Blog Archive
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect 60% of women during their lifetime. Some have one UTI and never again have the problem. Others become plagued by chronic UTIs that can be challenging to prevent and treat. Whether you’re experiencing your first or second UTI or struggle with recurrent infections, it’s essential...
Women spend years using birth control to prevent pregnancy and plan their families. Few worry about getting pregnant. Yet, one in ten women will face infertility. How long should you try to get pregnant before seeking help? The answer depends on your age and overall health. Chetanna Okasi, MD, at...
Many women discover that sex gets better with age. And then, around the age of 50 (give or take a few years), changes occur that can ruin your sex life. Your hormones change, and suddenly, your desire for sex disappears and may hurt, or you can’t orgasm. Chetanna Okasi, MD,...
Sex is supposed to be natural, pleasurable, and desirable. Yet 12% of women are distressed because they have problems with sexual desire (libido), arousal, and orgasm. Of those, low libido is by far the most common. When you need help with low libido, you can turn to Chetanna Okasi, MD,...
Night sweats are a common problem during menopause, affecting 75-80% of women. Many deal with night sweats until they end. But there’s a problem with that approach. Without treatment, night sweats can last for 6-15 years. That’s way too long to struggle with the discomfort. Don’t put up with disrupted...
Do you drag yourself to your annual well-woman exam and leave as quickly as possible, glad it’s over for another year? If so, you’re missing out on the chance to get professional help with any health concern you may have. At Women’s Wellness MD in Columbia and Greenbelt, Maryland, your...
Not long ago, everyone believed weight loss was easy because you only needed the willpower to cut calories and increase exercise. Now we know better. In reality, the complex interactions between hormones, nutrients, genes, and their roles in weight regulation often work against your best efforts, making weight loss an...
Whether you have heavy periods every month or just occasionally, it’s important to understand the cause. While menstruating may not be pleasurable for anyone, if it makes your life difficult or painful, you should investigate why. As a women’s health specialist at Women’s Wellness MD in Columbia and Greenbelt, Maryland,...
Aging begins deep in the body at the cellular level and slowly progresses to affect every aspect of your health, from organ function to how you look. Though no one can stop these changes, you can slow their progress with an active, wholesome lifestyle and medical care that supports your...
Age alone doesn’t limit your sex life. You can and should enjoy great sex whenever you desire at every age. But there’s no denying the fact that many women experience physical changes after menopause that halt their sex life. More than one in three women struggle with sex after menopause....
Do you spend your days feeling tired, irritable, and unmotivated? Or, maybe you can’t focus or have mild, nagging muscle pain. You don’t feel up to par, yet you’re not sick. When ongoing generic symptoms define your life, it’s time to meet with Chetanna Okasi, MD, and her team at...
A few women breeze through menopause with mild symptoms. But most struggle with embarrassing and disruptive hot flashes and night sweats — to mention a few of the problems that arise during menopause. Despite the tremendous impact of menopause on their life, many women don’t seek help. Of all the...
You may not be surprised to learn that eight out of 10 women have hot flashes and night sweats during menopause. But did you know that most women deal with moderate to severe symptoms, and, on average, these symptoms last seven to ten years? That’s a long struggle, especially since...
Menopause is one of the most natural phases a woman will go through, but unfortunately, it’s also often accompanied by some pesky symptoms, such as hot flashes, which can be troublesome. Hot flashes are sudden, intense bursts of heat that typically last from about 30 seconds to 5 minutes. During...
Every year, roughly 1.3 million American women enter menopause, defined as having no periods for 12 consecutive months. Menopause happens when your ovaries stop producing the hormone estrogen, and while many women think of menopause as a time when periods stop and they can no longer become pregnant, the decline...
Several years ago, as I walked down the halls of Labor and Delivery, I realized that many of the women had not planned to be there. So, what happened? The fact is many women are sexually active and say, "if it happens, it happens." Definitely, we could be more intentional...
