Health (Page 5)

Why is it that yesterday you were completely at ease with yourself and the world and today everything is completely upside down? You hate your face in the mirror, your bra pinches, chocolate is irresistible – and your partner is also getting on your nerves. Just take a look at the calendar! It is quite possible that you are just before your period and that PMS has you firmly in its grip. But what do you do if you become a victim of your hormones every month? What is PMS? Almost every woman has experienced premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in her body or via her moods.Read More…

Botika

Slowing the signs of ageing Our skin changes with age, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to look younger. It’s just that sometimes the idea of ‘anti-ageing’ can be overwhelming and a little stressful. So instead of focusing on that, let’s focus on what you can do to keep your skin healthy and prevent premature skin ageing. You’re never too young to embrace your skin and take good care of it. In the long run, this will help you put less pressure on yourself to slow down the ageing process. It’s true that we can’t stop the passage of time, but you do haveRead More…

breast density

In Malta around 300 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year (Government of Malta, 2020). Mammography screening allows for breast cancer to be detected in its early stages therefore enhancing prognosis (Prier, 2022). One of the factors effecting the detection of early cancers is breast density. Breast density refers to proportion of fibroglandular tissue to fatty tissue seen on a mammogram. The fibroglandular tissue can make the mammogram less sensitive as it may hinder breast cancer from showing up on a mammogram (Rhodes, Radecki Breitkopf, Ziegenfuss, Jenkins, & Vachon, 2015). When the radiopaque dense breast tissue superimposes an underlying breast cancer it is knownRead More…

breast cancer awareness

October is a month where we highlight the importance of breast cancer awareness. Walks, runs and bike rides are organised all over Europe to raise funds for NGO’s, support groups, medical equipment, and cancer research. Schools and workplaces organise breast cancer awareness talks and encourage wearing pink for the day. Breast awareness and the dissemination of accurate information about common symptoms of breast cancer is necessary and highlights the importance of breast screening and regular breast check-ups. In Malta we have approximately 370 new patients diagnosed with breast cancer every year and over a five-year period our survival rate is around 87% at par withRead More…

responsive sexual arousal

A difference in sexual desire in couples is a very common difficulty in relationships. In fact research suggests that although strong sexual feelings are usually present in the first 6 months to 3 years of a relationship these can drop down to 50% after the first 3 years. Therefore, it seems that keeping a healthy sex life in long term relationships requires planning and work. Unfortunately, if our knowledge about sex is mainly from pornography and media, we might come to believe that only spontaneous desire and arousal exist. Picture this, a couple is drawn together by strong feelings and a deep uncontrollable passion andRead More…

sexual difficulties

What is menopause? Menopause is diagnosed 12 months after a woman’s last menstrual period. The transition to menopause, also known as peri-menopause, can last for a number of years and is characterised by hot flushes, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, low sexual libido and vaginal dryness. The truth is that no one prepares us for menopause. We have to figure it all out by ourselves and it can be extremely frustrating to feel that we are being aged out of society. On the other hand, knowing how our bodies work and understanding the physical, psychological, emotional and sexual changes that can happen during this transition can beRead More…

orgasm gap

The orgasm gap refers to the difference in frequency of orgasms between straight men and women. Although the term ‘orgasm gap’ has only been around for the last decade, gender inequality surrounding sexuality and sexual pleasure is not a recent phenomenon.  Female sexual pleasure and arousal was misunderstood in the medical field for many years and diagnosed as ‘hysteria’. In fact, some sources document that the vibrator was created as a cure to this ‘illness’ and as a way for women not to remain sexually repressed! The clitoris, which we know today is mainly responsible for female sexual pleasure, was not well-researched and given enoughRead More…

ghosting

A few years ago, I met a young woman who needed help moving on from a relationship which had ended two years previously. As Leanne began to tell her story, I learnt that she’d met a man through a colleague and they’d began dating soon after. What followed was, as she described, one of the most romantic, intimate relationships she’d ever experienced. One morning, six months later, he left her apartment to go to work and that was the last she ever saw of him. After calling and messaging him numerous times and receiving no reply, she was sent into a tailspin of thoughts andRead More…