Harvard Medical School Commentaries: Woman to Woman
Jul212010
Is Bariatric Surgery for You?
From time to time, a friend or colleague will ask me what I think of bariatric surgery. Formerly often called "stomach stapling," the procedure done now is more likely to be gastric bypass or... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Women and Sleep: Not Always the Best of Friends
Lately, I hear myself echoing many of my female patients: Why am I so tired all the time? Recently, my husband took my 15-month-old son out of town for four days. I felt rested like I haven’t been in... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Miscarriage
I heard the words that no woman wants to hear: "I can’t find a fetal heart rate." Then, it hit me. I was having a miscarriage.
When I told family and friends about our loss, I was surprised to learn... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
What You Need To Know About Fibroids
Most women have heard of fibroids, either because they have them or someone they know has them. But I also find most women don’t know exactly what they are. I have even heard different names for them... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
The Hairy Problem of Hirsutism
For many of us, ridding our body of unwanted hair is simply part of our cosmetic routine – whether it is under the arms, the legs, the bikini line or the eyebrows.
But other women do more serious... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Women and Sexuality: The Myth of the First Time
I was enjoying the film, Something's Gotta Give, until the menopausal character was portrayed in the throes of pleasure from her first sexual experience in 10 years. Especially in a film focusing on... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Gender Differences In Cardiac Care
Did you know that women are more likely to die after a heart attack than men are? Did you know that women also get fewer procedures than men to prevent recurrent heart attacks? Are these differences... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Surviving Pregnancy Bed Rest
I used to envy women on pregnancy bed rest. It sounded like a perfect opportunity to catch up on work, read books and magazines, and watch movies. Then it happened to me. During my six weeks of... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Helping a Widow Cope With Grief
As a physician, I have seen acute grief in the hospital and treated the symptoms associated with grief in my office practice. However, nothing has taught me more about how to support a person through... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Health and Safety Concerns at the Beauty Salon
Our mothers lived in a time when many women felt that it was better to look good than to feel good. These days, we can have both. Beauty salons and day spas not only offer hair, makeup and nail... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Is a Man in Your Life Depressed?
From time to time, friends, family and women in my practice bring me their concerns about the men in their lives — partners, spouses, relatives or friends. Often they are concerned about mood and... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Contemplating Cosmetic Surgery
From time to time I get asked, "Do you know this plastic surgeon? Would you recommend anyone in particular? What do you think about this or that procedure?" These questions are harder for me to... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Does Breast Size Really Matter?
Does breast size really matter? It's a debate I have had with my girlfriends for years. The grass is often greener on the other side, and so women continually exchange reasons why it is enviable to... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Attention Shoppers: Beware of Health Claims
With the holiday season here, stores and salespeople are ready to bombard you with their products. When you are desperate to find that perfect gift, you become a vulnerable audience to the claims of... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Facing a High Risk of Breast Cancer
Once I had a patient who was a mother in her late 20s. Her sister, in her early 30s, had breast cancer and was undergoing her second round of treatments. Their mother had died from breast cancer in... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul202010
Online Communities: Helpful If You're Careful
I was pregnant and feeling some squeezing sensations in my uterus. I wondered, are these what Braxton-Hicks contractions feel like? How do I tell them apart from real contractions? Even though my... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jun202010
'Am I Sexually Normal?'
Who hasn't compared her sex life with a friend's and wondered, "Why don't I have sex three times a day? Or five orgasms in one night? Is there something wrong with me or my partner? Am I sexually... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
Eating Disorders
Fretting over weight is common, but for some people, that concern can become an obsession. In a society dominated by commercial images of lean, toned and beautiful people, disordered eating habits... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
Menopause: Are You Pre, Peri Or Post?
We read and hear so much about menopause that you would think that the definition is straightforward, and it would be easy for a woman to know whether she’s experienced it or not. Not so. Menopause... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
What Does It Mean To Be Anovulatory?
I first learned about anovulation from a friend in high school who said she had only one period a year. My other friends and I were in awe and a bit jealous that she only had to worry about pads or... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
Bone Up on Osteoporosis
Although I have taught women about osteoporosis for years, my mother's recent diagnosis brought home the frustrations of prevention and treatment. True, she was probably not the model of prevention.... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
Our Mothers, Ourselves: Protecting Against Heart Disease
Do you know what the number one killer is for women? Most women are surprised to learn it is heart disease, not breast cancer. Unfortunately, even a majority of health care professionals answered... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
Making Sense Of Common Hormone Tests
Understanding any test result your doctor has sent you can be confusing. This is especially true for blood tests that measure hormone levels in women. Test results need to be interpreted based upon... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
Tips For Taking Thyroid Hormone
You feel tired, your periods are irregular or you have gained weight. Your health care professional orders a blood test and diagnoses hypothyroidism, or a slow or low thyroid. You are told to take a... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
What Makes a 'Natural' Woman?
"(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman"
—Written and sung by Carole King, also sung by Aretha Franklin
The term "natural woman" is heard in popular music, commercials for beauty and skin-care... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
May172009
Surviving Baby's First Year: You Can Do It!
While I was pregnant a friend told me, "Alice, you are about to undertake one of the most challenging experiences of your life." I didn't get it. I thought nothing could top making it through medical... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jan72009
Dealing With PMS
Do you get annoyed when someone asks you "Is it that time of the month again?" Do you do something about your premenstrual symptoms, or simply tolerate them? It always surprises me how much women put... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Oct142008
Women's Health: Could The Problem Be Hormonal?
Women can have a wide range of physical and mental symptoms related to hormonal changes in their bodies. Hormones are the way the body’s organs communicate to coordinate normal functions in an... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Oct122008
New Moms: Welcome Relief from Hand Pain
When my right wrist began to hurt, I assumed it was carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition caused by inflammation of the tendons that pass through the wrist. Since new mothers like me are often prone to... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Oct72008
The Itch That Won't Go Away: How To Deal With Recurrent Vaginal Infections
In one of my favorite "Sex and the City" episodes, conservative Charlotte finds out that her vagina is "depressed." Her diagnosis is made when she gets a second opinion about symptoms of itching and... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
Jul262008
The Postpartum Period -- Your 'Fourth' Trimester
When I was pregnant, I confided to my friend and mentor Phyllis that while I was excited I would have a baby, I was at times even more excited that I would have the entire length of my maternity... read more
Category: Woman to Woman
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