Women's Health: Ask Your Questions!
Tuesday, October 19th, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

From infertility to preventing osteoporosis. Do you have questions about women's health topics?

We will do our best to answer all questions about this topic submitted in advance and during the live chat session. We look forward to continuing to be your resources for healthcare information, motivation and empowerment.

Thanks for submitting your questions, the chat is now over.

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Q: Claire of GREENFIELD - I am having problems with the joints in two of my fingers. One on each hand. When I wake up in the morning, those two fingers are usually bent onto the palm of my hand and will not open up with the rest of my fingers. I have to pull at them to open them up and they feel like they are out of the joint. It is not painfull but is uncomfortable. My question is: what kind of Doctor should I see for this condition?
A: Moderators - Sounds like so-called "trigger finger" caused by scarring in the tendon part of your hand. It's actually not that uncommon, and can occur on both sides. It is usually a minor procedure to correct. I'd call your primary care doctor, if you have one, and ask about it. But orthopedic surgeons tend to do that operation, and hand specialists LOVE to do that operation, and you can find a name of a hand specialist near you in the Yellow Pages.

Good luck!

Dr. Scott Tannehill
Columbia-St Mary's Hospital




Q: linda of men.falls - Are the over the counter soy supplements help with hot flashes and sleep problems?
A: Moderators - There is some controversy on this, but the majority of the evidence (that is, the results of trials where we give patients a placebo or the soy supplement and they don't know which is which) is that soy supplements do NOT significantly help hot flashes and sleep problems. But then, I have patients who take them and swear by them. The important thing to know is that, for the most part, they are safe PROVIDED you buy one from a US-based pharmaceutical company which has good quality control. Try the GNC stores, they tend to be good about quality products. Don't order something from another country or anything.

Good luck

Dr. Scott Tannehill
Columbia St. Mary's Hospital




Q: Mary of Whitefish Bay - I was on bedrest with my first baby from 28 weeks to 37 weeks because of being a little dialated and 50% effaced, some contractions showed up on monitor also. What are the chances of me going through that with the 2nd pregnancy? Is there anything I can do to help prevent it? Exercise?
A: Moderators - There is an increase risk of this happening again, but it is not guaranteed. Your doctor will probably want to monitor you more closely, including ultrasound, to check for changes that could increase your risk. Unfortunately, other that maintaining your health, there is little else that can be done at your end. As far as exercise during pregnancy, I would check to see what your doctor is comfortable with. Exercise before pregnancy is fine.




Q: Nilish of Milwaukee - I had Ectopic Prganacy last month. I had surgery on Ist sept,2004 in Northwest community hospital, Arlington ,IL . I am 31 years old. I want to become mother.How long we have to wait for conceive baby.
A: Moderators - The general rule is to try for 1 year. If you haven't gotten pregnant by then, then an infertility workup is recommended. However, there are some signs you can look for to increase your chances. Around ovulation, a woman produces a vaginal discharge. Your fertility is at its peak when you have the largest amount of thin, slippery mucus (like an egg white). You can also buy urine sticks over the counter that check for the hormone that is produced at ovulation or ovulation monitor, but that gets more expensive.

Good luck!

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St Mary's




Q: Untitled of men. falls - if a woman has had a miscarrage with triploid and molar pregnancy is it safe to take the birthcontrol pill for one year,( as the md. does not want a preg. for one year) when possible cause of this condition could be from the birthcontrol pill? seems confusing!
A: Moderators - The Pill does not cause molar pregancy. The reason your doctor wants you to wait is that the hormones produced by a molar pregnancy that has spread is the same hormone that the baby produces in pregnancy. If you are truly concerned, you may want to discuss other methods with your doctor.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St Mary's




Q: Denise of Milwaukee - What is an inhospitable uterus and how can a woman make sure her environmet is as hospitable as possible when she is trying to conceive? Thanks!
A: Moderators - I am not sure what you mean by an inhospitable uterus. You may want to go over that with your doctor where there is more give and take (write your questions down so you don't forget).

