Evolvement of science and technology has made our lives much simpler. Automobiles and home appliances doing all our hard work for us, have pushed us more and more towards a sedentary lifestyle. The result – lifestyle disorders, such as obesity, infertility, diabetes, insomnia and so on.
We live in a jet setting world today. Our hectic schedules leave us with no time to think about our health. This probably holds truer for women who are constantly trying to balance their work and home. As a consequence, they end up paying very little attention to their own wellbeing, things like their diet, sleep, levels of stress. Leave alone nutritious, wholesome meals, women often skip meals altogether. And, of course, their health – both physical and mental – suffers.
What we do not understand is that this impacts not just our health, but also that of our family. Our diet is an important part of our health and any imbalance can have long-term health consequences.
The very first step to leading a healthy and active life includes:
Giving yourself time
Exercising daily to stay active and maintain a healthy body weight
Eating a protein-rich diet
Eating the right amounts of green salad and vegetables that are high in fibre – women aged between 18 years and 25 years must consume at least 25gm of fibre on a daily basis.
Eating foods that are rich in iron, such as nuts and leafy greens – this is all the more essential for women during the menstrual cycle, as heavy bleeding can put you at risk of anemia.
Eating citrus fruits, as they are rich in vitamin C and help in the absorption of iron
Having milk, soybean, and nuts that are rich in calcium
Having sufficient amounts of dry fruits and seeds that are rich in magnesium
Drinking enough water and eating shorter, lighter meals throughout the day
The lining inside the uterus womb is called the endometrium. Sometimes tissues that resemble the endometrium grow outside the womb. This condition is called endometriosis. The abnormal growths can occur in the bladder, bowel, fallopian tubes, ovaries or abdomen.
The symptoms tend to vary from person to person, ranging from painful, irregular or heavy periods, pain in the lower back, lower abdomen or pelvis around ovulation time, even throughout the menstrual cycle, persistent pelvic pain lasting over six months, pain after or during sex, difficulty getting pregnant, painful bowel and bladder movements, etc. Less common symptoms include bleeding from the back passage, fatigue and painful abdominal scars or pain around the belly button during periods. Some women, however, don’t experience any symptoms at all, which of course doesn’t determine the severity of their condition.
Yes, endometriosis can dent your chances of conceiving, as the inflammation could make it hard for the sperm and egg to rendezvous or an embryo to implant in the uterus. But, fortunately, most women with mild endometriosis can conceive. Research shows around 70% of females with moderate to mild endometriosis can conceive without treatment. However, even if you have endometriosis and are trying to have a baby without success, don’t lose heart. A visit to a fertility specialist or doctor could remove the roadblock without much fuss.
How to diagnose endometriosis?
Since the symptoms often mimic other conditions, endometriosis is often difficult to diagnose. The three common methods used for diagnosis are:
Manual examination (palpating) areas in the pelvis and abdomen for abnormalities
USG scan done through the abdomen or using a ‘wand’ inserted into the vagina (transvaginal ultrasound)
Laparoscopy to look inside the abdomen for signs or location of endometriosis
Conception with endometriosis
If you have the condition and trying to conceive, you will first be asked to stop painkillers like NSAIDs since those can affect your baby if you succeed to conceive.
Surgery options
You might be advised laparoscopic or keyhole surgery to enhance fertility if you have mild or minimal endometriosis. In this procedure, a narrow tube with a camera attached to its end is inserted into the belly through a minor cut. Using this camera and sometimes a few more small incisions around the bikini line, scissors or laser/heat are passed to destroy/remove the tissue. While this is one of the most effective endometriosis treatment options, there is always a risk of some residual tissue remaining and re-growing, to trigger a recurrence. Another more invasive surgery is a laparotomy wherein wider cuts are made along the bikini line to remove the rogue tissue attached to the affected area. However, this surgery is only done in very few exceptions.
In the post-surgical procedure, the chances of conceiving naturally are best assessed by the EFI (endometriosis fertility index), which factors in issues like the period of infertility, age, extent of the disease and the involvement of the fallopian tube, history of pregnancy, etc.
Role of IVF in endometriosis
Outside the domain of the knife, ART (Assisted reproductive techniques) such as IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) or IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) are proven treatments for infertility related to endometriosis. It is recommended that IVF should be offered if you have been trying to have a baby for two years with endometriosis but in vain, given that other critical factors like ovulation and semen quality are normal. Of course, the odds of success would always depend on the severity of endometriosis.
A large number of people with endometriosis have successfully got pregnant after turning to IVF treatments. The fertility specialist will also tell you how important it is to have a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise when you are trying for a baby and have endometriosis. This can control inflammation and prepare the body better to help your baby grow and thrive throughout the pregnancy.
At a time when life had become strange and fraught during this unprecedented pandemic, it was a surrealistic two weeks in Tokyo – an Olympic Games like no other — where, performing in gigantic but empty stadiums, a bunch of braveheart Indian athletes gave us the greatest booster shot we could have hoped for. Neeraj Chopra’s golden arm in javelin was the final triumph, giving India its first-ever Olympics
gold medal in athletics and sending the entire nation in raptures. A confident Saikhom Mirabai Chanu gave the Indian contingent the dream start on the opening day itself, and the inspiration clearly coursed through their veins till India’s best-ever campaign ended in a blaze of glory with 7 medals.
Women power to the fore
The most heart-warming refrain of India’s Tokyo triumph was the stellar show by our women athletes, none more valiant and poignant than the women’s hockey team’s. When no one gave them an iota of a chance, skipper Rani Rampal, daughter of a cart-puller whose parents struggled to rustle up two square meals, and her plucky band of “she-roes” flew below the radar all through to sneak into the semis. Their incredibly brave surge may have ended in heartbreak yet it didn’t feel like a defeat, as the real “Chak De” story turned out even better than the reel version and those girls in blue have made us fall in love with our national game all over again.
Though the men went a step further, clinching the bronze after a 41-year drought, Rani and her mates were the real queens, stealing the hearts of 1.3 billion Indians. In another milestone moment, PV Sindhu became India’s first woman to win two individual medals at the Olympic Games. Shuttling success for Sindhu was always on the cards, what wasn’t on the cards, though, was Lovlina Borgohain’s bronze-winning feat in boxing. Our wrestlers made us proud too – Ravi Dahiya bagging the silver and Bajrang Punia the bronze.
A monumental feat
Considering the immensely difficult conditions under which they had to prepare, with the virus wreaking havoc all around them, the entire Indian contingent has made us proud. And as Bajrang Punia stressed, the least we can do is to keep encouraging these gallant athletes from the so-called “lesser” sports in this cricket-crazy country.
So this Independence Day, while the tricolor flutters, let’s sing the national anthem in celebration of our athletes’ Tokyo triumph as well, even as we continue to salute the brave Covid warriors. Their performance was a shining light in these dark days.
