Women's Health FAQ

The health problems that most women encounter on a daily basis are not incurable diseases, but pitfalls caused by misconceptions - taking menstruation/menorrhoea-regulating drugs when menstruation is slightly irregular, taking antibiotics randomly when leucorrhea is abnormal, and eager to cut off nodules immediately after physical examination. These unnecessary anxiety and wrong operations are much more harmful to the body than the problem itself.

Last week, a 22-year-old girl came to my clinic. She stayed up for the postgraduate exam for three months and her period was eight days late. After searching online for a long time, she thought it was "amenorrhea". She bought several Internet-famous menstruation-regulating pills and took them. After a week of taking them, she started bleeding. She was so scared that she came to the hospital. After a hormone check, she found no problem. It was just hormone fluctuations caused by a disordered work and rest schedule. After stopping the pills and adjusting for half a month, it became normal. In fact, regarding the normal range of menstruation, the current consensus of Western medicine is that the cycle is 21-35 days, and it is considered normal if the fluctuation does not exceed 7 days. The occasional irregularity is mostly related to recent emotions, stress, and diet. It is not necessary to label yourself as "irregular menstruation". Of course, there are different judgment criteria. For example, many traditional Chinese medicine doctors will combine the pain level during menstruation, the color of menstrual blood, and the presence of blood clots to judge whether there is qi stagnation, blood stasis or uterine cold. If the cycle fluctuates for more than 10 days in three consecutive months, or the pain is so painful that painkillers are useless, then you really should see a doctor. Don't take it or take medicine blindly.

Compared with the anxiety of menstruation, the disorderly treatment of gynecological inflammation is the hardest hit area. I have seen too many girls. As soon as they see the yellow and sticky leucorrhea on their underwear, they immediately buy private parts lotion and antibiotic suppositories and stuff them inside. As a result, the normal vaginal flora is completely destroyed. It was nothing, but they develop fungal vaginitis (which is also clinically known as vulvovaginal candidiasis). They are itchy and restless. Here is a little trivia for you: A healthy vagina itself has bacterial flora. When lactobacilli are dominant, it can resist germs on its own. As long as there are no symptoms such as itching, odor, and burning, even if the leucorrhea occasionally turns yellow or has transparent streaks during ovulation, it is normal and does not need to be treated at all. If inflammation is really diagnosed, there is no need to resist any treatment plan: Western medicine will generally prescribe corresponding suppositories or oral medicines according to the type of inflammation, which will provide quick results. ； If it keeps reoccurring, you can also find a regular Chinese medicine doctor to try fumigation and physical adjustment. There is no difference between the two methods. Just use whatever suits you. The only thing you have to avoid is buying medicine blindly and using lotion to flush the vagina. This is purely a disservice to the body.

In the past two years, everyone has become more aware of physical examinations. Many girls found breast nodules and thyroid nodules when they got the report. When they saw the word "Category 3" in the report, they were so frightened that their legs went weak. They looked everywhere for medicine to remove knots, and even wanted to have them cut off directly to save trouble. Let me give you real data: Breast nodules classified in BI-RADS category 3 have a malignant probability of less than 2%. Most of them are hyperplasia or fibroma. There is no need to cut them at all. Just review them once every six months to observe whether there are any changes. Doctors from different directions have different views on the treatment of nodules: Western medicine generally recommends regular follow-up visits if the nodules do not reach category 4a and do not grow rapidly, and they cannot be eliminated by taking medicine. ； Many Chinese medicine practitioners believe that nodules are related to poor mood and stagnation of liver qi. They suggest that you should be less sulky and stay up late, and use some liver-soothing medicine to assist in conditioning when necessary. Both views are correct. You can choose according to your own needs. There is no need to spend thousands on useless health products just to "eliminate nodules". It is purely an IQ tax.

Oh, by the way, there are two pitfalls that are rarely mentioned but are very common: one is that young girls always go on a diet to lose weight and develop low bone mass before the age of 30. Last time I met a girl born in the 2000s who dieted for half a year to wear a small skirt and weighed only 78 pounds. I came to check for irregular menstruation and measured my bone density. I have almost reached the low bone mass standard for postmenopausal women. Before the age of 30 is the critical period for peak bone mass storage. Don’t diet blindly. Drink a glass of milk every day and bask in the sun for 10 minutes. It is more effective in anti-aging than anything else.； Another misconception is about contraception. Don’t believe in safe periods and in vitro ejaculation. I don’t need to say how harmful an unwanted pregnancy is to the body. Short-acting contraceptive pills and condoms are reliable choices. If you are sensitive to hormones, choose condoms. If you can accept it, short-acting contraceptive pills not only prevent pregnancy, but also regulate acne and relieve menstrual cramps. They have many benefits. You don’t need to be conflicted when you hear the word "hormone".

In fact, after practicing gynecology for so many years, my biggest feeling is that many women's health problems are essentially hijacked by the requirements of "perfect women" - menstruation must not hurt, leucorrhea must be transparent and colorless, breasts must not have nodules, and the weight must be less than 100. The anxiety caused by these stereotyped requirements is more harmful than the disease itself. You really don’t need to be too tight. Listen to how your body feels. If you feel uncomfortable, go to a doctor in a regular hospital. Don’t frighten yourself by blindly searching for it, and don’t believe in some internet celebrity remedies. It’s that simple.