

Ten of every 100,000 women between the ages of 20-24 receive a breast cancer diagnosis. That number increases as women age into their late 20’s and early 30’s. We notice significant jumps around the ages of 40-50. Women in their 70’s have the highest rate of breast cancer diagnoses. So if most women are not affected by breast cancer until their 70’s, why do experts recommend screenings for women who are much younger?

Multiple trials demonstrate that screening mammograms decreased the risk of death from breast cancer by 15% to 29%. Lowering your risk of death offers reason enough to have a mammogram at the earliest recommended age.

What is the earliest recommended age for your first mammogram?

All medical experts agree that early screening saves lives. The exact age of that first screening remains a widely debated topic. The American Cancer Society recommends women receive their first mammogram by age 45. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Forces say women can wait until age 50 for their first screening. However, the Mayo Clinic “supports screening beginning at age 40 because screening mammograms can detect breast abnormalities early in women in their 40’s.”

Though some experts agree that younger is better no mammogram comes without its own risks. Women in their 40’s and 50’s are more likely to receive a false positive which is why further testing with another mammogram, ultrasound imaging, or biopsies is necessary if an abnormality is detected.

Because of the varying recommendations from medical associations and the simple fact that every woman is different, we believe the best thing you can do is talk with your doctor about the best age for you to start screening. Factors that are significant only to you such as your family history of the disease (women with a close family history are advised to get screened sooner than women with no family history) are key to determining when you should get your first mammogram. If you are over the age of 30 with a close family history of breast cancer, we recommend talking with your provider now about when you should start screening. Women with average risks should talk to their providers about a mammogram at least by age 40.

The best time to talk to your provider about getting a mammogram is during your annual wellness visit. Click here to request your visit.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News, Wellness Tagged With: cancer, women's health

The Surprising Signs of PCOS

September 8, 2020 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine and metabolic disorder affecting 1 in 10 women of child-bearing age. PCOS is a common condition among women and girls who have reached puberty, however, at least 7 in 10 women with the disorder are undiagnosed.

Because of its name, many assume ovarian cysts and irregular or missed periods characterize PCOS. These are indeed indicators of PCOS but other more unusual signs of the disorder may also be present.

Before you continue reading about these symptoms, it’s important to know that no two PCOS cases are exactly the same. You may or may not share any of these symptoms with another PCOS patient. For instance, infertility is a symptom of PCOS, however many women are able to naturally conceive with no problems while others are able to conceive with fertility treatments. Some PCOS symptoms are a bit more common and while others aren’t as well known.

Unusual PCOS Signs

Weight gain or obesity that is difficult to manage.
Unwanted hair growth, known as hirsutism, on areas where men normally grow hair such as the face, arms, back, chest, thumbs, toes, and abdomen. Hirsutism is the result of hormonal changes in androgens.
Hair thinning or loss
Acne
Mood changes such as mood swings, depression, and anxiety.
Pelvic pain and heavy bleeding may occur during menstruation. Pain in the pelvic area can also occur when women are not bleeding.
Headaches
Sleep problems. PCOS is one of several conditions linked to sleep apnea disorder.

PCOS is currently incurable but treatable, although many women never find complete relief from symptoms. Hormonal birth control is the most common treatment of PCOS. Other, non-FDA approved treatments include anti-androgen drugs and Metformin. Anti-androgen drugs block the effect of androgens which reduces body and facial hair growth, acne, and scalp hair loss. Metformin, a medicine commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes, may help restore ovulation and aid in lowering body mass and improving cholesterol levels in women with PCOS. However, these medicines also carry certain risks and still need more studies before they are approved by the FDA.

