Women's Health Archives | Carson Tahoe Health

Endometriosis: A Silent Disease

While many women experience menstrual cramps, there are others who experience more extreme symptoms as a result of endometriosis—a condition that impacts more than 10 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 44. What Is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is a painful condition that causes tissue to grow outside of the uterus, can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for years. This tissue—unlike tissue that exits the body during the menstrual cycle—has nowhere to go and can cause alarming symptoms for women, including: Pain, such as severe menstrual cramps, chronic pain in the lower back or pelvis, or pain during or after sex Bleeding or spotting between menstrual periods Chronic fatigue In addition, some women are unaware of their endometriosis until they …


8 Good Mood Foods

When you’re feeling tense, there are many ways to manage and, in fact, reduce stress levels. Your diet and nutrition choices can make your stress levels go up or down. Certain foods provide comfort and actually increase levels of hormones in the body that naturally fight stress. Other types of foods and beverages can reduce stress by lowering the levels of hormones that trigger it. Have a Cup of Soothing Comfort Sometimes, it’s the effect of a food or drink that can help reduce stress, not necessarily its nutrients. A warm cup of tea can actually calm many people. There’s the soothing effect of sipping a warm drink, regardless of the flavor — but certain herbs, like lavender and chamomile, …


Probiotics with your Pizza?!

Food companies are adding probiotics to granola, baking mixes, juice, and even water! This summer, expect more of the ‘healthy bugs’ in your food. Probiotics once appeared mostly in yogurt. Now, new cereals, snacks and beverages from Kraut Krisps to Gut Punches and Wellness Waters are featuring the microorganisms touted to help digestive and immune systems function. Some of these items will offer deliver active cultures 10 times more effectively than yogurt. Over the last 5 years, the number of food products in the U.S. making a probiotic-related claim has nearly tripled to more than 500. What’s more, new strains of probiotics don’t require refrigeration. These newer spore-forming strains produce coated cell structures that help extend probiotics’ shelf life. Still, …


Raise the ‘Barre’ – 6 Exercise Secrets We Learned from the Barre Workout

  A Full-Body Workout for the Masses Whether you’re training for your first 5K or want to get in shape for summer, you might want to consider adding barre to your strength-training workouts. While this trendy exercise is inspired by ballet movements, the resulting workout is much more accessible and is quickly making the jump from boutique fitness craze to the class schedule at your local gym. Barre’s subtle isometric exercises, in which your body remains still while you contract a specific muscle, are designed to give you a full-body workout and build lean muscle. This low-impact exercise also makes a great sweat session for people with joint issues or women who want to stay in shape throughout their pregnancy. …


3D Mammography FAQ

  What should I expect during my 3D Mammography Exam? The 3D exam is very similar to having a conventional 2D mammogram. Like a 2D mammogram, the technologist will position you, compress your breast, and take images from different angles. There’s no additional compression required with a 3D exam, and it only takes a few seconds longer for each view. The technologist will view the images of your breasts at the computer workstation to ensure quality images have been captured for review. A radiologist will then examine the images and report results to either your physician or directly to you. Who can have a 3D Mammogram? A 3D exam is approved for all women who would undergo a standard mammogram. …