So, it’s heart month!  I haven’t been wearing red, like I should, basically because with my job, every day is heart day and it seems to be the organ that most consumes my life!  But, for all of you that aren’t so cardiac obsessed, I thought I would instill a little info that can help you save a life (or maybe multiple!)  When an adult has a cardiac arrest, the faster they get CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), the higher their chances of survival are. And sadly, less than 1/3 of people who have sudden cardiac arrests outside of the hospital setting get that help.

How can I save a life?
Well, in 2010 the American Heart Association (AHA)started a huge campaign to tout Hands-Only CPR (TM). So many people are (and were) creeped out about giving mouth to mouth to a stranger, if they found someone in distress on the street. I totally understand that, you want to help, but you aren’t willing to risk your own safety and health to save them.  Got it! I also understand that if you see someone go into sudden cardiac arrest, you might be scared that you are making things worse or doing the wrong thing…that is why Hands-Only CPR (TM) is the best!  You basically call 911 when you find a person and immediately start doing chest compressions. Push hard and fast in the middle of the chest, you may feel snapping underneath your hands (its ribs breaking and it is totally normal with the amount of force you need to push on someones chest to compress their heart), and the actions that you take can only help them!!  It can be scary, and it will feel awkward to you at first, but you are doing  the right thing, just take some deep breaths, and help compress that heart to keep blood flowing to the brain. The less time the brain has blood flowing to it, the higher the risk of a person not waking up, or regaining a full recovery.

And, there is an AHA App for droids, iPhones, and Palm Pre’s that helps to walk you through saving someones life.  Imagine your loved one having a massive heart attack in front of you, and how helpless you would feel just sitting there watching them as you waited for the Emergency Medical Response to come, but if you had the app, or learned about Hands Only CPR (TM) you could not only activate the Emergency Medical Response system but you could actually help to save their life as the response team is coming.  That’s amazing! You can learn to do what we do in the hospital to save lives day in and day out-that is the SAME initial reaction our health care workers have!

I think this is one of the MOST amazing things you can do for yourself and for your loved ones….learn how to save a life, and encourage others to learn too!  If everyone took a few minutes to learn Hands Only CPR (TM) imagine how many lives would be benefitted and how many people we would save? Make a pledge to yourself and to your loved ones to check out the website, learn, and save a life this heart month!  Go to the website, watch the video, and get the app, I promise you won’t regret it!

Hands-Only CPR

Yours in Good Health
B

Eyes can pose so many different issues for people, but I recently had a question posed to me about watery eyes.  Like super watery, all the time, so that it ruins eye makeup, and looks like your eyes are constantly watering.  Besides being a total sap and crying 24/7 and merely pretending it is a medical condition, I am here to tell you, it actually IS!

What’s the deal?
Epiphora is a condition where there is an overflow of tears onto the face, and it is usually due to the inability to drain the tears through the nasolacrimal system. Basically the inner corner of your eyes, can drain fluids from your eyes into your nasal canal to help get rid of the fluids, whisk them away (if you will), and when that system is blocked, or just overrun (like a sewer drain in heavy rainfall) the fluids go down your cheeks- like when you cry.  Just as an FYI, this flow of fluids into the nasal canal is one reason why everyone gets a runny nose when they cry- it is impossible not to….well, I guess unless you have this condition and the ducts are blocked!

Why does this happen?
So these blockages usually occur due to age (occurs gradually), infections, irritation or allergic reactions. And in babies it can be due to the inability of the duct from opening (just plain bad luck), or in the case of someone who has had any facial trauma (broken nose, facial bones around the eyes) the tissue poorly healed after the trauma and allowed for the ducts not to open properly.  When you go to see your HCP, if you have this problem with weepy eyes, they can add some dye to your eyes, and essentially watch to see where the tears go (with imaging- like a CT scan): into your nose or just bubble right over your eyelids onto your cheeks?  If they don’t go into the nasolacrimal system, you have your answer: a blocked duct it is!  And some people just have an overproduction of tears from irritants such as fumes/chemicals/eye makeup OR an allergic reaction.  The best way to figure this one out is to notice when the overproduction of tears occur, i.e. is it always after putting on make-up?  After petting your cat? When you are exposed to certain fumes or chemicals?  If so, you need to see an allergist!

