Menopause is something only old ladies get, right? At the very least, it’s something your grandmother or your mom goes through.
Actually, approximately 1 in every 1000 women between the ages of 15-29 and 1 in every 100 women between the ages of 30-39 develop premature menopause—that is, menopause that occurs before the age of 40.
Women may hit menopause early due to genetics, illness, or medical procedures. Some common genetic conditions that cause it include a history of the condition among the women in your family or an autoimmune condition such as hypothyroidism, Crohn’s disease, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. But in the vast majority of cases, the cause can’t be found.
Illnesses and medical procedures that can bring on premature menopause include:
- Chemotherapy or pelvic radiation treatments for cancer. These treatments can damage the ovaries and cause your periods to stop.
- Surgery to remove the ovaries. Surgical removal of both ovaries causes menopause right away. A woman’s periods will stop after this surgery, and her hormones drop quickly.
- Surgery to remove the uterus. Some women who have a hysterectomy are able to keep their ovaries, but because their uterus is removed, they no longer have their periods. The surgery can sometimes affect the blood supply to the ovaries, too. Menopause may not be immediate but often occurs a year or two earlier than expected.
How do I know if I have early menopause?
If you are under the age of 40 and haven’t had your period for 12 months in a row, talk to your doctor. The first thing to discuss is whether you’ve had signs like hot flashes, sleep problems and vaginal dryness. The next step is to run some blood tests that can measure estrogen and related hormones. Because your hormone levels change daily, you may need to be tested more than once to know for sure.
Why should I worry about going through early menopause?
Just like any menopausal woman, women in premature menopause experience lowered estrogen levels as the ovaries stop most of their production of this hormone. And these low levels of estrogen can increase your risk for certain medical conditions, such as osteoporosis, colon and ovarian cancer, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth loss and cataract formation. Early menopause means you’ll spend a greater portion of your life without the protective benefits of your own estrogen.
Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello is a premier OB-GYN practice located in Western New York. We were established over 30 years ago with two generations of experience. If you’re worried about any changes you’re noticing in your cycle or your body, contact your doctor or call us here at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello at 716.633.6363. We’d be happy to discuss your symptoms with you.
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You’re constantly being told that you should exercise, but it can be hard to find the time—let alone the motivation! Maybe you don’t have to lose weight. Maybe you realize that the images of women’s bodies you see in magazines are as phony as a three-dollar bill. But the best reasons for getting exercise are not about how you look. There are several health issues that you can treat, or avoid, just by exercising regularly.
- Exercise will keep your heart healthy. Your heart is the hardest working muscle in your body, and any exercise that elevates your heart rate and breathing makes your heart healthier and stronger. And if you have a family history of heart disease, enjoying regular exercise can add a few years to your life.
- Exercise helps relieve stress. And we all have stress! Whether at work or at home, whenever you’re feeling stressed, get up and go for a walk or a bike ride. It’ll help calm you down and use that nervous energy for productive results.
- Exercise plays a major role preventing osteoporosis, a disease that is particularly prevalent in women. Lifting weights, running, yoga and other activities can help delay or even prevent osteoporosis.
- Exercise helps moms set a great example for their children. You’ll be teaching them about self-discipline and demonstrating how to be healthy, and the energy you get from exercise can only help you with parenting!
- Exercise may prevent certain cancers, especially breast cancer. That’s a great reason to do it.
- Exercise will lift your mood! You’ll feel great when you exercise regularly. It releases endorphins into your bloodstream that will help you sail through most of your day.
- Exercise will help you live longer! Research has proven that you can extend your lifespan by exercising regularly.
- Exercise can help you lose weight, or just control and manage it. Either way, you’ll avoid many health problems associated with being overweight.
So, what kind of exercise should you be doing?
Get some cardiovascular exercise for sure, but don’t take it too easy on yourself. If your workouts consist of lifting light weights and slow-paced cardio, you likely won’t get great results. Try:
- High-intensity training – you need to sweat and increase your heart rate.
- Heavier lifting – Doing fewer reps with more weight will burn more fat and increase your strength.
- Focusing on your upper body more often – This is an area that women need to concentrate on building.
And don’t forget, you don’t have to join a gym to get exercise. Walk, run or bike around the block, chase your kids or your dog around the yard, or lift weights while you’re watching TV. As the old slogan said, “Just do it!”
Looking for a top OBGYN practice in Buffalo? The doctors at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello MD are committed to helping our patients achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We are committed to women’s health. Call us to find out more information about our practice or make an appointment today!
