«Bad advice» for visiting a gynecologist

Some women gather for an appointment with a gynecologist, as if on an important date: they put on beautiful underwear, carefully treat the bikini area, and in some cases even use fragrances. In fact, in the gynecological office, this is not all that important (except for observing the rules of personal hygiene). According to the doctors themselves, it is not the appearance of the patients that causes unpleasant feelings, but completely different things.

Doctor’s consultation: a reason for frankness

Perhaps one of the most serious problems in the doctor-patient relationship is understatement. For example, a woman does not want to admit that she had an abortion in the past. In her opinion, it was a very long time ago, which means it has nothing to do with today’s visit.

This is the wrong position. Everything that happens in a woman’s body affects her health. The number of births and abortions affects the quality of the functions of the reproductive system, and also increases the likelihood of certain diseases.

You can not remain silent about the transferred venereal diseases. There are cases when a specialist unsuccessfully tries to determine the cause of infertility, and the problem lies in the chlamydia transferred several years ago, which the patient decided not to talk about.

Going to the doctor’s appointment, we strain memory

Another way to avoid telling the doctor the truth is to forget about it. Sometimes women are not able to remember not only what drugs they took before, but also other important points, for example, the installation of an intrauterine device several years ago.

Despite the fact that the patient comes to the doctor’s office with a specific problem, past manipulations, as well as drug prescriptions, can also be important for the correct diagnosis. That is why, if the lady was previously observed in another medical institution, the doctor may ask to bring extracts from the card, as well as the results of past examinations.

When going to a doctor’s appointment, it is advisable to strain your memory to give the exact date of the last menstrual cycle — this is usually one of the first questions that the doctor asks. Despite the large number of modern calendar applications that eliminate the problem of forgetting, some patients are not able to remember this number, using the expressions: “I think”, “maybe” and “I don’t remember exactly”.

Her own doctor

Unfortunately, specialists of all directions are faced with a similar problem in our time. Why go to the doctor when you can just look on the Internet, study the characteristics of the disease according to your symptoms, and go ahead — take tests and buy medicines?

Some believe that in this way they can save money and time. Why do you need an extra consultation with a doctor if he still asks to take tests? It is better to come with ready-made laboratory test results.

But the problem is that some types of research must be done on certain days. For example, if you suspect the presence of polyps in the uterine cavity, ultrasound is prescribed on one day of the menstrual cycle, and in the case of endometriosis, on others. In addition, the list of hormones, the content of which is analyzed for various problems, is also not the same. Therefore, it is not uncommon for a doctor, having studied the test results brought by the patient, to ask to undergo an ultrasound examination at a different period of the menstrual cycle or to do an analysis for the content of other hormones.

Some women go even further, and at the slightest suspicion of the development of thrush or the inflammatory process, they begin self-treatment with antibiotics. And after that they go to see a doctor to restore the disturbed microflora and eliminate relapses of the disease.

And other ladies, following the advice of “knowledgeable” friends, prescribe hormonal contraceptives for themselves, hoping to lose weight and get rid of skin problems at the same time. A prerequisite before using such drugs is to consult a doctor, because the choice of means for protecting against unwanted pregnancy may depend on many factors, namely:

• levels of certain hormones;
• inflammatory processes in the body;
• blood clotting;
• the age of the patient;
• having bad habits.

Myths about hormones

Despite the fact that oral contraceptives have been used for decades, some women do not believe in their effectiveness and ignore such doctor’s recommendations.

Distrust of such contraceptives appeared somewhere in the middle of the twentieth century, when in the United States of America, as well as in a number of European countries, these drugs were prescribed literally over the phone, focusing only on the age of the patient. Accordingly, such an attitude provoked many side effects, and the level of hormones in such drugs was too high.

Currently, the approach to the use of oral contraceptives has changed significantly. Firstly, before taking them, in order to avoid side effects, doctors recommend that a woman undergo an additional examination. Yes, and the level of hormones in these drugs has decreased.

Another misconception is that taking hormonal drugs can provoke weight gain, moreover, the development of cancer. If the contraceptive is chosen correctly, taking into account the individual characteristics of the woman’s body, it will not cause harm. In addition, making up for the deficiency of necessary hormones, hormonal contraceptives improve the condition of the skin and hair, psychological mood, and contribute to the normalization of the menstrual cycle.

The need for preventive check-ups

Unfortunately, the gynecological office is the place where some women go only in case of special need: during pregnancy or after the onset of alarming symptoms.

As a result, the doctor diagnoses the disease in an advanced form, the treatment of which at an early stage was not particularly difficult.

Therefore, every woman who cares about her health should visit the gynecologist’s office twice a year. A doctor’s consultation is needed to prevent diseases of the genitourinary system or to detect them at an early stage.

Do not put off a visit to the gynecologist for later. Only by adhering to the recommendations of a doctor, a woman can be sure of the health of one of the important areas of her body.