Latest news with #MaryJaneMinkin
Time Magazine
13-05-2025
- Health
- Time Magazine
What to Do If You Get Diagnosed with an Ovarian Cyst
Ovarian cysts, which are small fluid-filled sacs that develop in or on the ovaries, are very common and are usually harmless. In fact, 'the process of ovulation—maturing an egg and releasing it—basically makes at least a little cyst, which pops when the egg is released, and then these cysts resolve,' explains Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, an ob-gyn at Yale Medicine. These are often called 'functional cysts,' and they usually go away on their own. Other types of ovarian cysts include hemorrhagic cysts (which bleed and cause pain), dermoid cysts (which may contain skin cells and sebaceous glands), and endometriomas (which are filled with dark, thick blood and develop as a result of endometriosis). Ovarian cysts also can occur with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but they don't always. Here's what to know about ovarian cysts. How ovarian cysts affect women Most ovarian cysts are the size of a grape or cherry and don't cause symptoms. But cysts that grow quickly can cause pain in the pelvis near the hipbone and a feeling of persistent pressure. 'This discomfort can be intermittent or constant and may feel sharp or dull,' says Dr. Kelli V. Burroughs, an ob-gyn at UT Health—University of Texas Medical School at Houston. By contrast, cysts that rupture or burst can cause intense pelvic pain and sometimes slight bleeding, says Minkin. 'The pain will get better as the fluid gets absorbed by the lining of the abdominal cavity.' Read More: Can You Actually Delay Menopause? Also, with a complication called ovarian torsion, the ovary can become twisted around the supporting tissue if a cyst gets large, says Dr. Michael B. Baldonieri, an ob-gyn at the Case Western University School of Medicine. 'This can cause unrelenting, severe lower pelvic pain, along with nausea and vomiting.' This is considered a medical emergency because a torsion can cut off the blood supply to the ovary, causing the ovary to die if it's not surgically untwisted. How most ovarian cysts are treated What an ovarian cyst looks like on a transvaginal ultrasound and how it's affecting a woman helps determine how it's treated, says Dr. Daniel Ginn, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA. If it looks like a collection of fluid in a small pouch or balloon and if the woman has minimal or no symptoms, a doctor may recommend 'watchful waiting'—monitoring symptoms and repeating a pelvic ultrasound every six to eight weeks to see if the cyst has changed in size. During an ultrasound, a clinician will assess the size and structure of the mass, where it's located, and any other notable features, 'all of which can help differentiate benign from potentially malignant growths,' Burroughs says. Women with ovarian cysts often worry that they could be a sign of ovarian cancer. While that's possible, it's not common. If a mass on the ovary has solid components as well as fluid, it could be a sign of ovarian cancer. 'An ultrasound usually gives us a good idea if the cyst has some solid components,' says Minkin. But if the cyst is clearly fluid-filled and hasn't changed over time, the risk of cancer is low, even among older women. A study in a 2024 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found that among women ages 50 and older who had stable ovarian cysts detected on ultrasound, the risk of ovarian cancer was 0.27% over a follow-up period of 3.5 years. On the other hand, 'cysts that get bigger are concerning,' says Ginn. And 'if there's abnormal blood flow through a cyst or fingerlike projections at the periphery of a cyst, that's more concerning.' In these instances, a doctor may order blood tests to measure cancer antigen 125 (CA 125, for short), a protein that's often elevated when someone has ovarian cancer, and other tumor markers. If a cyst's appearance raises concerns—especially if the woman has elevated CA 125 levels—she will likely be referred to a gynecologic oncologist for specialized evaluation and treatment. If an ovarian cyst isn't causing symptoms or only mild ones, it may not need to be treated and can simply be monitored over time. 'Two-thirds of ovarian cysts are going to resolve on their own,' Ginn says. How to feel better For ovarian cysts that cause pain, medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drug can help, Baldonieri says. So can applying a heat or ice pack—whichever feels better to you—to the painful area. If a cyst is large enough or causing serious discomfort, it can be removed through laparoscopic surgery, which is performed with small incisions through the abdomen, Ginn says. 'Ovarian preservation is always a priority so you can keep your hormones, which are important for heart health, bone health, and cognition.' For women who frequently get large or painful cysts, 'we try to suppress ovulation, which is why ovarian cysts emerge in the first place,' says Ginn. This is usually done with oral contraceptives (or their hormonal equivalent), which can help prevent new cysts from forming.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Brain Fog During Menopause Is Connected To Low Levels Of This Nutrient, Per New Study
