By Introduction
Women, in general, tend to frequently overlook minor changes in their bodies; whether through a missed period, slight fatigue, bloating after a meal, or feeling like one of their breasts is a little “off” can feel inconsequential when they occur. However, within the realm of women’s health, the body quite often provides clues/signals early on as to whether or not you may have more serious health issues later on.
It’s easy for women to disregard these signs as being either due to stress, hormones, a busy lifestyle, or simply age. Many of these signs correlate to common women’s health issues; some signs may suggest you have a hormone imbalance, anemia, a possible infection, fibroid tumors, endometriosis, or problems with your thyroid. Other symptoms may indicate a more serious health issue, like gynecologic cancers but are persistent/unusual for women.
In this guide, you’ll find seven warning signs of poor women’s health that you should NEVER ignore, what those warning signs may mean to you, and what your next steps should be. The purpose of this guide is NOT to scare you; it is designed to empower you to become aware of patterns happening in your body so that you can take them seriously and get checked out before your condition worsens.
1. Periods that suddenly change in a big way
Some of the most obvious indications that a woman may be experiencing health issues during menstruation are changes regarding their menstrual cycle. These changes include increased heaviness of bleeding, irregularity in how often periods occur, excessive amounts of time in between periods, or bleeding between periods, or after engaging in sexual activity.
Bleeding between cycles and after sexual activity is classified as abnormal uterine bleeding by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). According to the National Health Service (NHS), heavy menstrual bleeding is described as the need to change your pad or tampon at least every hour or two hours. Heavy menstrual bleeding can also be characterized by having a bleeding episode that lasts longer than seven days, passing large-size blood clots, and changing your daily activities because of heavy menstrual bleeding.
A menstrual cycle that has gone through some degree of change does not necessarily indicate something is wrong, but it may also not be normal. The reason for the degree of change in a woman’s menstrual cycle should not be the question; the question should be, “Is this the way my menstrual cycle is supposed to be?” If the degree of change causes you to have to make plans around your menstrual cycle, you need to consider seeking medical assistance regarding the degree of change.
2. Pelvic pain that keeps coming back
Persistent, sharp, worsening, or sexual, urinary or bowel related pelvic pain is considered a potentially serious condition by Mayo Clinic as well as abnormal periods (bleeding too much, or irregularly), enlarged stomach (bloating), not having bowel movements as normal (constipation), then having stomach problems along with changes in discharge from your vagina, (periods lighter or heavier than normal).
Other symptoms of endometriosis, which women’s NHS guides say can cause cramping-like sensation when having a period and painful sex or other sexual problems, include any ongoing discomfort related to your vagina, it’s best to seek medical advice if you find yourself experiencing extreme discomfort that is causing interference with exercise, work, sex, or sleep.
3. Unusual vaginal discharge, odor, itching, or bleeding
In most cases, abnormal vaginal discharge will be the initial indicator of an issue. The NHS guidelines state that changes in the smell, colour, or texture of vaginal discharge could indicate an infection; therefore, if you have any of the symptoms below, you should see your clinician:
• Pelvic pain
• Bleeding between periods or after having sex
• Pain while urinating
• Itching
• Sores
The CDC guidelines state that bacterial infections are generally accompanied by discharge, itching, burning and/or odour.
When evaluating changes in vaginal discharge, the most important point to remember is possible patterns. Normal discharge can vary during different stages of your menstrual cycle; however, if you have abnormal discharge (green/yellow/thick and cheesy/foul smelling/bloody outside of your menstrual cycle/pain) you should not ignore these signs and seek medical attention.
Abnormal discharge may indicate a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, sexually transmitted infection (STI), or other gynaecological issues that require treatment. The sooner you are assessed, the easier it will be for you to obtain treatment and the less chance there is that these will progress into larger problems.
4. Breast changes you can feel or see
If you find a new lump, thickened area, an inverted nipple, dimples in your skin, or redness on your breast or if you notice any swelling or unusual drainage from any of your nipples, you should be evaluated and take these changes seriously. According to the Mayo Clinic, changes in your breast and/or your nipples can indicate that you may have breast cancer. If you find a suspicious lump, it may be a firm, irregular shape, or it may feel different from the surrounding breast tissue.