As far as making sure her environment is as "hospitable" as possible for getting pregnant, some general rules apply.

1. Realize that children do best when raised with both parents. Don't try to use a baby to make your relationship better. It won't work.

2. Keep yourself healthy. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Exercise regularly. Stop smoking. Avoid illegal drugs. Keep alcohol to a minimum (less than 1 oz per day and none when the pregnancy test is positive!). Take some folic acid.

3. If you take any medicines on a regular basis, see your doctor first. Your medicince may need to be changed, adjusted, or even stopped. There may be other tests that need to be done to be sure you are at the best of health that you can be.

4. Finally, watch for the changes your body goes through as it cycles. Women are most fertile when they have the largest quantity and quality of clear, stretchy mucus, similar to egg whites.

I hope this helps.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Dawn of Milwaukee - Can PMS symptoms (severe migraines, cramps, bloatedness, increased length of menstrual cycle, etc.) get worse after you have a child or as you age? I am 34, had a child 3 years ago and have had PMS symptoms every month since, progressivly getting worse. Prior to giving birth, I had extremely mild to no symptoms, so this is quite an unwelcome change. I am not on any oc's and would rather now be...but could this be the answer to controlling PMS? Thanks! Dawn
A: Moderators - PMS is related more to age than childbirth. The increase in your cycle length may be one of the reasons why you have the other symptoms. You do not need to be on OCs, in fact they may worsen your symptoms.

Other treatments can include taking ibuprofen or Aleve, which can help with the pain and bloating. Also, calcium 1000-1500 mg per day has been shown to reduce symptoms by 75% after 3 months.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Megan of Oak Creek - I've been taking birth control pills for years but plan to stop in the next year or so in order to have children. I've heard that it can take up to two years to get pregnant if you've been taking birth control for a long period of time; is there any truth to this?
A: Moderators - Birth control pills can mask changes that could be occurring in your body. While most women begin to cycle quickly, others may take several months. In general, women on the Pill take only a few months longer to get pregnant that with other methods of contraception.

Nevertheless, if you haven't gotten pregnant after trying for 1 year (if you are under 35) or 6 months (if over), then you should contact your doctor.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Jared of Milwaukee - My wife has a pretty big problem with reoccuring hemmeroids. I've told her to look into surgery but she's appalled by the idea. What are the pros/cons? Is surgery a permanent solution?
A: Moderators - There are two kinds of hemorrhoids: internal, and external. The operation to remove each is a bit different. Both operations are safe and effective. The easy "outside" hemorrhoids can be opened up with local anesthesia in 10 minutes in an urgent care clinic. The "inside" hemorrhoids are best managed by a general surgeon. In either case, the treatment is easy, effective, and has a VERY low risk of serious side effects. If she is really having pain from this problem, I stronly suggest your wife see a doctor about it...she'll probably thank you for encouraging her.

Good luck.

Dr. Scott Tannehill
Columbia St. Mary's Hospital




Q: Tina of Milwaukee - I am 43 years old. For the past 23 years, I have had an annual Pap smear and the results were always negative. Do I need to have a Pap smear every year?
A: Moderators - Good question. Several different organizations have different opinions, but the bottom line is that, if your Pap smears have all been completely normal for the past 23 years AND you don't have any "risk factors" for contracting the cervical-cancer causing virus HPV (human papilloma-virus), then you could certainly start skipping every other year and just do it every TWO years. That would be safe. If you and your sexual partner have been completely monogamous (neither of you have has sex or sexual contact with other people in the past 20 or so years), then you could also extend this Pap smear interval out to every three years.

I don't think I'd advocate you go longer than every three years on Pap smears, though. And if you've ever had a mild abnormality or worse, then stick with doing it yearly.

Cervical cancer is the key think Pap smears are designed to detect early, to allow more effective treatment with relatively few side effects. Cervical cancer is caused by HPV virus, which is sexually transmitted. There are over 70 types of HPV, and only a few of them cause cervix cancer. The rest don't do any harm, generally, except maybe causing warts.

If you've ever had genital warts, that's a type of HPV...in that case you should continue your Pap smears yearly.