Fibroids are benign growths on the uterus. They can get pretty big and cause problems like heavy bleeding, pelvic pain/pressure, frequent urination, and infertility. If fibroids are small and not causing any problems, then the best treatment is to leave them alone. An ultrasound can be done periodically to check...
What exactly is an ovarian cyst? Ovarian cysts are sacs that develop in or on the ovary. Ovarian cysts can grow pretty big, ranging from the size of a peanut to a grapefruit, or larger. Let's explore the many types of ovarian cysts: The ovary is made up of tiny...
The causes of infertility in women can include many of the following: Hormonal issues: When hormone disorders are present, problems with ovulation can occur. These can be due to the lack of the necessary synchronized hormonal changes leading to the release of an egg from the ovary. Disorders of the...
Dating violence is when someone you are seeing romantically harms you in some way, whether it is physically, sexually, emotionally, or all three. It can happen on a first date, or once you’ve fallen deeply in love. Dating violence is never your fault. Learn the signs of dating violence or abuse...
A woman’s best reproductive years are in her 20s. Fertility gradually declines in the 30s, particularly after age 35. Yet, the number of women trying to get pregnant in their forties is rapidly rising. Whether due to personal choice or life circumstances, the reality is that it is harder to...
Have you ever been crazy in love? A kind of love that made you feel like the world is perfect. And then, BOOM! You test positive for a sexually transmitted disease. How could this happen, he did not look like he had chlamydia! Most people who have chlamydia don't know...
My dad once said, "good friends, you can never have enough." Then he said he could count on one hand the number of good friends he had. At his age, he knew the distinction between acquaintances and ride or dies! What about you? Even the most introverted amongst us needs...
Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer deaths in women. Unfortunately, majority of the cases of ovarian cancer are discovered when the disease is advanced. Treatment is more effective when ovarian cancer is detected early. What are the early warning signs of ovarian cancer? Abdominal pain/pelvic pressure...
Curb your cocktails. If you're counting calories, alcohol is a waste of your daily allowance. You'll get a buzz but you'll rack up your calorie count quickly. Keep a weight log. Weigh yourself and record your numbers. It doesn't make sense to stay away from the scale. Awareness is powerful...
Heavy periods can be messy, painful, and simply incovenient. So many questions arise as women are faced with this monthly challenge. Let's explore: Q: What is a "heavy period?" Experts agree that every woman can have her own definition of a heavy period. So, if you say it's a heavy...
Excellent question. The fact is that every time you have sex, there is a chance that you could get a sexually transmitted infection. Consider this the next time you meet someone new. No one actually looks like they have chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas, herpes, or HIV, to name a few STIs....
Leakage of urine with cough, laugh, or sneeze is a type of incontinence called "stress incontinence." With activity, there comes a strong urge to urinate followed by a bladder spasm and a gush of fluid. Stress incontinence is common among women and could worsen with childbirth, age, and illness. Well,...
Sex hurts so you avoid it. The less sex you have the more painful each episode gets until finally you say, "ENOUGH!" Before you give up entirely, let's discuss potential solutions. Painful intercourse or painful sex can be experienced by women of all ages. The pain can be inside the...
Vaginal Rejuvenation Q & A with Dr. Okasi Q: What is vaginal rejuvenation? A: “Vaginal rejuvenation” describes a variety of procedures to improve vaginal feel and function. With age, pregnancy, and childbirth trauma, the vagina loses its vitality. Some women experience looseness, pain, dryness, or leakage of urine. Surgery is...
“I feel fine.” Of course you do. A well-woman exam will give you proof and make it official. “I’m too busy with work, family, life in general.” Remember that all of them need you to be healthy. Wellness is the key to being unstoppably successful with work, life, and...
Did you know that with typical use, up to 90 out of 1,000 women will get pregnant on the pill. That’s 9%! Pills are very effective but can be challenging to remember to take at the same time daily. Here are a few tips our patients have shared: Place the...