Additionally, not all unusual changes in your breast tissue will be indicative of cancer, and breast tenderness can be caused by fluctuations in hormones; however, there is a simple guideline to follow when considering women’s health: if you have a new, unilateral (i.e. one-sided) persistent breast change or anything that is different than you typically tire to during your usual menstrual cycle, you should have it evaluated.
It is essential to have breast-self awareness, which is much more important than performing a perfect breast-self exam because you are the person who is most likely to notice any abnormality with your breast.
5. Fatigue that rest does not fix
It’s common for us to become tired after a long day at work or at home. It is not normal to feel completely worn out after weeks of feeling that way even though you are sleeping fine enough. Having chronic or persistent fatigue may signal several possible medical conditions including, but not limited to: anemia, thyroid disorders, infections, depression, a sleep disorder, or many other health problems; some of these require medical attention.
The Cleveland Clinic suggests you talk with your doctor about vitamin deficiencies, illnesses, and other underlying causes of your fatigue. The Mayo Clinic recommends you see someone right away if you are experiencing fatigue along with severe pelvic pain, unusual bleeding, shortness of breath, chest pain, or palpitations.
For many women they will tend to minimize or deny their fatigue due to stress, parenting, job-related pressures, or menstrual cycles; however, constant fatigue is a real sign that something may be wrong physically rather than just a reflection of your character.
You also need to pay attention to whether the fatigue has started recently, has lasted longer than normal, or accompanies other conditions such as heavy bleeding, weight fluctuations, and/or feelings of vertigo; all of these are strong indicators that you should seek further evaluation from your health care provider.
6. Unexplained weight loss, appetite changes, or persistent bloating
Unexplained weight loss is a significant red flag, particularly if it happens regularly without changing what or how you eat and exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should see your doctor if you lose more than 5% of your body weight within six to twelve months trying to do so.
Also, feeling bloated and/or being unable to eat very much before feeling full are essential signs that may be symptomatic of either ovarian cancer or other reproductive disorders. The CDC, NHS, and Mayo Clinic all say that persistent bloatedness, pelvic pain, feeling very full about an hour after eating, stomach bloatedness, bowel and/or urinary alterations are signs to seek medical attention.
Bloating can easily be misinterpreted as caused by food or stress or due to hormone changes. However, if you experience any bloating on most days and/or you have no appetite and/or you have pain in your pelvic area, frequently urinate and/or have constipation this is not an issue that should be ignored. Additionally, loss of weight without trying to lose weight, particularly if it occurs alongside fatigue and/or loss of appetite should not be ignored either.
7. Bathroom changes that seem small at first
There may be problems with your gynecological area, digestive tract, urinary system or other serious diseases, which cause changes in bowel or bladder function. Symptoms from the CDC, NHS, and Mayo Clinic include urinary frequency/use, urine urgency, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain and pelvic/back discomfort. If you have experienced any combination of the above calls for evaluation by a doctor.
Often these symptoms can be attributed to age-related changes or an unexpected dietary change but should not be ignored if they are persistent and new to you. Noteworthy symptoms to evaluate include an increase in frequency of urination/defecation, feeling of pressure, pain when urinating, and unusual constipation.
Alone, these will not be significant, however in conjunction with pelvic pain, bloating, bleeding or fatigue then will be part of a symptom pattern leading to the determination that further evaluation by your physician is warranted.
Conclusion
Women who are not well will not always have the symptoms show up at once. Often, they will have one symptom and several minor variations of it appear over a period of time. Some examples of this include irregular menstruation, chronic pain, vagina discharge that is different from what is normal, fatigue or tiredness that is persistent, changes in a breast, persistent bloating. These patterns if detected at the earliest opportunity will increase the likelihood that appropriate treatments can be initiated, thus protecting one’s health for future years.
The first step in establishing a habit of trust in your body is to trust that all new, persistent or unusual changes in your body are real. The field of women’s health provides services aimed at providing to women, not only those that have certain identifiable illnesses, but also any diseases and disorders that develop before symptomatic phases of the disease occur. In doing so, healthcare providers have more tools at their disposal; they can address the patient’s specific concerns, take a multidisciplinary approach and provide a higher quality of care.