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Endometriosis is a common health problem in women and girls. In fact, this painful, chronic disease affects at least 6.3 million women and girls in the United States, 1 million in Canada, and millions more worldwide. Endometriosis can occur in any teen or woman who has menstrual periods.
What is it?
Endometriosis (pronounced en-doh-mee-tree-OH-suhs) gets its name from the word endometrium (en-doh-MEE-tree-um), the tissue that lines the uterus or womb. Endometriosis occurs when this tissue grows outside of the uterus on other organs or structures in the body.
Most often, endometriosis is found on the:
- Ovaries
- Fallopian tubes
- Tissues that hold the uterus in place
- Outer surface of the uterus
- Lining of the pelvic cavity
It can also grow spread to the vagina, cervix, vulva, bowel, bladder or rectum.
How do I know if I have endometriosis?
The most common symptom of endometriosis is pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, or the lower back, mainly during menstrual periods.
Why?
The misplaced tissue develops into growths or lesions that respond to the menstrual cycle in the same way that the endometrium does: each month the tissue builds up, breaks down, and sheds. Menstrual blood flows from the uterus and out of the body through the vagina, but the blood and tissue shed from endometrial growths has no way of leaving the body. This results in internal bleeding, breakdown of the blood and tissue from the lesions, and inflammation — and can cause pain, infertility, scar tissue formation, adhesions, and bowel problems.
Symptoms of endometriosis can include:
- Very painful menstrual cramps
- Chronic pain in the lower back and pelvis
- Pain during or after sex
- Intestinal pain
- Painful bowel movements or painful urination during menstrual periods
- Spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods
- Infertility or not being able to get pregnant
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or nausea, especially during menstrual periods
What should I do if I think I have endometriosis?
Visit your doctor as soon as possible. Sometimes endometriosis is mistaken for other health problems that cause pelvic pain and the exact cause might be hard to pinpoint.
The only way for your doctor to know for sure that you have endometriosis is to perform a minor surgical procedure called a laparoscopy (lap-ar-OS-ko-pee) on you. Performed under anesthesia, a laparoscopy will allow your doctor to see the location, size, and extent of any endometrial growths. This will help you and your doctor make better treatment choices.
At Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello OBGYN, we are experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. If you would like to know more about this condition or what you can do about it, please contact us any time. We are a premier OBGYN practice in Buffalo with locations in Kenmore, Alden and Willamsville.
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If you made New Year’s resolutions for 2014, probably at least one of them was related to health or fitness. And if you’re like most people, you’ve already started to fall behind on those resolutions, if you haven’t given up already.
It’s normal to find it tough to stay on track with a regular fitness routine, but let’s make this the year you take care of you. Try these practical tips that are easy to implement and can drastically increase your chances for success.
1. Start a goal board.
This can be as small as placing Post-It notes in strategic places to keep your resolutions top of mind, or as large as a white board where you outline your personal goals and plans for the year. Putting your goals in writing, where you can see them, helps not only with visual motivation but also to chart your progress.
2. Create monthly goals.
It’s common to lose sight of your New Year’s fitness goals by mid-February, but if you have specific goals set for each month, it can help keep you motivated and on track. What’s your goal for this month? Keep it SMART— specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.
3. Take small steps.
Drink 8 ounces of water every morning before having a cup of coffee. Exercise three times a week for 30 minutes (60 minutes if you are active already). Use the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Turn off all technology by 8 p.m., go to bed at 10 p.m., and wake up at 6 a.m. Prepare a healthy lunch and snacks for the next day before you go to bed. These little lifestyle changers will add up!
4. Create support for yourself.
Tell friends about your plans. Find a community or group—online or in person—that is on a similar path. Nothing helps keep you on track more than supportive friends, who can encourage you along the way and congratulate you when you have achieved a milestone. And checking in with your network helps keep you accountable for your actions and helps you celebrate your progress.
5. Keep on moving.
Sometimes setbacks will happen, but don’t throw in the towel and quit if you have a bad day or a bad week. Just keep moving forward and get started again. It’s never too late to start again when it comes to your health!
At Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, your health is our top priority! Please call and make an appointment if you’d like to visit a top OBGYN practice in Buffalo that cares about your overall well-being.
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This month, you’ll see hearts everywhere in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Have you ever stopped to consider whether you’re taking care of your own heart? While February 14th only comes once a year, you can boost your own heart’s health 365 days a year with these five tips:
1. Find activities you love
Maybe you’ve always thought that making exercise a regular part of your life means sweating it out for hours at the gym. But activities like walking, dancing in your living room, swimming, bowling and even cleaning the house can count as exercise as long as you’re getting a little out of breath when you’re doing them.