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Menopause and perimenopause pack a whopper of a punch when it comes to pesky symptoms. Think: Hot flashes, random sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and more. But it's not just your body that bears the brunt of this hormonal change. Your brain may take a hit too, in the form of brain fog. Of course, there's renewed interest in hormone therapy and its benefits for treating some of the symptoms mentioned. But new research also suggests you may be able to combat that brain fog by making sure you're getting enough of one key nutrient in your diet. Here's what you need to know. Meet the experts: Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine and founder of Madame Ovary; Jessica Cording, RD, the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers The study, which was published in the journal Nutrients, analyzed data from 39 women who weren't anemic but who had either low iron levels or normal iron levels for their age. The women, who had a mean age of about 54, provided blood samples, went through MRI scans to look at their brain iron levels, and did a few cognitive tasks with an electroencephalogram (EEG), a test that measures the electrical activity of the brain. The researchers discovered that women who had adequate levels of iron in their blood did better on cognitive tasks than those with lower levels. Those whose iron levels were below what was expected for their age did worse on tests for memory, attention and cognition. 'Addressing low iron levels at the menopausal transition may be a candidate approach for alleviating the 'brain fog' commonly experienced at menopause,' the researchers wrote. First, it's important to establish why iron is so essential to humans. Along with a slew of other things, iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen throughout your body, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Iron is a crucial component of hemoglobin, which is a protein in red blood cells that binds to oxygen. When your iron (and hemoglobin) levels are good, your blood can more easily shuttle oxygen around your body, including to your brain. Symptoms of low iron levels during any phase include trouble concentrating and difficulty with cognitive function, so this isn't completely out there, says Jessica Cording, RD, author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. You may also feel weak and struggle to get through workouts when your iron levels are low, according to the NIH. It's not uncommon for women in perimenopause to have heavy bleeding, says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine and founder of Madame Ovary. That can cause women to have low iron levels (blood loss is linked to iron loss). 'Blood brings oxygen to our tissues, including the brain,' Dr. Minkin says. If you are struggling with lower iron levels, you'll get less oxygen to all of your tissues, including the brain, she explains. Cue the brain fog. Iron levels vary person to person and depending on your age, but women usually should have levels of 35 to 145 mcg/dL, according to Mount Sinai. But healthcare providers will also usually look at other things related to iron, like your total iron binding capacity (which tells if there's too much or too little iron in the blood) and iron saturation (the percentage of a protein that carries iron in the blood called transferrin), Cording says. 'That can tell us a little more about what's going on,' she says. Getting your iron levels checked involves a blood test that is given by a healthcare professional, like your general practitioner or a dietitian. Dr. Minkin says it 'makes sense' to stay on top of your iron levels when you're in perimenopause and menopause. 'If someone is dealing with brain fog, it's also smart to get their vitamin B12 and folate levels done,' Cording says. 'Those can also impact brain function.' Cording usually recommends focusing on getting your iron from food first before immediately leaning on supplements. That means loading up on things like white beans, lentils, red meat, fortified cereals, spinach, and tofu, she says. If you're bleeding heavily, she suggests being especially aware of how much iron you're having during that time to help get your levels up. But if your iron levels are especially low, your healthcare provider may recommend taking a supplement. The exact amount to take depends a lot on your current levels. 'People with less frequent periods or no periods probably don't need as much iron as younger women who are bleeding regularly,' Cording says. 'But some women in perimenopause experience more frequent and heavier periods—they might need more iron than younger women.' Ultimately, if you're dealing with brain fog, it's important to talk to a healthcare professional. They can order testing and help you find a solution from there. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
These Facts About Menopause Will Make You Say "Wait, Why Didn't I Know This?!"