Hope this helps. any other questions, please feel free to call your doctor's office. If you "Google" that question ("Pap smears") then you'll probably get a lot of links for additional information.

Regards,

Dr. Scott Tannehill
Columbia St. Mary's Hospital




Q: Mandy of Milwaukee - I am a week late for my period. I have taken 5 pregnancy tests at all different period of the day as well as the week that my period was suppose to be here and now today. All of the tests have come back negative. I really don't think that I am pregnant, but I am not sure what else could be causing this. I did some research and they said that it could be from stress or I might not have ovulated. Lately, I have had a lot of stress, but I want to make sure that something else isn't going on and I want to make sure that I am not pregnant. What are some other causes that may affect my period? Do you still think there is a chance I could be pregnant?
A: Moderators - Even the most regular of women can have an occasional irregular cycle. And stress can delay ovulation as well.

If the urine pregnancy test is negative, and you're sure you're doing it properly. However, the pregnancy test takes about 2 weeks after conception to be positive. And remember, ovulation is probably delayed, not eliminated, so don't let your quard down.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Lisa of Menomonee Falls - Does a biopsy cause any conditions in a woman that may cause her partner to develop an infection?
A: Moderators - This may be a bit long-winded answer, because I'm not sure exactly what kind of situation you have, here.

First, I'll "read into" your question, and assume that you had a biopsy recently, and that your sexual partner, male or female, now has some symptoms that makes you think he/she acquired an infection from sexual contact.

In the first place, don't try to connect the two events. If this is the case, get your partner checked out by a health care provider. Period.

If you had a biopsy recently for something NOT involving a sexually transmitted disease, then you can probably reassure your partner that he/she will NOT "catch" anything.

If you had a biopsy to see if you have a sexually transmitted disease, then your partner certainly could acquire it through sexual contact. If you and your partner have already had sexual contact, odds are that he/she is already at risk to get that infection...in which case you might want to have your partner evaluated by a doctor also, to be sure. Some conditions can be treated very effectively with medicines. Also, "knowing" can help prevent unnecessary tests and such in the future if he/she develops symptoms from it.

Now, to get to your question....If you had a biopsy of your vagina or cervix, you may get an infection afterwards VERY RARELY. More often than not, a biopsy might cause you to get a yeast infection, which is a simple fungal infection which will resolve on its own, or respond to any over-the-counter medicines. Yeast infections are common...any disruption in the normal chemical balance of the vagina can cause yeast infections. Some women get them repeatedly, some women get them after taking antibiotics for another problem, etc. But yeast infections, while they can survive on teh skin of a man's penis, don't ever really cause infection in the man. In fact, the fungus that causes the infection is a "normal" occupant of the vagina...it's when it grows out of control that we call in an infection.

Other kinds of vaginal infections include bacterial (vaginosis), and sexually transmitted infections like Chlamydia and others. Almost all infections a parnter (male or female) might acquire are generally sexually transmitted....and I can't see how an infection from a biopsy of your vagina or cervix would occur that way.

In summary, it's hard to answer your question directly because there many ways to interpret the question. I hope this info is helpful, but please call a doctor's office for more assistance.

Regards,

Dr. Scott Tannehill
Columbia St Mary's Hospital




Q: Gloria of Oak Creek - Is it true that women sweat more during ovulation, and if yes, why does this happen - hormones?
A: Moderators - This is not something I am familiar with. You may want to bring this up with your regular doctor. Sometimes in the give and take of a conversation, more information can be obtained and the cause can be determined.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Marilyn of Milwaukee - I am 51 and have, for the 1st time ever, had prolonged vaginal bleeding now for 25 days. This is, I know, perimenopausal related. I have been scheduled for a pelvic ultra sound and GYN visit but not until mid November. Is it possible that I might bleed every day all the way up until menopause, whenever that might be?
A: Moderators - If you are going through more than two pads a day, I'd call your doctor and ask (what the heck, you're the boss of your health care)...INSIST that he/she see you sooner to make sure you aren't losing too much blood from this. That would be an odd thing, losing that much blood in that short a time due to the quirky irregular bleeding that comes during perimenopause, but a quick exam and single blood test (a hematocrit) are easy ways to reassure everyone. I'm glad you're getting an Ultrasound and Gyn exam, and if the bleeding is mild and you feel okay, then waiting until Nov is okay. You should NOT bleed continuously until you enter menopause...that is abnormal....there are a number of conditions that can cause this bleeding, most of them non-life threatening.

