New Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Screening

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cancer, Health Tips, Sexual Health, Women's Health

Cervical cancer screening is probably the most successful cancer-screening program ever developed. One hundred years ago, cancer of the cervix was the leading cause of cancer for women in this country. Now it is not even in the top 10. This is largely because of the Pap smear, which was introduced in the 1950s.

Cervical cancer lends itself to a screening test, as the cervix can be directly visualized with simple equipment and its cells can be directly sampled with a relatively painless and risk-free procedure. In addition, cervical cancer is caused by the human Papilloma virus (HPV), which causes changes in the cervical cells that can be detected almost a decade before the onset of cancer. (more…)

Winter Cleansing to Detox and Restore Optimal Health: What’s the Hype All About?

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Diet and Nutrition, Gastroenterology, Health Tips, Holistic Health, Popular, Women's Health

You’ve heard about it, everyone seems to be doing it, all the hot celebrities are endorsing it—but what exactly is a “cleanse”?

Technically, a cleanse is any dietary or lifestyle regimen that serves to remove toxins from the body and restore optimal health. Weight loss often is a desired side effect, but is not the primary goal. Cleansing, when done properly and not as an extreme crash diet, can be a healthy part of a routine that, many believe, will leave you feeling good, healthy and energized. Advocates also state that cleansing improves your immune system, fights cancer, treats depression and provides a spiritual experience. (more…)

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

Nov 6, 2013 | Common Illness, Diabetes, Endocrinology, LGBT Health, Women's Health

Polycystic ovary syndrome, commonly known as PCOS, is one of the most common female endocrine disorders.

A syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that occur together to characterize a particular condition. The definition of PCOS includes irregular periods, signs of excess androgenic hormones (masculine hormones) such as acne and excess hair growth, and an exclusion of other causes of an elevation of androgens. Although the name indicates the presence of cysts on the ovaries, not all women with PCOS have cysts (and not all women with ovarian cysts have PCOS). (more…)

Making Breast Milk: You’ll Have Plenty for Your Newborn Baby

Oct 14, 2013 | Diet and Nutrition, Family Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Women's Health

At Mount Sinai Beth Israel, we place every healthy, full-term baby skin to skin (baby naked, not wrapped in a blanket) with his or her mother immediately after birth. The skin-to-skin contact warms the baby and stimulates the release of oxytocin and prolactin—the hormones responsible for milk production—in the mother.

The more skin-to-skin contact a mother has with her baby, the more stable (heart rate, breathing, body temperature, blood pressure) baby is, and the more breast milk mother makes. Babies who are held skin to skin cry very infrequently, and so do not lose body heat. Babies held skin to skin also have stable blood sugar levels, preventing the need for supplemental milk. (more…)

3 Body-Weight Exercises to Do at Home or Outside

Sep 23, 2013 | Exercise, Health Tips, Men's Health, Popular, Women's Health

Weight lifting doesn’t always have to happen at the gym—any park bench, open space, shady tree or living room can be a great place to get in shape! Lifting is an important part of wellness and physical fitness. It helps break down and rebuild muscle, which in turn burns more calories and tones the body. You don’t need weights to lift, either; with enough repetition and sets, your own body weight can be used in training to get in shape. (more…)