Make a list of all of the active things you like to do and find a way to make at least one of them a part of your day, every day. Once you’ve made those activities into regular habits, try new ones—maybe now you’d feel more confident joining an exercise or dance class.
2. Remember the power of 10
You may think you don’t have time to exercise, but you can get heart-health benefits from just 10-minute bouts of activity. For example, ten minutes of walking three times a day has been shown to lower blood pressure more effectively than a one 30-minute stretch of walking. Try a simple schedule of walking once before work, once over lunch and once after dinner, and you’ve just squeezed in a good amount of exercise!
3. Add something other than cardio
When you think of heart-healthy exercise, you probably think of aerobic or cardiovascular activities like jogging. But strength training, like lifting weights or doing push-ups and lunges can improve the health of your ticker, too. When you lift weights at a moderate intensity, you’ll raise your heart rate—you’ll be working both your muscular system and your cardiovascular system. And when you make your muscles stronger, you make your entire body stronger. So try to do some resistance training a few times a week.
4. Find ways to lower your stress level
Stress plays a critical role in heart health, and exercise is great at kicking stress to the curb. Workouts like yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi are especially good for de-stressing and improving the mind-body connection. If you’re not ready to try those activities, try meditation or just a relaxing hot bath with some soft music playing. It’s important to give your heart a break from the stresses of your regular lifestyle.
5. Eat healthy foods
Of course you have to fuel yourself right to power yourself through your day and your workouts. Eating a diet that’s rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats is key. Colorful foods like pomegranates, blueberries, tomatoes, and spinach are rich in heart-healthy antioxidants, while fatty fish like salmon, sardines, or rainbow trout twice a week provide omega-3 fatty acids, which help decrease your blood pressure.
At Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, we promote a patient’s total health. If you’d like to find out more about our OB-GYN practice in Buffalo, call us anytime or visit our website at wny-obgyn.com.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net.
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It’s International Prenatal Infection Prevention Month, which many of you have probably never heard of.
But it’s important to spread the word about some conditions that can cause serious problems for both you and your unborn baby:
Group B Strep
If you are pregnant, you need to know whether you have group B strep. About 25 percent of all women carry the bacteria that can cause group B strep infection. These bacteria are usually not harmful to you and won’t make the people around you sick—but they can be very dangerous for your newborn.
Babies can get very sick and even die if their mothers pass group B strep bacteria to them during childbirth. Ask your healthcare provider for a group B strep test when you are in your third trimester, at around 35 to 37 weeks pregnant. If you test positive, your doctor can give you an antibiotic during labor to prevent the bacteria from spreading to your baby.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
A pregnant woman infected with CMV can pass the virus to her baby during pregnancy. Most babies born with CMV infection will be fine, but some may be born with problems such as hearing or vision loss or mental disabilities, or develop issues later on.
How can you avoid getting cytomegalovirus? CMV is passed from infected people to others through body fluids, such as saliva, urine, blood, vaginal secretions and semen, but it doesn’t spread very easily. For pregnant women, the two most common ways they contract CMV is through sexual activity or contact with the saliva and urine of children who already have a CMV infection.
If you’re pregnant and have contact with a CMV-infected child, wash your hands soap and water after changing the child’s diapers, wiping their nose or mouth and touching their toys, pacifier, or other objects. Don’t share food, drinks, eating utensils or a toothbrush with the child and disinfect all toys, countertops or other surfaces that may have the child’s saliva or urine on them.
Listeriosis
Listeriosis is a rare but serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria called Listeria. Pregnant women are about 10 times more likely than the general population to get listeriosis. Listeriosis during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or infection in newborns.
To prevent contracting listeriosis, avoid certain foods during pregnancy, such as:
- hot dogs and lunchmeats unless they have been heated/reheated to more than 160 degrees F
- raw (unpasteurized) milk
- soft cheeses such as feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses and Mexican-style cheeses unless they are made from pasteurized milk,
- raw or undercooked seafood, such as sushi or sashimi
- refrigerated pates and meat spreads
- refrigerated smoked seafood.
Pregnant women should also take extra precautions not to get fluid from delicatessen meat or hot dog packages on other foods or food preparation surfaces.
At Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, we believe an informed patient is a healthy patient—and healthy patients are our goal! To make an appointment with one of our doctors, please call us. We are a top OB-GYN practice in Buffalo.
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Are you thinking about trying to have a baby? Before you take that leap, take the time to evaluate your current health and habits. Taking care of your body and your health before you try to get pregnant will not only help you get pregnant. It can also improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby. How?
