Gynecologist

A gynecologist is a purely female doctor, who should be visited on a regular basis, and not only when there has been a sharp exacerbation of a disease. But due to natural shyness, most of the fairer sex still prefer to bypass the office of this specialist.

Doctors, on the other hand, say that it is worth making an appointment with a doctor for the sake of your own health at least once every six months. Since now it is completely optional to visit a state medical institution for this, you can go for an examination in a private clinic. There, the doctor will receive the client at a convenient time for her, and will not require you to carry a diaper, gloves and other items from the gynecological initial examination kit.

To receive professional advice and the subsequent appointment of therapy, if necessary, it is enough just to find out where an experienced specialist takes and sign up for a queue. Today, this can be done even online by filling out an application on the official website of the clinic. In the same place or on thematic city forums, you can read reviews from experienced visitors in order to decide who to go to.

The choice between a public clinic and a private clinic lies entirely with the patient. Someone likes a paid appointment more, because within the walls of a private medical institution, ladies are treated like royalty. And someone just wants to leave their problems completely anonymous without being recorded in the main medical card.

Scope of competence

Some ordinary people still believe that an obstetrician who helps to take birth is a gynecologist. But in fact, these are slightly different specialties with only one common denominator – caring for a woman’s health. Moreover, pregnancy is not the only competence of a gynecologist. The specialist is also engaged in the identification, therapy and subsequent prevention of various inflammations, pathologies and other abnormalities in the female genital area.

Sometimes such a doctor collaborates with other narrow specialists. There are also experts who have a double burden. A striking example of this is an endocrinologist with the functions of a gynecologist. Young ladies who are faced with a hormonal imbalance that does not allow them to have a normal sexual life or give birth to offspring turn to him.

The combination of gynecology with surgery works according to the same principle, when nothing but a radical method of resolving the issue is no longer suitable. There are also such collaborations where an oncologist is present. And not always, when taken into account by such specialists, the medical history ends with the removal of the affected genital organ. In the early stages of the development of the disease, reproductive functions can be saved. To do this, it is important not to delay and go to the hospital immediately after detecting the first signs of a deviation from the norm.

The main areas of work of gynecologists include the following three groups:

• inflammation and infection;
• hormonal changes and endocrine ailments;
• oncology.

The first broad category covers diseases caused by infection. Here, people far from physiology for some reason believe that we are talking exclusively about sexually transmitted diseases. But such problems are more often dealt with by professional venereologists after the patients are given the appropriate diagnosis.

In fact, the nature of the female body is such that a common cold, or any other inflammation with an initially different localization, can become an impetus for problems with the genitals. In parallel with this, the work of a female doctor provides for a cure for:

• papillomas;
• herpes;
• cytomegalovirus.

No less often, the fair sex seek help if they are faced with hormonal disruptions. And if society continues to think that this is possible only in women who are on the verge of menopause, doctors sharply deny such a myth. Even a young girl who has never had sex before can become a victim of a hormonal surge.

If you do not provide her with qualified assistance immediately, then this will first affect the deterioration in the quality of life, and then come back to haunt problems with the inability to use their reproductive functions.

To help ladies recognize the first signs of dangerous diseases, experts advise paying attention to possible sudden and unreasonable mood swings. Also, problems are expressed in the rapid extinction of sexual desire and menstrual irregularities. At the same time, you should not worry, since a good doctor who has chosen the right therapy and early treatment will shorten the treatment period and protect you from consequences.

A special group of risks is gynecological oncology. It provides for the development of diseases that are associated with the degeneration of cells in the tissues of the genital organs, or a violation of the developmental norms of these organs.

Do not forget that during pregnancy, even healthy expectant mothers need a full consultation. If everything goes well, then the parent will not be delayed for a long time at the reception and the number of visits to the attending doctor will be reduced to a minimum.

Reasons to visit

In the course of numerous studies, scientists have come to the conclusion that usually twice a year is enough for a woman to see a doctor for a preventive examination. But if the patient has a suspicion of some kind of disease, or there are complaints, then postponing the appointment until X day is not worth it for your own safety.

You should not delay visiting the doctor’s office for those who are faced with:

• heavy or painful periods;
• pain or itching in the lower abdomen;
• constant pain in the lumbar region;
• lack of menstruation after the age of 15, or cycle failures;
• atypical vaginal discharge that has a strange color or an unpleasant odor;
• discomfort during intercourse;
• dryness or roughness of the genitals;
• suspicious neoplasms in the genital area;
• urinary incontinence;
• menopause.