When it comes to women's health, there are many topics that aren't discussed as often as they should be — or discussed without shame. Menopause is, unfortunately, one of the topics, even though an estimated 1.3 million Americans enter menopause each year. The secrecy leads to false information and fear, in addition to unnecessary discomfort for those going through the change. Many people don't even know what menopause is, other than hot flashes (which can be part of it). 'The definition of menopause is one full year without a period in the absence of something else to explain it, like pregnancy,' said Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a gynecologist at Yale Medicine in Connecticut. And, we only know it's our last period when looking back in time, added Dr. Karen E. Adams, a clinical professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine in California and the director of Stanford's menopause and healthy aging program. 'When you have your last period, you don't know that's your last period until a year later, and you say, 'Well, I guess that was it,'' Adams added. The average age of menopause in the United States is 52 (and 51 is the average age throughout the world), said Dr. Ella Speichinger, an OB-GYN at University of Missouri Health Care. Menopause is just one day — 'it's the day that you have gone 12 months without a period,' Adams added. After that, you're in post-menopause, which is the phase of life you remain in until you die. There are signs and symptoms associated with this time in life, along with the segments before it. Below, doctors share what they want everyone to know about perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. 1. The symptoms you likely associate with menopause start during perimenopause, which generally happens in your 40s. 'The buildup to that last period is the perimenopause timeframe, and perimenopause, on average, lasts four to seven years, but it can be one to 10 years,' Adams said. Meaning with menopause at an average age of 52, perimenopause will start for many people in their mid-40s or even early 40s. 'It's not necessarily when you're 55 or 60 that you need to be thinking about this. It could be in your mid-30s that you need to be thinking about it and putting the pieces in place to have that transition go smoothly and go well,' Adams said. (More on that below.) While there's a misconception that symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats happen once you reach menopausal age, that's not the case. 'Perimenopause often is the most symptomatic time, and people aren't even really aware of it yet. It's not even on their radar screen,' she added. People tend to notice changes to their menstrual cycle, like skipped periods or varying cycle lengths, for example, in addition to hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, joint pain and brain fog. 'Those are all kind of nonspecific symptoms,' Adams said. You could easily mistake the symptoms of perimenopause for any number of issues that have similar signs. 'It could be your thyroid. It could be that you have major depression, and you need to get that treated. It could be you're developing rheumatoid arthritis ... it could be long COVID,' Adams said. Or, it could be perimenopause. 'There's a lot of different things it could be, but when you have them all together, it's definitely important that people think, 'Wow, this could be perimenopause,'' she said. If you notice these symptoms, it's important to talk to your doctor to figure out what's going on, whether it's perimenopause or not. 2. More than half of people experience PMI during perimenopause, which is kind of like PMS. 'About 65 to 70% of people get a thing called perimenopausal mood instability, or what we call PMI, and that's more common than PMS [premenstrual syndrome], but people have never heard of it, right?' Adams said. 'We all know what PMS is. We talk about it. We know what it is. PMI is more common than PMS, but nobody's ever heard of it,' she added. With PMS, you can generally anticipate when the mood swings, fatigue and cravings will happen, but the same can't be said for PMI. 'It's completely unpredictable because hormone cycling becomes unpredictable in perimenopause, so people wake up every day and they don't know how they're going to feel,' Adams explained, 'they don't know if they're going to be irritable or angry or anxious, or if they're going to feel normal.' This is a major sign that you may be in perimenopause, Adams said. 'If something like that's going on, see a provider and think about treatments that might stabilize that mood stuff,' she added. 3. A doctor can't look at you and say exactly when you'll go through menopause, but it can be genetic (although it isn't always). You probably want to know when exactly you'll start perimenopause and menopause, but the answer isn't cut and dry. However, there are a few things you can turn to for guidance. You can talk to your mom or older sister about when they went through menopause. 