How do I treat it?
So, if it is merely an infection or allergic reaction, you treat the bacteria with antibiotics, and for an allergic reaction you can either take antihistamines OR stay away from the irritant (i.e. stay away from chemicals that cause the reaction or change brands of eye makeup).  If the ducts are blocked, or in the case of aging, you can have surgery to fix the issue. So there are two types of surgery depending on the issue: sometimes with aging the eyelid just gets saggy and turns outwards (ectropion) and the surgery merely tightens up the eyelid to stop the dropping and ends the weeping.  If the duct is completely blocked, you might need surgery called a dacryocystorhinostomy (that’s a mouthful, right??) basically where they recreate the nasolacrimal duct that drains into the nasal passage, and it bypasses the area that was blocked.  If the ducts are not fully blocked but just small, they can be widened, under anesthesia, to allow for proper flow of tears from your eyes.

The bummer is that there is no magic pill to fix this problem, but the good news is that there are ways of trying to figure out the issue on your own, like changing eye makeup, taking antihistamines, and trying to figure out if it is an allergic reaction or irritation versus a real life blocked duct.  If it is just one eye, then you might have a blocked duct and you should go to your HCP to see what is going on with those weepy eyes!  But there is no need to look like a little dog with weepy, wet eyes all the time, so go see your HCP and get to the bottom of those wet cheeks and make excuses no more!

Yours in Good Health
B

I am pretty lucky, I guess, and I tend to make muscle pretty easily, and I just plan a schedule where I can get my workouts in without ruining my life, so I really feel no need to rock out with the supplements but I know a lot of people that take them for different reasons (get cut faster, see the results they want, etc.) Supplements all have different ingredients and work different ways, but there are two that are going to be in the public eye soon, after two soldiers died during standard training after taking these supplements.  Yikes!  It really creeps me out that supplements like this can be sold to people, and labelled as “healthy”, when they could be unknowingly taking something super dangerous.

What is the Deal?
There are two supplements that were being taken by different soldiers who had massive heart attacks and died during training, to which the US Army is directly linking to a pacific ingredient in the supplements.  The Department of Defense has now removed these supplements, that are easily found at Vitamin Shoppes and GNC’s everywhere, from all military bases: Jack3d and OxyElite Pro.  The two supplements both contain the ingredient DMAA (AKA dimethylamlymine, geranimine, and natural geranium extract) which is touted as a supplement that will boost your energy, concentration, and metabolism.  DMAA is one of those things that straddles the line as a “supplement”: if it is labelled as such, the FDA does not need to regulate it, but MANY people in the medical field feel very strongly that it should be labelled as a drug so that it can be regulated and controlled in who uses the product.  DMAA is  on the World Anti-Doping Authorities list of banned stimulants for athletes in the Olympics.  And in Canada, it has been labelled as a drug, and no longer allowed to be sold in supplements.

How does DMAA work?
Really, DMAA is a super stimulant, and acts similar to Ephedrine ( a “supplement” that was banned after numerous people started having heart attacks and dying after using it) and DMAA has been labelled “the new Ephedrine” by users.  Apparently when used in high doses, it also has psychoactive results, which has lead to its use as a party drug, which is why some countries, like New Zealand, has banned the drug altogether. DMAA is basically like taking speed (amphetamines): It speeds up your metabolism, allowing you to burn fat faster, and gives you a ton of energy, so you can workout and see results faster, plus you have more energy to work out and out in longer, harder workouts. Within 10 minutes of taking the supplement users resort of feeling of euphoria, along with a racing heartbeat and racing mind.  After about 90 minutes users report that they are able to concentrate and the racing thoughts slow, but their heart rate and blood pressure usually remain elevated.  These symptoms are bad enough, but combine with caffeine, extreme working out, dehydration, and users are at a very high risk of heart attack and stroke from taking this “supplement”.  Some other less lethal side effects are impotence, depression, and mood swings (due to dopamine shifts in the brain- any time there is a super euphoria, there will be a super low to offset it!)