1. Visit Your Doctor
Tell your doctor your plans, so the two of you can discuss your personal and family health histories and any medical conditions you currently have that could affect a pregnancy, such as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), diabetes, thyroid disease, phenylketonuria (PKU), seizure disorders, high blood pressure, arthritis or eating disorders. You’ll need to review which medicines you’re currently taking, vaccinations that you might need, and steps you can take before pregnancy to prevent certain birth defects. If you’ve been pregnant before, the two of you can go over any previous pregnancy-related problems.
2. Quit Birth Control
This one sounds like a given, but depending on what form you use, you may need some time. If you use an IUD, your doctor will need to remove it. If you take the Pill or use Depo-Provera, you might not ovulate for month. Give your body time to adjust and restart its own monthly cycle.
3. Take 400 Micrograms of Folic Acid Every Day
Folic acid is a B vitamin. You’ll want to have enough folic acid in your body for at least 1 month before pregnancy, then during pregnancy, to help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine.
4. Stop Drinking Alcohol, Smoking, and Using Street Drugs
If you smoke, regularly drink alcohol or use street drugs, be honest with your doctor. These habits can cause many problems during pregnancy for you and your baby, such as premature birth, birth defects and infant death. Your doctor can help you quit, or find someone who can.
5. Avoid Toxic Substances and Contaminants
Both at work and at home, stay away from potentially harmful materials like synthetic chemicals, fertilizer, bug spray and cat or rodent feces (have someone else clean the litter box or do your weeding). Any of these substances can hurt your reproductive system and make it more difficult to get pregnant. And exposure to even small amounts during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, or puberty can lead to diseases.
6. Maintain a Healthy Weight
If you are overweight or obese, you run a higher risk for many serious conditions, including pregnancy complications, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. If you are underweight, you’re also at risk for serious health problems. If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, talk with your doctor about ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight before you get pregnant.
Once you are pregnant, be sure to keep up all of your new healthy habits and get regular prenatal care from your doctor. If you have any questions about planning a pregnancy or are newly pregnant, please call Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello. Your health is our top priority!
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By admin
13 Jan, 2014
Pregnancy, Women's Health
calcium when pregnant, Dr. Adel Chouchani, Dr. Carola Bagnarello, Dr. Christian Chouchani, Dr. Gabriel Chouchani, Dr. Magdi Sayegh, how much calcium do I need, WNY OB-GYN, women and calcium, women's calcium intake
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body, but you also lose it every day through your skin, nails, hair, sweat, urine and feces—and our bodies cannot produce new calcium on their own. If you don’t get enough for your body’s needs, calcium is taken from your bones, causing osteoporosis.
Calcium plays many vital roles in your body, including:
- building healthy bones and teeth and keeping them strong as you age,
- sending messages through the nervous system,
- maintaining healthy blood vessels,
- regulating blood pressure,
- preventing insulin resistance (which could lead to Type 2 diabetes),
- helping your blood clot, and
- regulating your heart’s rhythm.
Obviously, if you want to enjoy good health, you need to make sure you have enough calcium in your diet. And once you understand the basics, it’s not that hard to include it in your diet and get the calcium you need.
Supplements vs. Food
Your body can absorb more calcium from food than it can from supplements, so your calcium intake should come primarily from the food you eat. People who get most of their calcium from food have stronger bones.
Calcium from food often comes with other beneficial nutrients that help calcium do its job, like Vitamin D.
Doctors advise that you get as much of your daily calcium needs from food as possible and use supplements only to make up any shortfall. Older women who get high amounts of calcium from supplements seem to have a higher risk of kidney stones and strokes. And using high-dose calcium supplements may increase your risk of heart disease.
How much calcium is right for you?
The healthiest or safest amount of dietary calcium hasn’t been definitively established. Different scientific approaches have yielded different estimates. To ensure that 95 percent of the population gets this much calcium, the National Academy of Sciences established the following recommended intake levels:
- Age 19 to 50: 1,000 milligrams/day
- Age 50 or over: 1,200 milligrams/day
- Pregnant or lactating adult women 1,000 milligrams/day
Good food sources of calcium
So what foods can you eat to get enough calcium in your diet? You probably know about dairy products, like milk, yogurt, and cheese, but here are some unexpected sources:
- White Beans
- Canned Salmon
- Sardines
- Dried Figs
- Bok Choy
- Blackstrap Molasses
- Kale
- Black-eyed Peas
- Almonds
- Oranges
- Turnip Greens
- Sesame Seeds
- Seaweed
At Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, we believe in supporting the total health of our patients and our community. If you have any questions about your dietary or nutritional needs, we’d be happy to help. Contact us anytime at any of our three convenient WNY locations.