'That's helpful, certainly helpful, things tend to run in families,' Minkin noted. Meaning, if your mom and older sister both went through menopause in their early 50s, it's reasonable to think that's when you'd go through menopause, too. But it's not absolute, Minkin said. It could happen earlier or later for you, too. It's also possible for certain medical procedures and surgical treatments to put you in menopause, Adams said. This includes things like some cancer treatments or the removal of the ovaries, Adams said. 4. Menopause causes loss of bone density, but there are things you can do to prepare for that. During menopause, folks experience bone density loss because of the decreased estrogen production in the body. 'A lot of what causes morbidity and mortality in elderly women is bone issues, primarily osteoporosis, so falling and breaking a hip when you're 80 or 85 is an absolute disaster because one in four of those women will die, and another one in four will be permanently disabled,' Adams said. The best thing to do to avoid this is to work on prevention methods earlier, like in your 20s and 30s, to help build up your bone density, Adams noted. 'You can build more bone density by doing more weight-bearing exercise, paying attention to calcium and vitamin D, things like that,' Adams said, 'and then you can actually go into perimenopause and menopause with more bone because you can actually build up your bone density in those years.' 5. The symptoms of menopause are treatable via hormone therapy, but mixed messages created panic among American women. It's estimated that only 5% of women take hormone therapy in the United States. This is the result of lots of mixed messaging about the treatment. In 2002, the Women's Health Initiative released a flawed study that linked estrogen replacement therapy to an increase in breast cancer, 'which is ... absolute bullshit, the study didn't even say that but that was the interpretation, unfortunately, that came out,' Minkin said. As a result, American women in droves stopped taking estrogen replacement therapy, and medical residences stopped teaching about menopause because there was no more estrogen therapy, Minkin said. 'Hormone therapy promotes heart health, promotes bone health and manages the symptoms. So that's another important message, which is there's a very, very effective, good treatment for all these symptoms and a lot of the diseases of aging, and many people are not taking advantage of it,' Adams said. To be clear, there are risks to any medication, Tylenol and ibuprofen included. This goes for hormone therapy, too, which is associated with a higher risk of blood clots and can raise cancer risk in those with certain types of cancer history. While certain groups of people should not take the medication, it is overall safe, experts say. 'The risk of menopausal hormone therapy equates to the same relative risk ... of having more than one drink a day of alcohol,' Speichinger said. 'So me, personally, when I counsel patients about this, I say that there's still risk with hormone therapy, but there's actual true benefit with hormone therapy, and alcohol cannot boast the same benefits,' Speichinger said. Minkin added that there are various forms of hormone therapy available, in addition to other treatments, and they don't all carry the same risks. It's important to talk to your doctor about what's best for you. 6. To help you manage and understand your perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause symptoms, it's important to find a doctor who understands. 'If somebody's looking for a provider, [try] checking on the Menopause Society website because people who are interested in it are registered there,' Speichinger said. 'Anybody who's listed there is somebody who knows about menopause, likes to talk about menopause and can probably help you,' Minkin said. For many people, perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause are isolating times because of the stigma attached to them and the unwritten code of silence surrounding them. But it doesn't need to be and shouldn't be. 7. Many aspects of menopause are pretty intimidating, but there is a real thing called 'menopausal zest.' 'The transition time is hard, and people have to manage that, but there is a real thing called menopausal zest,' Adams said, 'and once people are through the transition, and they are stable on the other side, they are happier.' In fact, post-menopausal folks say they're happier in their relationships, happier at work and more joyful, overall, Adams added. 'That is, I think, also a very important message that menopause is not the end of something. For many people, it's a new beginning. It's a window or a door opening and people reinvent themselves,' she said. Medications and treatments from your doctor can help you get to this point quicker, too, which is yet another reminder not to force yourself to suffer in silence. 'Menopause is inevitable if you live long enough, but suffering is not inevitable, and you don't have to suffer through it,' Adams said. 'In fact, it can be quite liberating.' This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