Despite that there were only two deaths with soldiers using these products with DMAA, the Army has numerous reports of cases of kidney and liver failure, seizures, rapid heartbeats and arrythmias, and loss of consciousness with various military personnel while using these products. The drug has numerous names is labeled as many different sorts of “extracts” in many different supplements, so I urge everyone to beware when taking supplements, and hopefully this will be regulated by the FDA soon.  I know I probably sound like a broken record, to those of you who read my blog all the time, but you need to be really careful with any dietary supplement; they are not regulated at all, and you really don’t know the effects of what you are putting in your body.  You should talk to your HCP before starting any supplement that isn’t prescribed for you, especially if you have any chronic medical issues or take daily medications.  You could be trying to get fit, and cause irreparable damage to your body.

Yours in Good Health
B

I appreciate that people understand how horrible smoking is for you, and they are always trying to find new ways to quit.  Cold turkey is miserable and many people fail with that technique.  Thus, the electronic cigarette was born.  I think that a LOT of people are on the same page as I was, I had no idea what they were, why the were created, or what you were actually inhaling/exhaling.  After some pretty exhausting research, I got the scoop, and font out if they are actually healthy for you.

What are electronic cigarettes?
Basically they are electronic versions of cigarettes, in that they are devices that simulate cigarette smoking by creating an inhaled mist that contains the flavor and nicotine of cigarettes without all of the carcinogens or actual smoke.  A propylene glycol solution is humidified into a mist for inhalation, giving the sensation of inhaling smoke and also you do exhale vapors that look like smoke.   There is a cartridge that you can replace in the inside, that holds the liquid (propylene base along with nicotine and other flavors- like Marlboro, Camel, Vanilla, etc). The base fluids are all FDA approved fillers that pharmaceutical companies use for medications, so they are generally considered safe for ingestion.  They are usually battery powered and were created as an alternative to cigarette smoking or as a smoking cessation device.

Why do people use them?
Most people started using them as a cessation device; to quit smoking.  But because they are a rather new product and there are no set governmental laws, so some people find that they are able to smoke electronic cigarettes where they cannot smoke real cigarettes.  Some states have started cracking down, and internationally, many places have made them illegal.  And, they are WAY cheaper than regular cigarettes. Obviously, I don’t smoke and all state taxes are different BUT, most packs of cigarettes cost $8-$12 and a “starter kit” for an e-cigarette is between $50-$150 and each cartridge is about $1.50 and can be used up to the same about of time as 10 burning cigarettes.  So, after your start-up fees it is much cheaper, I will give them that!

Are they healthy?
Bottom line, at this point you all know my feelings, if it isn’t a food source, water, or clean air, I won’t label it healthy for you BUT I do think it is better than grabbing that pack of Camels. And, this goes without saying, if you are pregnant or have any chronic conditions you shouldn’t smoke, even e-cigarettes. Although, there is very conflicting research about how much better they are for you if you use them long term.  They clearly have way less carcinogens than cigarettes, they are odorless, and the risk of the tobacco isn’t there but you are still inhaling something that is regarded as safe by the FDA in another use, propylene glycol really hasn’t been studied for long term use as an inhalant, so we don’t know the effects that it may have on your lungs. Honestly, my best guess is that it will still cause lung cancer.  You are inhaling something other than air, frequently, that is an irritant to your lungs….what else do we think will happen?  It causes continuous injury to your lung tissue.  That being said, it hasn’t fully been studied for long term effects, but if you are using it as a conduit to quitting smoking, for cessation purposes, I say give it a go!  (After talking to your HCP, of course!) Anything is better than being a smoker!

