Health Tips for Women — by Dr. Priya Sinha

PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) affects roughly one in five young Indian women and shows up as irregular periods, weight gain, acne and unwanted facial hair. The good news is that diet alone can improve symptoms significantly, often before any medicine is needed.

Start with the plate, not the weighing scale. Replace refined carbohydrates — maida, white rice, biscuits, sugary chai — with whole grains such as brown rice, dalia, jowar, bajra and whole-wheat roti. These release sugar slowly and keep insulin levels steady, which is the core problem in PCOS.

Add protein at every meal: dal, rajma, chana, paneer, curd, eggs or fish. Protein blunts sugar spikes and reduces the constant hunger many PCOS patients feel. Include a fistful of nuts and seeds — flaxseed and pumpkin seeds are inexpensive and helpful for hormone balance.

Do not skip breakfast and do not fast the whole day and then overeat at night; long gaps worsen insulin resistance. Cut down deep-fried snacks, cold drinks and packaged juices. Vitamin D and B12 deficiency are extremely common in Indian women with PCOS, so get them tested rather than guessing.

Finally, pair the diet with 30–40 minutes of brisk walking, cycling or home workouts at least five days a week. Losing even 5% of body weight can restore regular periods and improve fertility. If your cycles remain irregular after three months of these changes, get a hormone evaluation done.

Many families in Katihar ask whether a caesarean is safer. In an uncomplicated pregnancy, a normal vaginal delivery remains the safest option for both mother and baby, and is what we encourage whenever it is medically possible.

Recovery is the biggest advantage. After a normal delivery most mothers walk within hours, start breastfeeding quickly and return to household routine within a week. After a C-section, recovery typically takes four to six weeks, with wound care, higher infection risk and more blood loss.

Babies also benefit. Passing through the birth canal squeezes fluid out of the baby's lungs, reducing breathing problems after birth, and exposes the newborn to protective maternal bacteria that help build immunity and gut health.

Normal delivery also protects future pregnancies. Every caesarean scar raises the risk of placenta problems and uterine rupture in later pregnancies — an important consideration for women who want more than one child.

You can prepare: attend all antenatal visits, keep your haemoglobin above 11 g/dL, walk daily, control weight gain, practise breathing exercises and discuss your birth plan early. A caesarean is still the right choice in genuine situations — foetal distress, placenta praevia, a baby in transverse position or failure of labour to progress — and in those cases it saves lives. The goal is not to avoid surgery at all costs, but to avoid unnecessary surgery.

Menopause usually arrives between 45 and 52 years and is confirmed when periods have stopped for twelve continuous months. It is a natural stage, not a disease — but the symptoms deserve treatment rather than silent suffering.

Common complaints are hot flushes, night sweats, disturbed sleep, irritability, low mood, vaginal dryness and joint pain. Many Indian women dismiss these as 'age ka asar' and never mention them to a doctor, though simple measures give real relief.

Bone health is the biggest long-term concern. Falling oestrogen accelerates bone loss, so calcium (1000–1200 mg daily from milk, curd, ragi, sesame and green leafy vegetables) plus vitamin D and 20 minutes of morning sun are essential. Weight-bearing exercise such as walking and light strength training keeps bones and muscles strong.

For hot flushes, wear cotton layers, avoid very spicy food and caffeine at night, and keep the room ventilated. Vaginal dryness responds well to local treatment and should not be a source of embarrassment. Hormone therapy helps carefully selected women and is safest when started early — it needs an individual risk assessment.

After menopause, continue annual check-ups: blood pressure, sugar, lipid profile, haemoglobin, breast examination and pelvic assessment. Any bleeding after menopause is never normal and must be evaluated immediately.

Antenatal care (ANC) is the series of check-ups a woman has from the moment pregnancy is confirmed until delivery. A minimum of four visits is recommended, though monthly visits until 28 weeks, fortnightly until 36 weeks and weekly thereafter is the ideal schedule.

The purpose is early detection. Anaemia, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and thyroid problems usually cause no symptoms in the beginning, yet they are the leading causes of complications for Indian mothers. A simple blood test and BP reading at the right time prevents most emergencies.

Each visit tracks the baby too — heartbeat, growth measurement, position and, at the correct weeks, ultrasound scans for anomalies and foetal well-being. Tetanus vaccination, iron-folic acid and calcium supplements are given as per the national schedule.

ANC visits are also the time to ask questions: what to eat, how much weight to gain, which medicines are safe, what danger signs to watch for, and how to prepare for delivery. Danger signs that need immediate attention include bleeding, severe headache, blurred vision, swelling of face and hands, reduced baby movements and leaking fluid.

Book your first visit as soon as your test is positive — ideally before 12 weeks. Early registration gives your doctor the best chance to keep both you and your baby safe.