7 Things You'd Be Shocked People Don't Know About Menopause
When it comes to women's health, there are many topics that aren't discussed as often as they should be — or discussed without shame. Menopause is, unfortunately, one of the topics, even though an estimated 1.3 million Americans enter menopause each year. The secrecy leads to false information and fear, in addition to unnecessary discomfort for those going through the change. Many people don't even know what menopause is, other than hot flashes (which can be part of it). 'The definition of menopause is one full year without a period in the absence of something else to explain it, like pregnancy,' said Dr. Mary Jane Minkin, a gynecologist at Yale Medicine in Connecticut. And, we only know it's our last period when looking back in time, added Dr. Karen E. Adams, a clinical professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University School of Medicine in California and the director of Stanford's menopause and healthy aging program. 'When you have your last period, you don't know that's your last period until a year later, and you say, 'Well, I guess that was it,'' Adams added. The average age of menopause in the United States is 52 (and 51 is the average age throughout the world), said Dr. Ella Speichinger, an OB-GYN at University of Missouri Health Care. Menopause is just one day — 'it's the day that you have gone 12 months without a period,' Adams added. After that, you're in post-menopause, which is the phase of life you remain in until you die. There are signs and symptoms associated with this time in life, along with the segments before it. Below, doctors share what they want everyone to know about perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. 'The buildup to that last period is the perimenopause timeframe, and perimenopause, on average, lasts four to seven years, but it can be one to 10 years,' Adams said. Meaning with menopause at an average age of 52, perimenopause will start for many people in their mid-40s or even early 40s. 'It's not necessarily when you're 55 or 60 that you need to be thinking about this. It could be in your mid-30s that you need to be thinking about it and putting the pieces in place to have that transition go smoothly and go well,' Adams said. (More on that below.) While there's a misconception that symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats happen once you reach menopausal age, that's not the case. 'Perimenopause often is the most symptomatic time, and people aren't even really aware of it yet. It's not even on their radar screen,' she added. People tend to notice changes to their menstrual cycle, like skipped periods or varying cycle lengths, for example, in addition to hot flashes, night sweats, trouble sleeping, joint pain and brain fog. 'Those are all kind of nonspecific symptoms,' Adams said. You could easily mistake the symptoms of perimenopause for any number of issues that have similar signs. 'It could be your thyroid. It could be that you have major depression, and you need to get that treated. It could be you're developing rheumatoid arthritis ... it could be long COVID,' Adams said. Or, it could be perimenopause. 'There's a lot of different things it could be, but when you have them all together, it's definitely important that people think, 'Wow, this could be perimenopause,'' she said. If you notice these symptoms, it's important to talk to your doctor to figure out what's going on, whether it's perimenopause or not. 'About 65 to 70% of people get a thing called perimenopausal mood instability, or what we call PMI, and that's more common than PMS [premenstrual syndrome], but people have never heard of it, right?' Adams said. 'We all know what PMS is. We talk about it. We know what it is. PMI is more common than PMS, but nobody's ever heard of it,' she added. With PMS, you can generally anticipate when the mood swings, fatigue and cravings will happen, but the same can't be said for PMI. 'It's completely unpredictable because hormone cycling becomes unpredictable in perimenopause, so people wake up every day and they don't know how they're going to feel,' Adams explained, 'they don't know if they're going to be irritable or angry or anxious, or if they're going to feel normal.' This is a major sign that you may be in perimenopause, Adams said. 'If something like that's going on, see a provider and think about treatments that might stabilize that mood stuff,' she added. You probably want to know when exactly you'll start perimenopause and menopause, but the answer isn't cut and dry. However, there are a few things you can turn to for guidance. You can talk to your mom or older sister about when they went through menopause. 