We’ve asked experts to decipher some down-there symptoms and treatments—so you can get off that couch already!

YOU HAVE
Heavy and/or painful periods that last for at least seven days; abdominal pain or fullness

Ask your doctor about uterine fibroids
You may be one of the 40 percent of women with fibroids, or noncancerous growths that are usually found on the uterine wall. “Most people think of it as a condition that affects older women,” says Bruce McLucas, M.D., founder of the Fibroid Treatment Collective at the University of California, Los Angeles. “But the truth is that fibroids are most common among women in their 30s and 40s.” The majority of these tissue masses measure about 4 centimeters in diameter (picture a golf ball), but some can balloon to the size of a grapefruit.

About 75 percent of women with fibroids don’t experience any problems and, in most cases, won’t need treatment. But when symptoms show up, they can be very uncomfortable and affect the quality of your life. “Heavy bleeding may occur because fibroids distort the uterine wall, causing more of the lining to shed,” says McLucas. In serious cases, this bleeding can lead to anemia. Fibroids that block the fallopian tubes, womb, or birth canal may lead to infertility, miscarriages, and premature birth.

WHAT CAN HELP
The most common treatment for fibroids used to be hysterectomy, a surgery to remove the uterus. But today there are noninvasive options better suited to your lifestyle and needs.

For example, if you still want to get pregnant, your best choice is myomectomy. This surgical removal of the fibroids is the only treatment that’s known to preserve fertility. Don’t want more kids? Consider uterine artery embolization, or UAE. Doctors inject particles into the arteries leading to the fibroids, blocking blood flow and shrinking them.

For symptomatic women who have a few larger (rather than smaller) fibroids, a newer treatment called magnetic resonance imaging ultrasound may be in order. During the procedure, an M.D. zaps growths with a high-intensity ultrasound beam. Fibroids are broken down and reabsorbed by the body; most patients can return to work in a day or two.

Click here to find out more.

Tyler Perry

Start Gallery

Actress Terri J. Vaughn sits down with 25 of Hollywood’s African-American actresses to discuss how they deal with being in today’s entertainment industry.

Take a look at the trailer:

Hollywood’s Jada Pinkett says sex keeps her marriage alive
Check out the hottest celebs pics on the net:

If you spend your summers sneezing and wheezing and itching and bitching, you might be able to save all the bucks you spend on Benadryl and just have some good, old fashioned sex!

[From Telegraph]

Researchers claim that sex constricts the blood vessels which unblocks bunged up noses and clears streaming eyes.

Iranian scientists found the nasal system is linked to the reproductive system.

So far experts at the Tabriz Medical University have not performed clinical trials to test their theory.

But if they are proved right then male sufferers need no longer rely on antihistamine drugs, some of which have been known to cause high blood pressure and blocked noses.

Neurologist Sina Zarrintan claims his method would be a lot more pleasurable, cheaper and need only be done whenever the symptoms become really bad.

He said: “It can be done from time to time to alleviate the congestion and the patient can adjust the number of intercourses depending on the severity of the symptoms.”

To read the rest of the article, click here.

The only way this can backfire is if you’re allergic to sex!

Need to give your immune system a boost? Here are 10 ways.

As a girl with processed (relaxed) hair, I’m verrrrrry picky about what I put in it and where I get it done. But Phyto Universe looked promising enough, so my colleague Mary HK Choi from GIANT and I decided to do a comparative analysis with our Black and Asian hair types.

The results? Happiness, shininess, and total sexy hairhavingness. Check out the article here and book an appointment ASAP!

Phyto Universe isn’t the only place I’ve played guinea pig! Check out the most recent Test Dummy pick here.

Are you one of those girls that always wears dark colors so your pit stains don’t show up at a party? It’s a sucky problem, but you’re not the only one frustrated by sweaty clothing disasters. However, a new treatment was just approved in the UK called Laser Sweat Ablation, which started in Brazil and uses a laser to burn underarm sweat glands. Says Daily Mail,

Previously, one of the few options for people with sweat problems has been major surgery conducted under general anaesthetic to cut nerves in the chest that lead to the sweat glands.

Celebrities including former Miss England and Celebrity Big Brother contestant Danielle Lloyd have also resorted to injections of anti-wrinkle treatment Botox under the arms, which offers a temporary solution.

The new technique, called Laser Sweat Ablation, is said to be able to help cure everything from minor sweat problems to axillary hyperhidrosis – excessive, uncontrollable sweating which can cause enormous discomfort and embarrassment.

But experts are concerned that the procedure means patients will seek surgical treatment even if their condition could be better dealt with by behavioural therapists.

They say some cases of excessive sweating can be caused by nerves or psychological problems.

They also claim that surgery on the underarm area has a high likelihood of complications because it can become easily infected, and that it should be considered a last-resort treatment.

The procedure is about $4800 US, and claims to leave minimal scarring. Would you consider it?

Do you sweat when you’re stressed? Relax, relate, release with a journal.

Need to detox? Try some of these tips here.

[From Health.com]

Yoga can improve the emotional health of breast cancer patients, contends a new U.S. study.

“Given the high levels of stress and distress that many women with breast cancer experience, the opportunity to experience feeling more peaceful and calm in the midst of breast cancer is a significant benefit,” lead researcher Suzanne Danhauer, of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, said in a university news release.

The study involved 44 women with breast cancer. About a third of them were undergoing cancer treatment during the study, and the others had completed their treatment. Half were enrolled in a yoga program, and half were put on a waiting list for the program.

Women in the yoga group participated in 75-minute classes in restorative yoga – a more passive and gentle form of yoga that uses props such as cushions and blankets for support. At the beginning and end of the study, both groups of women completed questionnaires evaluating their quality of life.

After 10 weeks of classes, the yoga participants showed greater improvements in areas of mental health such as depression, positive emotions and spirituality – feeling calm and peaceful – than did the women still waiting to begin the yoga program. The yoga group reported, on average, a 50 percent reduction in feelings of depression and a 12 percent increase in feelings of peace and meaning. Yoga participants also reported less fatigue than the others, the study found.

So what does this mean? Click here to read the rest of the article.

Don’t have time for yoga? Take a few quickie meditation tips from Simone Kelly Brown.

Yoga is great for treating more things than stress. Click here to find out another way yoga can improve your life!

BP Member yourOUTLANDER

BP Member yourOUTLANDER says, “In the United States, lupus is more common in African Americans than in Caucasians.”

In the shared news article “Introduction to Lupus” The symptoms and the various types of Lupus are discussed in great detail. The fact there is little funding or awareness of this condition is also touched on. Get informed here.

To find out what else you may have missed on BlackPlanet click this link. HB Community. For other health related HB articles check here.