Separately, situations are considered when there was unprotected sexual contact, or a change of sexual partner.

It is important to remember that with any deviation from the norm, the hospital is not the number one enemy for the patient, but a way to bring her body back to normal. You also need to keep in mind the fact that not all ailments manifest themselves immediately, since they have a significant latent margin of time.

Pregnancy and gynecologist

During an interesting situation, the female doctor should become perhaps the best friend of the expectant mother. You should not rely on the advice of friends or instructions from books for pregnant women to make your own diagnoses. Only an expert in the field of gynecology will be able to correctly calculate the schedule of visits for routine examinations. Moreover, for each patient, it is set individually, taking into account the results of previous tests, as well as the well-being of the woman.

But if a healthy woman initially has enough visits at the rate of once a month, then visits should become more frequent in the third trimester. Do not be afraid that every time during the reception, the young lady will be asked to climb into the gynecological chair.

Sometimes it is enough just to check in to fix the weight, abdominal circumference and take a regular blood test. But at a later date, the specialist usually requires more thorough preparation in order to assess the current state of the uterus. Based on the data obtained, the question of the method of childbirth will be decided: natural or with the help of surgical intervention.

Separately, potential mothers are interested in the question of how the doctor is able to set the exact date of conception in order to calculate the approximate date of birth. Usually, a system of reporting from the last menstruation is used for this. But sometimes this is not enough, so the exact deadline is set only after the results of the survey are received. The results of ultrasound are also taken into account, which is done approximately 10-14 weeks from the moment of conception.

Diseases treated by a gynecologist

There is no exact age for the first trip to the gynecologist, but doctors insist that this happens for the first time within the radius of adolescence. Usually, young ladies are not even sent to the gynecological chair for the first time if they do not have any complaints and have not had sex before. The girls are brought in as a whole class at once as part of a preventive examination. For such cases, a pediatric gynecologist works in polyclinics for young people.

Then the girl herself, with the support of her parents, or of her own free will, can begin to look for “her doctor”. It can be either a private clinic with its paid services, or a specialist in a public hospital with good reviews.

If, during the next preventive examination, a suspicion of any disease suddenly arises, you should not immediately panic. First, the diagnosis may not be confirmed. Secondly, the modern pharmaceutical industry has learned to help even people with previously incurable diseases.

The main diseases diagnosed by gynecologists are called:

• amenorrhea;
• ovarian apoplexy;
• bacterial vaginosis;
• candidiasis;
• prolapse;
• trichomoniasis;
• gonorrhea;
• algomenorrhea;
• endometriosis.

Also, doctors deal with issues of intrauterine pathologies not only during pregnancy, because inflammation of the lower and upper genital tract is a problem even for young patients without sexual experience.

Separately, gynecologists work in tuberculosis dispensaries, since gynecological tuberculosis is not uncommon lately, as are fistulas with genital herpes.

Doctors are working on the treatment of diseases of the vagina, uterus, vulva and ovaries. They may also develop a joint treatment plan with other specialists in an attempt to relieve the patient of problems with the genitourinary system or intestines. They also help in cases of female infertility.

But even without a serious reason to visit, you should not forget the path to the gynecological office. An experienced expert is able to choose the best contraceptives, based on the characteristics of each individual organism. Also, a preliminary visit to the doctor at the stage of pregnancy planning will avoid possible problems in the future. For such prudent future parents, there are separate family planning centers.

Basics of diagnostics

The main task of the doctor is to determine the current state of women’s health, identify possible deviations and make recommendations to improve the clinical picture. That is why the doctor begins his consultation with a conversation, during which he is interested in the patient’s complaints.

The gynecologist studies the medical history and other notes in the medical record, after which he proceeds to a visual examination with internal palpation. Next, the cervix is ​​examined using special equipment – mirrors. The issue of collecting vaginal and cervical smears is decided on the spot.

Sometimes, in order to draw up a complete picture, the doctor requires additional tests, such as blood and urine donations. Based on the data obtained, a diagnosis is made and the correct course of treatment is prescribed, adjusted for the needs of a particular visitor.

Additional measures include measuring basal temperature, as well as installing an intrauterine device. And at the end of its service life, it is dismantled in the same way. But wearing a contraceptive longer than the due date, as many women who do not take care of their health often like to do, is strictly prohibited. This leads to the development of inflammatory processes and many associated abnormalities, up to the need for later surgical intervention.