What symptoms may bother you after a gynecologist?

It is believed that all women - at least from the beginning of sexual activity until old age - are potential patients of a gynecologist. However, according to the VTsIOM study “Gedeon Richter Women’s Health Index”, conducted for the pharmaceutical company of the same name, 6% of our compatriots of reproductive age have not consulted a gynecologist for more than 3 years. What is the portrait of a modern woman aged 18-45 and how does she take care of her women’s health?

Why is the gynecologist so scary?

CONTENT:

Lack of correct information leads to speculation and conjecture. Sex education is not carried out at the proper level; at most, girls are told about the changes that await them during puberty. The issue of intimate relationships is limited to a biology lesson, considering exclusively the process of reproduction. Therefore, the main flow of information comes from peers, describing in vivid colors what awaits outside the gynecologist’s door. The attitude of parents also contributes to the formation of fears. Mothers do not talk openly with their daughters about the characteristics of the female body and the rules for maintaining reproductive health.

Mostly teenage girls make their first visit to a gynecologist, in the absence of indications in childhood. An unstable psycho-emotional state, defending boundaries to adulthood are layered with the need to visit a doctor. Why conduct an inspection and answer uncomfortable questions? Everything is in order, there are no complaints, which means there is no need to visit.

A routine inspection forces everyone to go through a chair execution. Accompanied by internal tension, which is fixed and appears again at the next visit. This is how established behavioral stereotypes carry over into adulthood. And already mature women drink a sedative before being examined by a gynecologist.

Another reason for discomfort is lack of self-confidence. At the heart of the complexes is the fear of showing one’s individuality. Stressful situations affect behavior - you can talk incessantly, laugh for no reason, or vice versa, avoid conversations, withdraw into yourself. Not every gynecologist has the skills of an experienced psychologist and can win you over by creating a trusting, comfortable environment.

It is no secret that an inspection involves examination and collection of materials for analysis. When visiting a gynecologist, you need to overcome several barriers - undress in front of a stranger, prepare for an examination in a chair, answer frankly questions of an intimate nature. Not everyone is ready to reveal the peculiarities of their cycle and sex life right away. Internal tension is reflected in the state of the body; in a state of stress, muscles become hypertonic. It is not surprising that many people experience pain during the examination. And the concept of a gynecologist is fixed by consciousness as a negative experience of shame and pain.

Reasons for fear of the gynecologist:

• lack of reliable information;
• diffidence;
• negative experience of examination or treatment.

Why go to an appointment with a gynecologist if nothing worries you?

A visit to the gynecologist, objectively speaking, is not the most pleasant experience. I often hear the phrase from patients: “Why walk if nothing bothers you?” - and I always try to prove with reason that this is a fundamentally incorrect statement.

The vast majority of gynecological diseases, which will later become a serious problem requiring complex, often expensive and often surgical treatment, develop completely asymptomatic in the initial stage. Myomas, ovarian cysts, polyps, not to mention cervical cancer, do not manifest themselves until very advanced stages.

If you follow the logic “I don’t care, I won’t go,” then your next visit to the doctor will only take place when the disease is already very advanced, and subsequently you will have to go to the doctor much more often, and solving the problem is much more difficult and expensive.

The female reproductive system is designed in such a way that it requires constant maintenance, so a visit to the gynecologist should be equated with basic needs, such as personal hygiene.

It is irrational to refuse to see a gynecologist due to fear of unpleasant sensations or fear of learning something bad. The more you do not visit a doctor, the higher your chance of hearing an unpleasant diagnosis with a poor prognosis. I have described above how to overcome other potential difficulties that arise during the visit. Your awareness will become an effective insurance against unnecessary diagnoses, unnecessary examinations and unreasonable treatment.

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How to prepare for your appointment

Preparation for an appointment is not limited to hygiene procedures and monitoring of the best doctors in the city. This is part of sex education that should be carried out in childhood. There is a lot of literature and manuals with which parents can explain to their children the features of gender differences and relationships. For each age, the authors use tools, presenting the material as correctly and clearly as possible. If a child knows about the boundaries of his body, about the changes that await him during adolescence, entering puberty, he will be able to avoid awkwardness and embarrassment. The concept of sexuality ceases to be a secret behind seven locks, the principles of sexual relations are formed.

For girls, it is important to start visiting a gynecologist not with a questionnaire and examination. Introductory visits will help you get used to the office environment, tools, and equipment. Informational lectures in an original presentation with humorous notes will allow you to relax and forget about your complexes. It is advisable that such meetings in the gynecologist’s office take place in a group. The presence of peers will make you feel confident. The absence of a teacher in the classroom is another important marker. The concept of confidentiality of health information is established. And without the supervision of a teacher, girls will be able to ask all their questions and dispel myths and stereotypes.

If fear already exists, preventative measures will not have the desired effect. The situation associated with stress is fixed in the mind. Before you work on yourself, you need to find out the cause of the phobia:

• often the reason for fear is the quality of the services provided; women are afraid to receive unqualified help;
• are afraid of identifying hidden diseases;
• the doctor’s rudeness towards the patient creates the image of a farrier in a white coat; delicate problems require adherence to ethical standards and principles;
• For many, a phobia is infection during an examination when using unsterile instruments;
• The decisive factor is discomfort and sometimes pain.