Yours in Good Health
B

There are so many people that post on Facebook or I hear chatting about their exercise and weight loss goals for the new year, which I think is awesome, and I LOVE to hear it!  But I  know that it can be tough to keep up the daily workouts, especially when you feel like you have hit a rut, the days are long and dark, and you are just exhausted and cold.  How do you change that?  Hit yourself where it hurts: your wallet! WHAT?!?!?

In a word? GymPact.
So this is one of the coolest IPhone apps to date (sorry droiders- coming soon but only available for iPhone now)….as far as exercising and keeping motivation up! Gympact is an app created by a couple of recent Harvard grads, and people basically link their Gympact account to a debit card, make a “pact” about how many times they will go to the gym in a week, and you go and “check-in” at your gym (like using Foursquare) and you have to be there for a minimum of 30 minutes. When you set-up your account you assign a dollar amount to your workouts from $5 to 100, and whatever that amount is, it will be charged to your account every time you miss a work out.  Yup.  You say, you are going to do it, you do it, or you pay for it.  Like that?  I do!  Because, the upside is that if you do workout, and even if you beat your goals, you get cash prizes! So, you actually get paid for working out! Now that is both negative reinforcement for those who are skippers and positive reinforcement for those who are kicking butt and sticking to their goals.  How does that work?  Each week, GymPact pools the money from the people who didn’t meet their goals, and splits it up between the people that did workout and meet their exercise goals, and if you workout more or longer than you made a “pact” for, you get more cash.  Plus, you can challenge a group of friends/family/coworkers or just jump on in solo and challenge the average person.  Now, you can opt out from any one week, if you are on vacation or know that you have a rough week at work….but it has to be planned, you can’t opt out in the middle of the week unless you are injured or ill with a note from a Healthcare Practitioner.  On average people have been making $0.50 to $1.00 per workout which equals out to around $100 to $200 extra per year just from working out…as long as you do what you SAID that you were going to do around New Years. Plus, it is international, so ALL of my readers can take the challenge!  No excuses!!

GymPact is asking you to put your money where your mouth is, and I think that is fabulous! If only I worked out in a gym, I would clean up 😉  So, iPhone users, do what you said you were going to do….I bet you’ll stick to your goals.  How much do you want to put on that?

Yours in Good Health
B

I know that I had already broken down the info related to Diabetes Type 1 and 2 and what causes it, but it was brought to my attention lately that a lot of people do not understand the long-term effects of poor blood sugar control.  Diabetes can be very serious and cause significant health problems if not controlled well.

What can happen?
-Elevated blood glucose (sugar) levels lead to cellular dehydration, which over time can cause kidney damage and lead to renal failure.
-High glucose in the blood can cause blood vessel damage: poor wound healing after cuts and scrapes, or after surgery, and it increased your risk of wound infections.
-Along with blood vessel damage, with poor blood flow to areas you can have: retinopathy (damage to the eye from poor blood flow), blindness, peripheral vascular disease, skin ulcerations due to lack of blood flow, tissue ischemia (poor blood flow to tissue), and gangrene (tissue death).
-With poor blood flow, can occur peripheral nerve death (nerves live off of the blood flow from blood vessels near them) which can lead to: heart arrhythmias, poor bladder control, decreased sensations in the hands and legs/feet (can be dangerous with holding hot objects- you can get serious burns and might not feel the damage).
-Secondary health issues: hypertension (high blood pressure due to the renal damage and poor blood flow) and atherosclerosis (a hardening of the arteries due to a build up of fat and cholesterol from poor renal function).
-Also, having poorly controlled blood glucose levels can decrease your immune system and not only put you at higher risk for infections with cuts and wounds, but also put you at higher risk for the common cold, flu, pneumonia, etc.