Good luck, and please call your regular doctor if you use more than one pad a day, OR if you are passing several large "clots" of blood a day.

Dr. Scott Tannehill, Columbia
St. Mary's Hospital




Q: Roberta of Brookfield - I hear a lot in the press about super foods such as broccoli, blueberries, spinach, etc. How many servings of these "super foods" are recommended in order to enjoy their healthy benefits?
A: Moderators - Follow the pyramid diet with at least 3 to 4 servings of fruits and vegatables per day. At least one of the super foods per day would be of benifit. Would recommend further consult with a nutrionist.

Thank you, Connie Malewicki NP




Q: Tina of Milwaukee -- South side - I take non-prescription strength (Target brand, to be exact) sleeping pills 2-3 nights per week if I'm up late working out and unable to get to sleep naturally at a decent time. Do you see any problems with this?
A: Moderators - In general, I always feel less medicine is best. The sleep you get with sleep aids is not the same quality as when it is done naturally.

Exercise too close to bedtime can cause difficulty falling asleep. Try doing it earlier or less intensely.

Try to keep to a good bedtime routine, do something relaxing the hour before bedtime.

Avoid caffeine, especially after 12 noon.

If you can't go to sleep after 30 min of trying, get up and do something relaxing (read a boring book, watch TV, etc) until you feel drowsy. Then go back to bed.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Andi of Greendale - I'm in a weight loss contest with some co-workers. I'm significantly shorter than they are, does that give me an advantage or disadvantage?
A: Moderators - Unfortunately, your height has nothing to do with how easy or hard it is to lose weight. You just have to weigh less.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Donatella of Milwaukee - Here's an odd question for you..I'm a 5'9 female (was born 10 lbs. 3 oz, and 22 inches). My husband is 6'6 and was also a large baby. I'm frightened by the potential size of our future children. Is an infant's size directly related to the size of his/her parents?
A: Moderators - The baby's size is based on family history and ethnic backround. Babies are tend to get bigger the older you are when you get pregnant. Also, when you deliver (the closer to your due date, the larger the baby).

While it can be scary thinking about how a large baby is "going to fit" when the time comes to deliver, most women and their babies do just fine.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Christine of West Allis - I was just told I have Hyperplasia with Atypia. Is there any alternative to a hysterectomy with this condition? I also want to know if a hysterectomy is necessary, is there a less invasive type that could be used for this type of condition? I have heard of vaginal hysterectomies and laprascopic ones, but don't know if these could be used for my condition. I also would like to know what the risks of hysterectomy are and, because I have a 4 year old at home, how long will it be before I'm on my feet and able to do household work?
A: Moderators - You may wish to get a second opinion if this is a concern with someone who specializes in treating women's cancers. Ask specifically what would/could happen if you decide not to have a hysterectomy. Are there alternative treatments. You could even ask that another pathologist read the slides. If they concur with the original diagnosis and treatment, then you can make an informed decision.

With a 4 year old running around the house, make sure you have help for about the first month or so. Fortunately, she is old enough to climb up beside you. Be aware of her concerns. Even if you haven't said anything directly to your child, he or she is aware that SOMETHING is going on and will react to that stress accordingly.

Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD
Columbia-St. Mary's




Q: Robin of Milwaukee - I have been taking Fosamax (35mg) for approximately 3 years for pre-osteporosis. How long should you take Fosamax? Are there any long term affects? Thank you!
A: Moderators - I would recommend taking until the next Bone Density test. At that time the medication may need to be changed. At this point we have 10 year study of safety, beyond that we don't know.

Connie Malewicki NP