Lifestyle Choices

Each hair on your head is made beneath the surface of your skin in a little bulbous structure called a follicle. There, a clump of cells called the papilla, at the base of the follicle, produces the keratinous cells that become a strand of hair. The papillae get good supplies of food and oxygen, since they are well furnished with blood vessels, on which the growth and health of every hair depends. When, for any reason, circulation to your scalp is decreased or interfered with, the papillae get fewer nutrients and less oxygen than they need, and your hair suffers. The function of a follicle is to produce keratin, just as your pancreas produces insulin or your stomach hydrochloric acid. The follicle also contains an oil gland, which produces oil to coat each hair and to protect it from water loss. How efficiently and how well it does this depends on a number of things such as the level of androgenic and estrogenic hormones in your system, your genetic inheritance, and your general health. (more…)

The pre-menstrual syndrome is a group of symptoms which occur regularly before menstruation and during early menstruation. After menstruation you are, by strict definition, entirely free from symptoms.

The symptoms are variable, ranging from migraine, backache, joint pains, asthma, tension, irritability, pimples and blotchy skin to swollen breasts, swollen ankles, bloatedness and tiredness. If the symptoms include the triad of tiredness, depression and irritability, this is called pre-menstrual tension. To find out whether you are susceptible to pre-menstrual depression or tension, it is useful to record accurately the timing of symptoms in relation to the menstrual cycle. This means using a diary or a chart every day for several months, and recording the presence or absence of symptoms and the presence or absence of menstruation. Only if there is a regular correlation and if the symptom disappears after menstruation, can you be sure of the diagnosis. (more…)

Menstruation involves the lining of the uterus (under hormonal control by the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries) and lasts roughly 28 days. This time period can vary greatly between individuals. Some women can have short cycles of 26 days or less whereas others go on for up to 35 days and beyond. Many women also have unpredictable and irregular cycles which is really not serious most of the time. If the egg is not fertilised (as in the majority of cycles), it dies, the uterus sheds its lining, bleeding begins and another menstrual cycle ensues.

PMS describes a group of symptoms and signs that occur in relation to the menstrual cycle and which interfere with a woman’s life. The symptoms usually begin five to 11 days before the start of menstruation. Symptoms should stop when menstruation begins, or shortly thereafter. PMS is estimated to affect up to 75 per cent of women during their childbearing years. (more…)

Osteoporosis is a common condition in South African women. It is a progressive disease in which the bones gradually become weaker, and is associated with loss of bone density and thinning bone tissue. It is a silent and painless disease, primarily affecting women after menopause when the hormone oestrogen begins to decline. The lack of oestrogen triggers an increase in bone resorption, i.e. bone loss. The average woman begins to lose bone mass from about age 35; those who have been physically active are far less prone to osteoporosis.

1. The risk factors for osteoporosis include a thin body frame, women who smoke and drink alcohol, and lack of exercise. While osteoporosis causes no specific symptoms until it is advanced, some early warning signs include a gradual loss of height and a stooping of shoulders. Eventually the bones will fracture, causing significant problems in many areas from the spine to the wrists.
2. Did you know that osteoporosis is almost entirely preventable? But don’t only start thinking about it at 45! The earlier you think about it, the better. Eat calcium-rich foods and engage in regular weight-bearing exercise.
3. For good self-care, especially while you are younger, make sure you are taking sufficient calcium, exercising regularly and eating a well- balanced diet. It is best to take calcium in a formulation, together with magnesium in a dosage of at least 800 micrograms of calcium daily. and eat good quality low-fat dairy products. Cut back on coffee and alcohol. They both leech calcium from your bones.

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