What are the treatments?
-The only “cure” for renal failure: Dialysis (where your blood is filtered by a machine that acts like your kidneys three to four times a week) and/or a kidney transplant.
-With wound infections you can be treated with antibiotics, require surgery to cut out the infected tissues, and have very long healing times that may require hospitalization.
– Poor blood vessel blood flow: retinopathy, blindness, and peripheral vascular disease have no cure. For issues with tissue ischemia, you can have surgery to “bypass graft” (basically re-route your vasculature to allow better blood flow to the area). With gangrene, the only treatment is to amputate (remove) the affected area completely.
-Peripheral nerve death: the arrhythmias, bladder control, and decreased sensations can all be treated with medications to deal with the side effects, they can’t always be “cured”.
– Secondary heath issues can be treated with medications
-Decreased immunity use needs assist with flu shots, good hygiene, and you need to be careful during high illness times.

It might seem like a pain to check your blood sugars,  treat yourself with insulin, and watch your carbohydrate intake, but doing so can help prevent all of these complications, that won’t just happen when you are 70 or 80 years old, we see patients in their 30’s with these issues due to poor diabetes management.  Take control of your life and your disease, and take a step towards health and wellness!

Yours in Good Health
B

It’s a question that I get asked frequently, and I do tell people not to drink while they are taking antibiotics…I actually got into quite a heated discussion not too long ago about it, so I figured that most of the public is either getting mixed information, doesn’t even think twice about it, or for some reason are too worried to ask their HCP.  I figured we could get that all cleared up and get everyone on the mend!

How do antibiotics work?
Basically, antibiotics are selective poison for a bacteria that is replicating/growing in your body.  And each antibiotic has a different way of working, so one antibiotic might be absorbed into your body and into the bloodstream, get to the source of infection, and cut off the glucose supply to the bacteria, essentially starving the bacterial cells to kill them off.  And others work to invade the bacterial cells and destroy them from the inside.  So, the reason that there are so many different antibiotics on the market is because they are each made to kill off a specific type of bacteria and the way that they act is also very specific.  Your antibiotic chosen by your HCP is done very specifically to the type of bacteria present and the site of infection.  One thing that all antibiotics have in common is that they are excreted from either your liver or kidneys.

Can I drink on them?
The old adage is that alcohol counteracts antibiotics: alcohol doesn’t counteract the effects of the antibiotics. There are there antibiotics, specifically, that you really should not mix with alcohol: metronidazole (Flagyl), tinidazole (Tindamax), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim).  Mixing alcohol with these three antibiotics can lead to a very severe reaction with a rapid heart rate, drop in blood pressure, and it can be very dangerous.  In general, alcohol can enhance the side effects of the antibiotics like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, flushing (like getting a red face), or dizziness, and drowsiness.  Essentially, if you are on antibiotics and you drink alcohol, you get very drunk, much faster than you normally would. Also, you need to think about the fact that alcohol is excreted through your liver and kidneys….exactly where the antibiotics are broken down and excreted.  So drinking alcohol and taking antibiotics (or any other drug really) can put a lot of strain on your liver and kidneys. But here’s the deal: you are on antibiotics to treat a bacterial infection somewhere in your body, and you are usually low on energy and not feeling well because your immune system pulls all its energy together to fight off the bacteria and the antibiotics just assist your body, so why mess with that and drink?  Why do you want to put alcohol in your system that will make you feel crappier the next day, when you already don’t feel well?

Bottom line? Don’t drink while taking antibiotics.  If you feel good enough to go out and drink, you most likely do not need antibiotics AND if you literally cannot stop drinking to take a week off of drinking, you need to get help, and tell your HCP when they are giving you the prescription.

Yours in Good Health
B

I am sure that everyone has a “thing” that they notice about other people, and therefore work on it themselves, or try to prevent it from happening. So what is one of my “things”?  Posture.  I am constantly seeing people who are totally haunched over, thinking that they are walking upright, and it makes me sad when I see young people with poor posture, because it doesn’t give of a great first impression, but also think of all of those muscles that you aren’t using which will just make your posture worse and worse as you age.  There is nothing better than seeing someone walk into a room standing straight and tall, they appear confident, strong, and ready to tackle the next obstacle.  Here are some tips to get you upright and sitting pretty!