Regardless of the reasons that provoked fear and embarrassment, the solution to the problem lies in choosing a qualified doctor. You need to choose a specialist who meets the patient’s personal criteria:

1. Gender of the doctor, brave young ladies will easily make an appointment with a male gynecologist, timid ones will prefer to trust a woman.
2. Age also matters; some question the competence of young specialists, choosing mature, experienced, titled doctors.
3. It is worth paying attention to the place of work - a public or private clinic. When contacting a private institution, you need to take into account the availability of a license, the reputation of the clinic, and look for information from reliable sources.
4. Modern technologies allow you to monitor reviews in search of the best gynecologist. You shouldn’t blindly trust admiring messages; perhaps this is paid advertising.
5. Before a full examination, you can sign up for a preliminary consultation. Get to know the doctor, and during the conversation decide for yourself whether it is possible to trust this specialist.
6. The consultation will allow you to assess the doctor’s personality traits. If the gynecologist behaves untethered, as if with an old acquaintance, it is better for the patient to look for another specialist. It is possible that during the examination the doctor will not respect the chain of command between the doctor and the patient.

Ectopic pregnancy

A condition in which the fertilized egg does not attach to the wall of the uterus, but is located inside the fallopian tube. The woman experiences spotting brown discharge and pain in the lower abdomen. As the embryo grows, the torment intensifies. The temperature rises slightly and weakness occurs. The mammary glands swell. There is a delay in menstruation. If a pipe ruptures, the pain becomes unbearable and radiates to the legs and lower back. Excessive bleeding occurs. If medical care is not provided in a timely manner, death is possible. It is impossible to save such a pregnancy. The fertilized egg must be removed. In case of ruptures, the damaged pipe is repaired surgically.

How is a gynecological examination performed?

Awareness will help you overcome fear and embarrassment. The patient should know how an appointment with a gynecologist proceeds. Predictability of the situation will help cope with stress and anxiety.

Stages of gynecological examination:

1. Anamnesis is collected - data on the menstrual cycle, the beginning of sexual relations, pregnancies, childbirth, diseases.
2. After interviewing the patient, she undergoes an examination in a gynecological chair. For girls who are not sexually active, they are limited to an external examination without using a mirror.
3. The study is carried out using mirrors, a colposcope or a video colposcope, with the image displayed on the monitor.
4. To identify compactions and tumors, a bimanual examination is performed. The doctor palpates the uterus, ovaries, and vaginal vaults.
5. During the research, smears are taken, which are then sent to the laboratory.
6. In some cases, an ultrasound is performed, a sensor is inserted into the vagina to determine the size and location of the reproductive system organs.

Symptoms after examination by a doctor

Discomfort after the examination persists for several days, and this cannot be called a deviation from the norm. However, acute pain should alert the patient. Sometimes during an examination, doctors examine the condition of the cervix and vagina too roughly - this causes injury to the mucous membrane and some other disorders.

To understand why the lower abdomen hurts after an examination by a gynecologist, it is enough to study the manipulations performed by the doctor:

• using a gynecological speculum, a specialist examines the vagina and cervix - this instrument does not have sharp corners, but can damage the membrane if the woman’s muscles are too tense;
• during the examination, the doctor takes a smear from the mucous membrane in order to send it for tests, sometimes it is necessary to collect cells from the cervix, during which slight irritation of the organ also occurs;
• A bimanual examination is carried out with your hands, palpating the organ from the inside and outside of the abdomen - excessive pressure will result in painful sensations after a while.

Normally, the pain goes away after some time - 1-2 days, but this symptom cannot be ignored, since in some cases it indicates a disease.

Women who do not have regular sex life, as well as patients over 50-55 years of age, are especially susceptible to painful sensations. With age, the amount of lubrication decreases, the muscles weaken - this provokes unpleasant sensations.

Uterine fibroids

The cause of nagging pain in the lower abdomen in women may be a benign tumor in the muscular layer of the uterus. Presumably occurs due to hormonal imbalances. A characteristic symptom is heavy menstrual bleeding, which becomes more abundant as the fibroid nodes grow. There is pressure in the abdomen. The pain may be constant or appear only during menstruation. In some cases, bowel and bladder functions are impaired. Conservative treatment consists of taking hormones and drugs that stop bleeding. The tumor is removed surgically.

Pathologies of the urinary tract

Inflammation of the bladder and urethra occurs with decreased immunity, hypothermia, or as a complication of sexually transmitted infections. These pathologies are characterized by an increased urge to urinate, difficult outflow of urine, and a feeling of incomplete emptying. Foreign impurities appear in urine. Possible increase in temperature. With cystitis, pain occurs in the lower abdomen in the middle in women. Discomfort increases at the end of urination. With urethritis, there is itching and burning in the urethra. Treatment for infections involves taking antibiotics. In case of inflammation of the urethra, douching with antiseptic solutions is additionally prescribed. Therapy for the affected bladder involves physiotherapeutic procedures.