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By admin
15 Dec, 2013
Breast health, Women's Health
breast self-exam, check your breasts every month, Dr. Adel Chouchani, Dr. Carola Bagnarello, Dr. Christian Chouchani, Dr. Gabriel Chouchani, Dr. Magdi Sayegh, is breast self-exam important?, the benefits of breast self-exam, WNY OB-GYN
You probably mean to do your breast self-exam (BSE) every month, but it often slips your mind, right? Or maybe you’ve heard that some people don’t think BSE is helpful in detecting breast cancer early and increasing the likelihood of survival. But experts still believe that BSE is a useful and essential screening strategy, especially in conjunction with regular physical exams by a doctor and mammography. Why?
Sure, there are statistics that say things like:
- About 20% of the time, breast cancers are found by physical examination rather than by mammography
- Nine out of 10 breast masses are detected through BSE.
But put aside the numbers and the science. The point is, in order to keep yourself healthy, you need to know your body better than anyone else! And being proactive with your health means doing whatever you can to lower your chances of developing breast cancer—which includes making sure that if breast cancer does develop it is caught early, in a treatable stage. With early detection and treatment, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer soars to more than 90%. Plus, performing your monthly BSE will help to determine what is normal for your breasts, and help you recognize a change.
The experience can be frustrating—for example, you may feel things but not know what they mean. But the more often you do it, the more you’ll learn about your own breasts and what’s normal for them, and the easier it will be for you to tell if something different or unusual is going on.
Perform your BSE 6 days after your period or on the first day of the month, if you no longer have periods. Remember that everyone’s breasts are different, and that any changes you see or feel can be related to aging, your menstrual cycle, pregnancy, menopause or hormone use. Regular BSE will help to identify changes that require further evaluation and possible treatment.
What should you look for?
- Lumps, hard knots or thickening in the breast or underarm area
- Unusual swelling, warmth, redness or darkening that does not go away
- Change in the size or shape of your breast
- Dimpling or puckering of the skin
- An itch, scaly sore or rash on the nipple
- Pulling in of the nipple or other parts of the breast
- Nipple discharge that starts suddenly or is bloody
- Pain that is localized in one area and that does not vary with your monthly cycle
Nobody wants to think about getting cancer. But the fact is, taking the time to check yourself out is your best defense when it comes to caring for your health. If you have any questions about how to perform your BSE, ask your doctor – or call Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello, MD. We’d be happy to offer any help you need.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net.
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By admin
13 Dec, 2013
Women's Health
Dr. Adel Chouchani, Dr. Carola Bagnarello, Dr. Christian Chouchani, Dr. Gabriel Chouchani, Dr. Magdi Sayegh, how to avoid the winter blues, Vitamin D supplements in the winter, why Vitamin D supplements are important, winter blues in Western New York, WNY OB-GYN, women's health tips
Medical professionals have known for decades that everyone’s vitamin D levels drop in the wintertime, especially those who live in the northern part of the country. Why is it a problem? Because vitamin D deficiency is connected with several health issues, especially anxiety and depression, and you may need to take extra action to keep your vitamin D levels high enough, and steady.
Vitamin D helps your body use calcium to build and maintain strong bones. It may also increase muscle strength to help prevent falls and broken bones as you age. And low levels of vitamin D have been linked with high blood pressure, diabetes, hypothyroidism, arthritis, and cancer.
Then there’s seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs during the winter months, when there’s not much sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency can actually cause depression year-round.
Why is it so hard to get enough vitamin D in the winter? Mostly because of the lack of sun.
Your body gets vitamin D from three places: sunlight, food and supplements. Your body makes Vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the ultraviolet light (UVB rays) from the sun. During Western New York’s snowy, often overcast winter days, you won’t get enough UVB rays to make enough vitamin D. And the foods where vitamin D is found—cod liver oil, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and tuna and eggs—are often high in fat and low in popularity. It’s no wonder most of us need to supplement!
How much should you take? If your doctor has tested your vitamin D levels and found them to be too low, he or she may prescribe a very high level supplement to be taken for a short period of time. After that time, a maintenance dose should suffice.
It’s been proven that women who take supplements in winter are able to significantly elevate their vitamin D levels compared to those who don’t take supplements. It’s yet another way you can take care of yourself and your health, something that the doctors at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello encourage. Please make an appointment with us if you have any health concerns you feel we can help you with!
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