If any of the mentioned symptoms sound a little too familiar, you may have PCOS. We can discuss your symptoms and give a diagnosis with a women’s health exam, one of the many services offered at Mantachie Rural Health Care. If you receive a positive PCOS diagnosis, we’ll talk about the best treatment options and walk with you each step of the way to getting control of your symptoms. Click here to request a women’s health appointment now.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News, Wellness Tagged With: women's health

Your Right to Request a Referral to a Specialist

July 21, 2020 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Our doctor and nurse practitioners are family care providers. That means they have experience and are highly educated in a wide range of medical conditions. Most of our patients find that experience and knowledge to be exactly what they need in a time of illness. For some patients with chronic illness or advanced illness, we need to refer them to a specialist. But your health isn’t just in our hands. You can (and should) take an active role in your health. If you think it’s time to see a specialist, ask us for a referral.

When to Ask for a Referral

Some illnesses are easy to diagnose on the first visit. A very sore throat with a fever can be diagnosed and treated as strep throat with a quick test. Other illnesses aren’t that clear. Many diseases and chronic illnesses have similar symptoms. Our providers listen to your symptoms, ask questions, and order tests in an effort to single out the cause of your illness. That means some problems may take more than one visit to get a diagnosis.

If you’ve visited with your provider more than three times for the same issue and still don’t feel like you’re getting any closer to finding answers, it’s time to talk to your doctor about a specialist referral. Your primary care provider is a partner in your health. We want to see you feel better. Sometimes a doctor with specialised care in a specific area can provide new insight.

What to do Before Requesting a Referral

Before you ask your doctor for a referral, check with your insurance. Most insurance companies have a list of specialists they prefer. You’ll also want to know if seeing that specialist requires a referral. You can check out the potential providers and have an idea of who you’d like to request before your visit.

How to Request a Referral

It can feel awkward asking your doctor to refer you to someone else. Don’t let that stand in the way of better health for you. Your provider wants the best for your health. As a primary care provider they will continue to be involved in your health decisions even if you seek care from a specialist.

During your visit with your provider, ask if they think it’s time for you to see a specialist or let your doctor know you’re ready to see a specialist. Ask for your doctor’s recommendation of who to see and why that’s their preferred referral. They may have insight into your health history and the specialist’s knowledge that an internet search or your Aunt Clara’s recommendation doesn’t have. If you do not want to see the specialist your doctor recommends, let them know who is covered by your insurance and who you would like to see.

Sometimes a physician to physician referral can result in a faster appointment time. This is not always the case, but it can be a benefit of having your doctor put in the call. Also, if your provider makes the referral, they will know the protocol to ensure your medical records are shared with the specialist.

Before Your Specialist Appointment

Double-check with your primary care provider’s office to ensure they sent your medical records to the specialist’s office. Also, make sure the new doctor is still covered by your insurance. Make sure you have a list of medications to take with you to the new appointment and check online to fill out any forms ahead of time.

After Your Specialist Appointment

Your primary care provider is still available for all your health needs, even if you’re seeing a specialist for a specific issue. Your doctor should have records of your visits with the specialist so they can make notes in your chart. If you’re seeing a gastroenterologist for a stomach problem, your primary care physician will still be your go-to for acute care illnesses like sinus infections or other chronic diseases like high blood pressure.

Remember, we’re a partner in your health journey, but your true responsibility for your health remains with you. Being open and honest with your provider not only about your health, but about your desire to see a specialist may save time and help you find a diagnosis faster.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: men's health, Mental Health, women's health

Perimenopause, menopause and women’s health

May 28, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

shingles vaccine; women of menopause age

“The Change” has long been the unofficial title of the stage in a woman’s life when her menstrual cycle ends and her hormones, well, change. Menopause, the official title of this season of life, is actually the end of the change, marked by 12-months of no menstrual cycle. The full cycle of change in a woman’s body may take as long as ten years or as little as a few months. Caring for your health during these changes is as important as caring for your health during your child-bearing years.

Perimenopause

Before a woman’s menstrual cycles end her hormone levels begin to decrease. She continues to have her period during this time although it may be irregular. Fertility may decrease for some women but they can still become pregnant.

For most women, perimenopause happens in their 40s, but it can begin earlier. The average length of this season of life is four months but, because every woman is different, some women may experience perimenopause for up to ten years while others rush through it in a matter of months.

During the last two years of perimenopause, a woman’s hormones drop more quickly moving her toward the end of her cycle and menopause. Women will experience the symptoms associated with menopause during this time.

