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A Reader Answers: Can Exercise Help With Migraines?

Fit Community — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:52:16 PST

FitSugar reader JessicaSmithTV wanted to know: can exercise help with migraines? She asked an expert and posted the answer in our Fit Community.

Today's post comes to us from special guest contributor and medical expert Paul Rizzoli, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School:

When you’re prone to migraines you’re forced to think through whether or not something you do will invite a headache into your life. Exercise is definitely one of those things. Should you skip a workout because you feel a migraine coming on? Or is it better to push through in the hopes a little sweat will make you feel better?

Most headache specialists recommend exercise and an increase in overall physical activity to their patients. However, to date, there’s skimpy evidence to support the idea that working out actually guards against migraine attacks. A few studies have shown that taking regular exercise can reduce the severity, though not the number of headaches.

Keep reading to see what studies say about exercise and migraine relief after the break!

Are Your Birth Control Pills Safe?

Shape — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:06:17 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

Last year during my annual exam, when I complained to my doctor about my terrible PMS, she was quick to pull out her pad and give me a prescription for the birth control pill Yaz. "You're going to love this," she said. "All of my patients that are on it think it's the best. It's even helped some of them lose weight!"

Less PMS and not having to worry about my weight? I was sold, even though I'd only intended to talk to her about lifestyle and/or diet modifications since my birth control needs were already taken care of. Before I stopped into the pharmacy, however, I looked up the pill online (Paging Dr. Google!). The results were anything but the lovefest I'd been promised. In fact, the information I found scared me so badly that I never filled that prescription.

Am I Normal? Your Top Six Sex Questions Answered

It quickly became evident that I wasn't the only woman concerned when Yaz and it's sister pill Yazmin, two of the most popular pills on the market, came up for review by the FDA after reports that the manufacturer may have hid and minimized critical health risks. But is the hysteria warranted?

Find out how safe birth control pills are after the break!

Lies Women Tell Their Doctors

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:28:54 PST

When seeing your doctor, gynecologist, dentist, or other specialist, women often get asked some tough questions like, "Do you smoke pot?" or "How many sexual partners have you had in the past year?" Whether it's because we're embarrassed, don't want to get lectured, or don't want to be judged, women tend to bend the truth a little in the exam room. However, it may be at the expense of their own health, since small fibs can sometimes have life-threatening consequences. Here are eight common lies women tell the person in the white coat.

Bizarre Health Products You Could Benefit From

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:56:40 PDT

It's easy to pass judgments on healthy products since so many of them seem gimmicky, ineffective, or totally ridiculous. I would never use ear candles, not only because they don't remove ear wax, but also because flames near my hair scare the bejesus out of me. But not all bizarre-looking products are useless. Here are six products that seem a little "out there," but I can assure you from experience that they've really helped alleviate health issues and benefited my well-being.

Get Naked With Your S.O. and Check Your Skin

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:32:48 PDT

Fall weather might mean your skin is all covered up, but you still shouldn't neglect the largest organ in your body. Covering Health magazine, the actress from the new film Machine Gun Preacher, Michelle Monaghan, talks candidly about her brush with skin cancer:

" . . . A few years ago I had a mole on the back of my calf, and he [husband, Peter White] was adamant that I get it checked. In Australia, they're very aware of skin cancer. I finally went and it was skin cancer. I had quite the chunk taken out of my leg. I'm so grateful he noticed it."

After my hubby's dermatologist noticed and removed a weird mole on his back, we've become super vigilant about checking each other's skin. And last year, he found a mole on my back, in the same spot as his! Weird, I know, but I feel better since I've had it removed.

Learn from Michelle and take this as a friendly reminder to get naked with your favorite person and check every inch of each other's skin for raised, abnormally shaped, or discolored moles, or moles that look different than the last time you checked. Hey, it's not the most romantic way to hang out without your clothes, but it's one way you can ensure you live a long, healthy life together. It's scary to think that you might have skin cancer, but it's way better to have anything questionable checked out and removed, so you know you're skin is cancer-free.

How Exercise Reduces Your Breast Cancer Risk

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:54:11 PDT

We've heard it before: exercise can reduce a woman's risk for developing breast cancer. But how much and what types of exercise are we talking about? Here is some information on the relationship between breast cancer prevention and working out.

Exercising Often May Make You Reach Menopause Sooner
What? You're not thinking about menopause? If you're in your 20s or early 30s, I don't blame you, but a recent study shows that premenopausal women reached menopause sooner when they exercised often - eight to 10 hours per week. I know reaching menopause earlier, dealing with the hot flashes and irregular periods, isn't exactly every young woman's dream, but it may help with cancer prevention. During menopause a woman stops ovulating, which decreases her exposure to tumor-promoting estrogen. This is why early menopause is linked to lower breast cancer risk - another reason to get moving!