What can I do?
1. First, stand in front of a mirror and stand up straight, if your shoulders are slouched forward, pull them back, keep your core muscles taut, and your ears should align with your shoulders and hips, with feet flat on the ground. This is how you feel when you are standing straight up….remember this and try to realign to this when you are out and about and feel yourself slouching!
2. If you are at work and sitting in your chair, make sure that your lower back is supported and that you keep your ears, shoulders, and hips still aligned. BUT most importantly is to keep moving every 2 minutes or so, shifting your weight, so that muscles don’t get over strained from holding the same position; even small shifts in pressure and weight can make a huge difference.
3. Get 20-30minutes of aerobic exercise a day, whether it is walking, running, biking, or swimming. It all helps to strengthen your core muscles and the muscles you need to stand up straight and tall!
4. Perform core exercises like holding a plank pose (elbows on the ground, but otherwise in a push-up position) hold for 30-60 seconds and do it 5 times (with breaks in between), increasing the amount of time you hold the pose and the amount of reps.
5. Perform exercises that strengthen your upper back and shoulder muscles:
– Keep arms out straight (from shoulder outwards) and with a weight that feels comfortable, curl into your shoulders then back out straight, keep your ears aligned with your shoulders, and keep one fluid motion.  If the weights are too heavy, start with a lighter weight and increase the reps and weight.
-Start with arms out straight again, with whatever weight feels comfortable, slowly lower arms to your sides, then raise them back up (again playing with weights and reps for whatever feels comfortable to you).
6. DO YOGA!!  Yoga helps you to stretch and be present with every movement of your body, so you know how to feel proper alignment, and what feels wrong, probably is wrong.  A great way to learn your body.

Just remember what proper posture feels like (from when you looked in the mirror and stood straight and tall), and actively think about it when you are walking around.  Eventually it will become habit to you, but at first, you really need to be cognizant of your posture and keeping your body upright.  If you are tired, and feel yourself with bad posture, pull yourself up, it will give you a boost of energy and actually make you feel better.  Keep working those muscles and stand up tall, you’ll notice a difference, and so will everyone else!!

Yours in Good Health
B

I am a huge fan of trying things that are new and healthy, promote wellness, and of course add organic to the mix, and I am head over heels in love.  There was a new product I saw the other day in my local grocers organic produce area, called Aura Water.  It seemed intriguing, so I tossed it in my basket and headed on my way…I am SO GLAD I DID!!

What is Aura Water?
It is Natural Botanical water that is 100% naturally enhanced, and infused with herbal extracts and fruit juice. They come in three flavors, which is what really got me: cucumber lemon rosemary, orange basil, and grapefruit sage.  Let me go on record as saying that each flavor is just as amazing as the next, but my favorite is the grapefruit sage.  They are all crisp, refreshing, and they really taste healthy and natural.

The Real Scoop?
 Each bottle has 15.2 oz and approximately two servings, with each serving being around 45calories AND a full serving of fruit, along with 100% recommended daily value of vitamin C and 50% of your Vitamin B3, B5, B6, and B12.  There is no added sugar or artificial flavors.  So, you may be adding 90 calories to your diet BUT you are getting vitamins, one serving of fruit, and and extra 500 mls of fluid into your day.  The product is made by Bolthouse Farms, which is an innovative health and wellness company from California, that grows and processes their own fruits and vegetables; so the fruits and herbs that are used in these beverages are as fresh as possible and grown in the good old USA!

I think that these are a great supplement beverage for your day, not to drink constantly, there are some calories involved, but it gets you added vitamins, and a whole serving of fruit while you are busy and on the go. Plus, it is great for me to add into the mix of my beverage selections, because I usually just drink water or sparkling water, and I am constantly running around, and rarely have time to add in extra fruit while I’m at work.  Give it a try, and I promise you won’t be disappointed, they are amazing!!!

