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Spotting after your period? It might be a vaginal infection

BySandra Ishkanes

Seeing blood spots in your underwear when your period ended days ago can feel puzzling and concerning. Known as intermenstrual bleeding, spotting between periods and ovulation is not normally cause for alarm. But in some cases, it can indicate an underlying vaginal infection needs treatment. The most common culprits of bleeding between cycles are bacterial vaginosis (BV), yeast infections, and sexually transmitted diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea. Here’s an overview of how these infections lead to spotting: Rising oestrogen levels approaching ovulation create an environment in the vagina that promotes the growth of bad bacteria and yeast. The hormonal changes make women more susceptible to infections during this time of the cycle. While usually not severe, vaginal infections should always be treated properly. The first step is to test for any infections. My preferred options are at a local sexual health clinic, making sure that also include a test for BV, or I can order the Vaginal Ecologix test for you, and you can gain a comprehensive picture of your vaginal microbiome and identify specific infections. In most cases, vaginal infection-related bleeding is short-lived once treated. But if you ever experience heavy, persistent bleeding between cycles, seek medical care promptly. So don’t ignore sporadic spotting. It may be your body’s signalling an underlying infection needing attention. With proper treatment, you can restore healthy vaginal flora, tissue, and pH balance.
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Blood test can predict when women will have their last period

BySandra Ishkanes

For some women, reaching the menopause can be one of life’s milestones, but when it will happen is a big unknown. Now a blood test can help predict when a woman’s last menstrual period is likely to be. The test, called MenoCheck, can’t give a firm date, but it can tell women who are over 47 if they are likely to stop having periods within the next year. It would be most useful for those considering being sterilised or having surgery for painful or heavy periods, says Nanette Santoro at the University of Colorado Medical School in Aurora. “They may be wondering how much longer they have to put up with this.” The average age at which menopause occurs is 51, but in most cases, it can happen any time from a person’s forties to early sixties. Periods usually become more infrequent before stopping for good. They stop because the ovaries run out of functioning eggs, which leads to lower levels of anti-Mullerian hormone – a chemical made by eggs – in blood. Previous tests haven’t been able to measure the very low levels of anti-Mullerian hormone present in the year or two before menopause. But MenoCheck, which has been on sale for about a year, is more sensitive. To see how well it does, Santoro’s team used it on blood samples taken at yearly intervals from about 1500 women taking part in a different menopause study. Santoro is a consultant for MenoCheck’s manufacturer Ansh Labs. The team found that those over 47 whose anti-Mullerian hormone level was below a certain cut-off had a 67 per cent chance of having their last period within the next year, and an 82 per cent chance of having it within two. Most women wouldn’t need to take the test to know that they are nearing the menopause, says Esther Eisenberg at the US’s National Institutes of Health. Yet without it, women can only be advised that if their periods have started to become irregular, they are likely to stop completely within four years, says Santoro. READ MORE
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Can You Get Pregnant After Menopause? The Answer May Surprise You

BySandra Ishkanes

Menopause, despite the fact that it has happened or will happen to every single person with a vagina, is still a pretty confusing milestone—especially for those who experience it. For the most part, it’s common knowledge that, once a woman stops having her period, then she also stops having the ability to have children. Or at least it was, until news reports highlight that women past childbearing age—like Omaha native Cecile Edge, at 61 years old—are able to give birth to their own grandchildren in some instances. So what gives? Can you give birth after menopause? Health asked ob-gyns about any misconceptions that may be had around if (and how) someone can give birth after hitting menopause—and what to know about giving birth past childbearing age. READ MORE
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Happy ever after: 25 ways to live well into old age

BySandra Ishkanes

Determined to enjoy longer and healthier lives, two women researched the science to find the key. Here, they share what they discovered. When Susan Saunders was 36, her mother was diagnosed with severe dementia. “I had a toddler, a newborn, a full-time job as a TV producer – and I became a carer as well.” As a teenager, she had watched her mum care for her own mother, who had the same condition. “I became determined to do everything I could to increase my chances of ageing well.” Annabel Streets’ story is similar. When she was a student, her grandfather died from cancer months after he retired; later, she watched her mother care for her grandmother, who lived with dementia and crippling rheumatoid arthritis for nearly 30 years. “When I developed a chronic autoimmune disease, I knew things had to change. But by then I had four young children and there was precious little time for my own health.” Together, Saunders and Streets started researching the latest science on how to have a healthier, happier old age and how to apply it to their own lives, and blogged about their findings for five years. Their Age Well Project has now been published as a book, compiling almost 100 shortcuts to health in mid-and later life – and Streets and Saunders, who are both in their 50s, say they have never been in better health. What did they learn? READ MORE
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Do vitamins help with menopause?

BySandra Ishkanes

As women start to produce less estrogen and enter perimenopause, they are likely to experience a mix of challenging symptoms. These include hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and mood swings. Menstrual periods may get lighter or heavier and less regular, but once a woman has not had a period for 12 months, they are in menopause. Then, the symptoms experienced over the previous years begin to subside. There is a range of vitamins and supplements available to help women manage the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. READ MORE
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‘Surgical menopause’ linked to poor memory and early-onset dementia

BySandra Ishkanes

Almost 4,000 women in the UK undergo operations each year to remove their ovaries. The procedure, which triggers the menopause, is often carried out on younger women to prevent cancer. But now scientists from Toronto University have linked the surgery with a reduction in memory and thinking skills. Experts fear this may eventually lead to early-onset dementia for many women, and even to Alzheimer’s. READ MORE
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Changing vaginal microbiome triggers and relieves atrophy

BySandra Ishkanes

Postmenopausal vulvovaginal atrophy is associated with age-related changes in the vaginal microbiome, with a shift from Lactobacillus-dominated strains in premenopause to a predominance of anaerobic organisms, new research shows. “We have not yet identified specific interventions, but we are interested in pursuing personalized selections of probiotics and prebiotics for a given woman,” said lead investigator Rebecca Brotman, PhD. “We have been advocating probiotics or prebiotics to improve vaginal health for almost 30 years,” said Gregor Reid, PhD. “I 100% support the conclusions of this work. It is nice to see confirmation of work we published in 2011, with an aberrant microbiota associated with some cases of vulvovaginal atrophy,” Dr. Reid told Medscape Medical News (PLoS One, 2011;6:e26602). READ MORE

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