Keep on reading to find out three more ways exercise helps reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.

Foods That Help Prevent UTIs

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:43:36 PDT

Due to our anatomy, women are more prone to UTIs than men. Thanks, mother nature! Luckily, there are some foods that may actually help prevent bladder infections. Read up on ways your diet can help keep things in check.

Cranberries: Research shows that substances in cranberries create barriers that prevent E. coli from clinging to the cells along the urinary tract lining. Harness their UTI prevention by enjoying fresh cranberries or unsweetened cranberry juice thinned down with a little water.
Blueberries: These blue fruits contain the same properties as cranberries (although not as much), but blueberries contain antioxidants, which may also help prevent bladder infections.
Plain yogurt: The healthy bacteria in this creamy food helps prevent yeast infections in your lady parts, gastric ulcers, irritable bowl syndrome, and lactose intolerance. Since probiotics support gastrointestinal health and immunity, they may be helpful in fighting UTIs as well.
Water: Drinking fluids, especially nature's beverage, water, dilutes your urine so you visit the ladies room more often, which helps to flush bacteria out of your urethra.
Garlic: Although there's little scientific evidence that garlic can prevent UTIs, this plant is naturally antimicrobial and antibacterial. Raw garlic is believed to help with other infections and is used as a folk remedy to treat UTIs, so it might also help prevent one.

5 Tips From Dr. Susan Love to Prevent Breast Cancer

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 09:39:16 PDT

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To help us all learn what we can do to prevent the disease, we talked to women's health expert Dr. Susan Love, author of The Breast Book. She shared a handful of tips every woman should know for breast cancer prevention. Watch our video to learn Dr. Love's opinion on mammograms and the role limiting alcohol may play in preventing the disease.

Feeling Crampy? Low-Impact Exercises For That Time of the Month

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:19:16 PDT

During Aunt Flo's monthly visit, feeling crampy, fatigued, or bloated may make it hard to stick to your normal fitness routine. Instead of skipping out on exercise completely, swap high-intensity workouts with something less intense - light exercise can actually help alleviate symptoms associated with PMS and your period. Here are some low-impact workout ideas to send your period's symptoms packing while also shedding a few calories at the same time.

Go for a brisk walk with a girlfriend: Head out on your lunch break for a 20- to 30-minute walk in the park or around your neighborhood before dinner. This light form of cardio is enough to get your muscles moving and your heart rate up, which is the type of exercise recommended for cramp relief. For an added bonus, chatting it up with your gal pal will let you vent about work, your BF, or other things that especially set you off during that time of the month.
Go swimming: Hitting the pool is a great way to relieve cramps and get your exercise on. Since your body feels so light and free, you can move your limbs in all directions without having to expend much energy to hold your body weight. I wouldn't try to beat your best lap time, but rather focus on moving with ease through the water, and doing what feels good. All that movement and increased blood flow is sure to lift your energy levels and relieve your headache (if you have one), and I find spending time underwater also calms my mind.
Do strength training moves that target your abs: I know this seems a little odd to purposely tense up the area that already feels like it's in knots, but doing ab work can actually bring relief. The relaxing Scissor Abs move will target your lower abs as well as loosen tight hips and hamstrings - all of which can contribute to menstrual cramps.

Continue reading to hear more exercise ideas to relieve period symptoms.

Study Shows IUDs May Cut Risk of Cervical Cancer in Half

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:42:59 PDT

Whether you use a traditional copper IUD or the plastic version that releases the hormone progestin, a recent international study shows that both types of intrauterine devices (IUDs) may lower a woman's risk of cervical cancer. The data was collected from 10 previously published studies comparing women with cervical cancer to women without the disease, as well as data from 16 HPV frequency surveys conducted in 14 countries.

IUD use is already associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer, but research discovered that women who used this T-shaped device for at least a year had almost half the risk of developing cervical cancer as women who had never used one. This includes the two major types of cervical cancer known as squamous cell and adenosquamous carcinoma, which is caused by infection from the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV).

Researchers aren't exactly sure how this little matchstick-sized IUD may help prevent cervical cancer. Since it hangs inside your uterus, the constant low-grade inflammation near the cervix may encourage the immune system to fight HPV, preventing the virus from duplicating.

This news is great for women already using an IUD or those considering it for pregnancy prevention, but IUDs aren't the best method for preventing cervical cancer. Using condoms and getting vaccinated to protect yourself from the HPV virus as well as scheduling regular Pap tests with your gynecologist are top on the list when it comes to cervical cancer prevention.

Are you overdue for a Pap smear? If so, here's your friendly reminder to make an appointment!