Yours in Good Health
B

I get a lot of questions, mostly from women, about how they can reach an orgasm , because they never have before, and have tried “everything” and still cannot reach orgasm.  Sadly, it’s kind of a common occurrence and 1 in 5 women experience what is known as anorgasmia.  And 1/3 of women cannot consistently have orgasms with sexual intimacy, or they are just not happy with the orgasms they have.  Thats a bummer, but the good news is that there are a few things you can do to try and change that!

What is anorgasmia?
Literally it is difficulty or inability to reach orgasm with ample sexual stimulation.   An orgasm is the release of intense physical pleasure, followed by involuntary contractions of your pelvic floor muscles. It can be amazing, but  it causes many women a significant amount of distress to not be able to reach that level of stimulation.  All orgasms very in intensity, frequency, and amount of stimulation to lead to that defining moment, and it can clearly be really frustrating for women who can never get to that point, or never be satisfied with how their bodies respond.  There are three levels:
Primary: Never being able to reach orgasm.
Secondary: You were once able to reach orgasm but no longer can.
Situational: Only being able to reach orgasm in  certain situations, like only with direct clitoral stimulation, in the form of masturbation (around 80% of women).

Why does this happen?
There are three main reasons that these forms of anorgasmia can occur:
Physical Problems:
-Chronic medical issues: such as diabetes, vascular disease, or cardiac issues can impede blood flow, and any form of surgery that is performed on/in your sexual regions (hysterectomy, etc)can lead to issues with orgasm later on.
-Medications: The biggest offenders are SSRI’s (a form of antidepressant) and it can affect both men and women equally (leading to erectile dysfunction in men.
-Alcohol: while it can put you in the mood, it can impede you from actually reaching true orgasm.
-Aging: It is just part of the aging process, just like a drop in the estrogen levels due to menopause and a decrease in blood flow.
Psychological Issues:
-Anxiety and Depression: Can cause the neurotransmitters to be off and
-Embarrassment
-Guilt related to sex
-Stress related to the sexual situation or STD’s
Relationship Issues:
-Lack of intimacy/connection with your partner
-Lack of trust
-Poor communication related to sexual needs

What can we do to fix this??
First of all, you need to learn your body.  Understand where your clitoris is, what is it is, and what feels good to you.  So use a mirror, check out your goods, and play around to see what feels good; there is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about, and it is totally healthy! If you have a partner, talk to them about what feels good, or buy a kama sutra (or another adult book) and play around with different positions that excite YOU and will stimulate your clitoris….if it doesn’t work, no harm no foul, try a different position, it’s just sex, and it’s fun!  If there are relationship issues, therapy can help to work through those problems, and allow for you and your partner to feel more connected, and allow for a better chance of orgasm.  Also Sex Therapists can help you and your partner to learn some new techniques to reach orgasm, and to learn some moves that might just feel good and there is no stress or worry related to attempting to reach orgasm.  If it’s a medical issue (or related to medications), talk to your HCP to see if you can switch medications that might work better for you, and sometimes hormone replacement therapy can be helpful.  Also, Zestra is a massage oil said to stimulate blood to the clitoral area and ArginMax is a nutritional supplement that is said to increase blood flow to the clitoris. As always, talk to your HCP before starting any supplements or OTC meds!

What it comes down to, is that you need to feel relaxed and comfortable with your body, if you don’t, you won’t reach orgasm.  And, you need to understand what works best for you, play around by yourself AND with a partner…maybe use some “adult” viewing to get some inspiration, or purchase an adult “body massager” to help stimulate your clitoris while you are having sex, or just with your partner.  When you learn to feel good about yourself, relaxed, and you are able to communicate to your partner what you want done, you are most likely to have an orgasm.  If all this fails, talk to your HCP and get a physical exam, maybe there is something else going on that can be treated….us women are such finicky creatures, and there is always something we can try to make you feel that ultimate pleasure!

Yours in Good Health
B