'That's helpful, certainly helpful, things tend to run in families,' Minkin noted. Meaning, if your mom and older sister both went through menopause in their early 50s, it's reasonable to think that's when you'd go through menopause, too. But it's not absolute, Minkin said. It could happen earlier or later for you, too. It's also possible for certain medical procedures and surgical treatments to put you in menopause, Adams said. This includes things like some cancer treatments or the removal of the ovaries, Adams said. During menopause, folks experience bone density loss because of the decreased estrogen production in the body. 'A lot of what causes morbidity and mortality in elderly women is bone issues, primarily osteoporosis, so falling and breaking a hip when you're 80 or 85 is an absolute disaster because one in four of those women will die, and another one in four will be permanently disabled,' Adams said. The best thing to do to avoid this is to work on prevention methods earlier, like in your 20s and 30s, to help build up your bone density, Adams noted. 'You can build more bone density by doing more weight-bearing exercise, paying attention to calcium and vitamin D, things like that,' Adams said, 'and then you can actually go into perimenopause and menopause with more bone because you can actually build up your bone density in those years.' It's estimated that only 5% of women take hormone therapy in the United States. This is the result of lots of mixed messaging about the treatment. In 2002, the Women's Health Initiative released a flawed study that linked estrogen replacement therapy to an increase in breast cancer, 'which is ... absolute bullshit, the study didn't even say that but that was the interpretation, unfortunately, that came out,' Minkin said. As a result, American women in droves stopped taking estrogen replacement therapy, and medical residences stopped teaching about menopause because there was no more estrogen therapy, Minkin said. 'Hormone therapy promotes heart health, promotes bone health and manages the symptoms. So that's another important message, which is there's a very, very effective, good treatment for all these symptoms and a lot of the diseases of aging, and many people are not taking advantage of it,' Adams said. To be clear, there are risks to any medication, Tylenol and ibuprofen included. This goes for hormone therapy, too, which is associated with a higher risk of blood clots and can raise cancer risk in those with certain types of cancer history. While certain groups of people should not take the medication, it is overall safe, experts say. 'The risk of menopausal hormone therapy equates to the same relative risk ... of having more than one drink a day of alcohol,' Speichinger said. 'So me, personally, when I counsel patients about this, I say that there's still risk with hormone therapy, but there's actual true benefit with hormone therapy, and alcohol cannot boast the same benefits,' Speichinger said. Minkin added that there are various forms of hormone therapy available, in addition to other treatments, and they don't all carry the same risks. It's important to talk to your doctor about what's best for you. 'If somebody's looking for a provider, [try] checking on the Menopause Society website because people who are interested in it are registered there,' Speichinger said. 'Anybody who's listed there is somebody who knows about menopause, likes to talk about menopause and can probably help you,' Minkin said. For many people, perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause are isolating times because of the stigma attached to them and the unwritten code of silence surrounding them. But it doesn't need to be and shouldn't be. 'The transition time is hard, and people have to manage that, but there is a real thing called menopausal zest,' Adams said, 'and once people are through the transition, and they are stable on the other side, they are happier.' In fact, post-menopausal folks say they're happier in their relationships, happier at work and more joyful, overall, Adams added. 'That is, I think, also a very important message that menopause is not the end of something. For many people, it's a new beginning. It's a window or a door opening and people reinvent themselves,' she said. Medications and treatments from your doctor can help you get to this point quicker, too, which is yet another reminder not to force yourself to suffer in silence. 'Menopause is inevitable if you live long enough, but suffering is not inevitable, and you don't have to suffer through it,' Adams said. 'In fact, it can be quite liberating.' What's A Menopause Party? Here's Why Experts Say They're So Important. Has Your Alcohol Tolerance Changed With Age? Or Could It Actually Be Perimenopause? 5 Ways Sex Actually Improves During Perimenopause
