A Healthy Curiosity for Women’s Health Month

iStock/fizkes

In recognition of Women’s Health Month this May, we connected with Suzin Cho, M.D., of Almara Women’s Health. She recommended questions for women to ask their care team at three key stages of life*.

*These stages are relative ranges and vary between individuals.

Reproductive Years (ages 19–40)

What can I do to optimize my nutrition and overall health leading up to pregnancy?

Are there supplements you should be on? Are there limits to what exercise you should be doing? We call it a preconception consult, and we go through a lot of those questions.

What testing should I be doing ahead of time to make sure that I have a healthy pregnancy?

We can do genetic carrier screening ahead of time to see if by any chance you carry a genetic disorder that could be passed on to your baby, and maybe you want to know that ahead of time.

When should I start to worry that there would be a problem with infertility?

Due to influence from social media, [women] come in pretty much assuming they have infertility before they’ve even gone off the pill and started trying. Frankly, the definition of infertility is 12 months of trying without getting pregnant. But we would be happy talking to people at nine months of trying if they have questions just to figure out if you get to that 12-month mark, what things would we be doing?

I’ve been told I have ovarian cysts; what does that mean?

Sometimes people go to the ER, they have pain and they have a cyst, but it’s not clear [if] that’s why they were having pain. It’s almost coincidental. Because ovarian cysts can be just part of normal physiology … Sometimes it’s a byproduct of ovulation, and it happens, and it just gets a little out of hand, and it can cause pain.

Perimenopause (ages 40–50)

How do I approach self-care in my 40s?

This is the age where people prioritize their family and jobs; they need a gentle reminder to prioritize the self. A lot of what I see is stress and just physical and emotional symptoms that come from not leaving enough time for yourself.

Is hormone testing helpful for understanding the symptoms I’m experiencing?

Unfortunately, hormone testing doesn’t always provide the answer because hormone levels are so complex and variable. But for example, if let’s say you’re in your 40s, and you haven’t had a period in six months, I would say a hormone test at that level may be helpful because [the question becomes] is it that you’re in early menopause, or is it that there’s just some dysfunction going on and your body is not having a period?

How can I prepare for healthy aging and longevity, even at this early age?

Because the choices you make in your diet, the choices you make in exercise in your 40s, can A. Help mitigate menopausal symptoms, perimenopausal symptoms, but B. Set you up for a better menopausal experience and healthier aging.

Menopause (ages 50 and beyond)

Who is eligible for hormone therapy and who should avoid it?

Hormones are not for everyone. So if they’re not for certain people, what are [the] alternatives? But, frankly speaking, our belief on who’s eligible for hormone therapy has really become more expansive.

How do I prevent bone loss as I go through menopause?

It’s all about longevity and healthy aging and having a conversation about that. For example, one of the things we really focus on with our menopausal patients, 50 and above, is fall prevention … It’s at this point now that we have to make sure your core is strong, that we’re optimizing your bone density, and we’re optimizing your muscle mass, so that when you’re 75 years old, you don’t trip over your bath mat and break your hip.

Almara Women’s Health has 10 locations across the Metro, including Plymouth.