During perimenopause most people will experience some of the following symptoms:

Hot flashes
Breast tenderness
Worse premenstrual syndrome
Lower sex drive
Fatigue
Irregular periods
Vaginal dryness; discomfort during sex
Urine leakage when coughing or sneezing
Urinary urgency (an urgent need to urinate more frequently)
Mood swings
Trouble sleeping

Menopause

When a woman has not had a menstrual cycle in twelve consecutive months she’s considered to be in menopause. Her ovaries have stopped releasing eggs and her production of estrogen has decreased significantly. Most women experience menopause (and all the symptoms that go with it) in their mid-late forties or fifties.

Premature menopause describes menopause that occurs before the age of 40 even if the cause is surgery induced through a hysterectomy or by damage to the ovaries. Women who have surgically induced menopause will not go through perimenopause.

While hot flashes are the hallmark symptoms of menopause, women often experience an array of symptoms linked to the decrease in hormones including:

Irregular or skipped periods
Insomnia
Mood swings
Fatigue
Depression
Irritability
Racing heart
Headaches
Joint and muscle aches and pains
Changes in libido (sex drive)
Vaginal dryness
Bladder control problems

Postmenopause

When the hot flashes have eased and you’ve grown more accustomed to your body’s new hormone levels, you’ve entered postmenopause. Due both to the changes in hormones and age, women in postmenopause are at a higher risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, vision problems, bladder and bowl problems, and Alzheimer’s disease.

Treatment

Menopause is a natural part of life and certain symptoms are common during these stages. However, women can take steps to care for their bodies and reduce the symptoms. Exercise, eating a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight all contribute to your body’s overall wellbeing, especially during this stage.

If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of menopause or perimenopause schedule an appointment with your provider. Some normal symptoms of menopause may actually be symptoms of other illnesses that need to be treated. And if you’ve entered “The Change” your provider may be able to suggest treatment options to reduce your symptoms and lower your risk of chronic disease.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: hormones, menopause, women's health

What’s the Deal with Self-Care?

May 21, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Self-Care: the buzzword appears on magazine articles, blogs, and social media on a recurring basis these days. A search for “self-care” on Google returns over 5 BILLION results. Online searches and mentions of self-care peaked at an all-time high in September 2018. But what does it mean and why are people suddenly talking about it?

Why Self-Care?

One theory around the popularity of self-care is that the world we live in pressures us to do everything well because we’re comparing our lives to the lives of our friends and celebrities online. A Pinterest-worthy birthday party? No sweat. A picture of myself at the gym this morning? Got it. A copy of the gourmet recipe we cooked for dinner after three sports practices and a private tuba lesson? Here you go.

Add national, state and local news headlines to the stress of performing our daily lives in front of everyone on social media and we’re an anxiety infused people.

We’re also seeing the stigma around mental health disorders reduced, which means more people are talking about ways to care about their physical and emotional needs.

What is Self-Care

The commercialized self-care industry paints a picture of self-care as a weekend getaway, a bubble bath, an hour of yoga or even time spent binging Netflix. True self-care is anything that recharges us so we can be better members of our community, which also includes our family and our workplace.

We’ll spare you a list of self-care to-dos, which often provide more instead of less stress. Instead, we encourage you to think about what recharges you or fill-in this blank: I have more energy when I ___________.

We’d love to hear how you take time to re-charge. Tell us the comments below!

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: self-care, Wellness, women's health

Skipping Your Cervical Cancer Screening? Don’t.

March 19, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

two women friends, cervical cancer screening pap tests

New recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force give women the options in their cervical cancer screenings:

The average woman aged 30-65 can be screened by:

A Pap test every three years
A HPV every five years
Or Both tests (collected together) every five years

Previously doctor’s recommended a Pap test every year in these age groups. With the reduced amount of testing, you’d expect more, not fewer, women to be screening. Unfortunately, less than 65% of women are up to date on their screenings.

Why Schedule Your Cervical Cancer Screening?

