Posted on December 2nd, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Vitamin D is everywhere. You hear about it on the news, in magazines, even right here on empowher.com. Some tout it as the new super vitamin yet why are so many Americans deficient? It is fortified in milk, bread, cereals, and the sun right above our heads (unless you live in Portland like me) yet studies show even those living in the brightest spots are not receiving enough.
So let’s review…what is Vitamin D?
First of all, it is a fat soluble vitamin that is metabolized by ultraviolet light (particularly UVB) or from our diet. Vitamin D is [...]
Posted on November 28th, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
“The CDC reports that certain birth defects — including heart wall problems and cleft lip/palate — may be two to four times more common among babies conceived with assisted reproductive technology (ART) than babies conceived naturally. Those findings — published in the advance online edition of Human Reproduction — focus on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).”
“The following types of birth defects were more common among babies conceived through ART:
*Septal heart defects: Twice as common among babies conceived by ART
*Cleft lip and/or cleft palate: 2.4 times as common among babies conceived by ART
*Esophageal atresia (birth defect [...]
Posted on November 28th, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
“Cigarette smoking is associated with hot flashes, higher androstenedione levels, a higher total androgen-to-total estrogen ratio, and lower progesterone levels in women who are not postmenopausal, according to the results of a cross-sectional study reported in the November issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.”
This means that smoking increases your hot flashes, increases your DHEA and testosterone, screws with the hormonal balance and lowers your precious progesterone levels. Not good ladies! Please keep this in mind when deciding to quit in the new year.
Posted on November 18th, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
A common question I ask my patients is, “Are there any foods that you avoid?” The answers range anywhere from “absolutely not” to a very long list. I ask this question because I find the things you put in your mouth may be affecting all of those symptoms you just described.
Fatigue? Gas and Bloating? Headaches? Constipation? Rashes? Acne? Joint pain? PMS?Yes – they can all be food related.
As the commercials on television will tell you (and it is true) 70%-80% of your immune system lives right around your intestines. It is a smart maneuver in human design because anything [...]
Posted on November 11th, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
By now most everyone has seen the commercials on television about the most common HPV vaccine called Gardasil. HPV stands for the Human Papillomavirus and is responsible for both genital warts and abnormal changes on your pap test including cervical cancer. Even though there are hundreds of different strains, HPV-16 and HPV-18 account for 70% of cervical cancer while HPV-6 and HPV-11 cause 90% of genital warts. Therefore, these four strains are the basis for Gardasil’s protection.
The vaccine is not a live-virus but a “virus-like” particle that will still stimulate a woman’s immunity against these four strains of HPV. The [...]
Posted on November 8th, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
HPV stands for the Human Papillomavirus and is currently the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that nearly 20 million Americans between age 15 and 24 years old have HPV. This is the virus that causes genital warts as well as those abnormal changes on your pap test that can lead to cervical cancer.
There are many strains of HPV with some remaining dormant, not doing anything (that we know of), and others causing problems.
When you go for your pap test, you can have your healthcare practitioner include a ‘high-risk HPV test’ for greater accuracy [...]
Posted on October 26th, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Are you the first one done at a meal? Wiping your mouth in satisfaction while others are still cutting their meat?Do people make fun of the fact that you “inhale” rather than “chew?”
Well keep reading and start chewing…s-l-o-w-l-y! A recent study in the British Medical Journal found that eating quickly until full tripled your chances of being overweight! They cited cheap, fast food and eating in front of the television as major contributors to absent eating.
Chewing your food starts the digestion process. What you don’t chew up into itty-bitty tiny pieces from your mouth makes more [...]
Posted on October 19th, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Mammograms detect 80 percent to 90 percent of breast cancers in women without symptoms, and all women 40 and older should get a yearly mammogram, says the American Cancer Society.
Many of my patients are concerned about the radiation exposure to their breasts and often question whether they need to go EVERY year.
“Dr. Jones – I don’t feel a lump.”“Nobody in my family has breast cancer.”“I’m pretty healthy, I think I would know if I had breast cancer.”
These are quotes I hear all the time. Then, of course, they want to know my opinion.
Well here goes.
Yes, I know you do [...]
Posted on October 5th, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
What is this wonderful technique of massage? And why is it called Mayan Abdominal? Well, this Massage is founded on the ancient Mayan technique of abdominal massage. It is an external, non-invasive manipulation that repositions internal organs that have shifted, thereby restricting the flow of blood, lymph, nerve and chi.
For women, it specifically helps all kinds of symptoms such as: painful periods, heavy periods, tilted uterus, irritable bowel, constipation, fertility challenges, endometriosis, low back ache and many others.
Normal or Tilted?Normally the uterus leans slightly over the bladder in the center of the pelvis, about one and a half inches above [...]
Posted on September 21st, 2008 by Dr. Carrie Jones
Things have been busy this summer in Oregon but I vow to stay focused on my writing and informing you of all the latest and greatest on women’s health. To help me do this, I have just been asked to be a weekly contributor to the women’s health website, www.empowher.com.
The site is for you and all about you! How cool is that? Plus it ranks right up there with my philosophy about women’s health – you need to be properly informed in order to make any decisions.
The site is going through some changes as it’s relatively new so stay on [...]