Short answer? Cervical cancer exhibits no symptoms in its early stages when treatment is most effective. The best way to detect cervical cancer early is through microscopic testing of your cervix lining. In addition to testing for cervical cancer during your visit, your provider will test for STIs, an important yearly testing for women who are sexually active with more than one partner or who practice unsafe sex.

Why Aren’t Women Being Screened?

Researchers have multiple theories. One is that without the need for a yearly Pap test women believe they do not need to see their gynecologist but every three to five years. It’s easier to forget to schedule a cervical cancer screening three years from now than it is to keep a yearly appointment. Also confusion over the guidelines and which test they need may keep some women from being tested at all.

Testing dips after age 26 when many women roll off their parents’ health insurance so they may not be able to pay for the testing. And finally, rumors of how uncomfortable a Pap test is can discourage some women from scheduling theirs.

Don’t Be Chicken, Schedule Your Appointment

We’re making it easier to stay healthy. For $15 you can receive your Pap test in our office.

Not sure when you had your last cervical cancer screening? No problem. Let’s start now. We’ll add your screening dates to your patient record in our office or start a new one if you’ve never been here before. When you forget the last time you had a screening, call us, we’ll be glad to check.

Worried about how uncomfortable screening may be? A Pap or HPV test is one of the least invasive tests you’ll schedule. Having a strep or flu test is much more uncomfortable in our opinion. Plus, our providers and nursing staff have excellent bedside manners. Your screening will be over before you know it.

No insurance or high deductible? No problem. Like we said, $15 covers your screening. If you only need one every three years that’s like 41 cents a month. Your health is worth it.

Ready to schedule your Pap test? Call us now at 662-282-4226.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: Wellness, women's health

Is Thyroid Disease Preventing Weight Loss?

January 22, 2019 By Mantachie Rural Health Care, Inc. Leave a Comment

Women thyroid gland control.

In every poll we’ve read, eating better, exercising and losing weight topped last year’s list of New Year’s Resolutions. For most Americans, New Years Resolutions stick around for less time than it takes to sweep up the confetti from the New Year’s Eve party. But what if you met your goals to eat healthier and exercise more and yet your weight remained the same, or worse, increased? Thyroid disease may be preventing weight loss.

What’s Your Thyroid?

The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland at the front of your neck. This gland produces hormones which control how your body uses energy or your metabolism. If your thyroid gland produces too few hormones (hypothyroidism) your metabolism slows down and your body burns fewer calories. On the flip side, an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) speeds up your metabolism and may cause weight loss.

How Do I Know If My Problem Is My Thyroid?

Hypothyroidism can prevent weight loss. In addition to an inability to lose weight, patients with hypothyroidism may experience:

Fatigue
Depression
Altered sense of smell and taste
Brain fog or forgetfulness
Dry skin
Brittle nails
Constipation
Change in menstrual cycle
Slower heart rate
Feeling cold or having chills
Hair loss
Numbness or tingling in hands

How Do I Approach My Provider?

An inability to lose weight or unexplained weight gain doesn’t usually trigger a provider to test for thyroid problems right off the bat. If you’re experiencing any of these other symptoms, however, your provider should request a simple blood test to check your thyroid function. Make a note of which of these symptoms you’ve experienced and how often in the past month you’ve experienced them. Use this information to talk to your doctor. If you do not have any other symptoms but you are not losing weight even after increased exercise and dieting, it’s still time to discuss the problem with your provider. While your thyroid may not be the culprit, you may have another health problem that is.

What now?

If thyroid disease is preventing weight loss, your doctor may prescribe medications that will make you feel better and may make losing the weight easier. Some research shows patients with hypothyroidism have to exercise more in order to burn the calories needed to lose weight. In addition to taking medication, your provider may suggest working with a nutritionist or health coach to help you determine the right combination of food and exercise to help you lose weight.

Before starting any new diet or exercise routine, schedule a physical with your provider. If you want to lose weight in 2019, let our providers help you reach those goals and improve your health.

Filed Under: Pharmacy News Tagged With: autoimmune, men's health, women's health