Health news from around the world.

Marriage. Marriage, or its equivalent, is often a time where both partners tend to gain fatness and decrease fitness together. Research carried out at the University of Sydney shows that this is particularly so for young males, possibly due to a decreased level of physical activity as their involvement in organised sport drops off, and increased regular food intake. Other studies carried out in the US suggest that it is females who increase weight most, particularly in the short term after marriage. The differences are likely to depend on the circumstances, but either way it is important at this stage to ensure that physical activity is maintained and that there is not an excessive increase in intake of energy dense fatty foods during this period.

Middle age in males. Decreases in resting metabolic rate (RMR), which occur at around the rate of 2 per cent per decade from age 20, start to have a significant impact with males at around 40-50 years of age. It is at this time that men’s rate of physical activity also tends to decline and consumption of food and drink tends to increase. The male ‘middle-age spread’ carries a substantial increased disease risk. Because abdominal fat is metabolically active, a return to normal levels of body fat is not difficult for most men under the appropriate conditions. An awareness of the ‘natural’ body fat gains which occur with age can help to alleviate guilt and depression often associated with this.

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When my uterus was removed, it was found to be normal Should I have had the operation?

Many women who have heavy and painful periods, or endometriosis, have a uterus that looks quite normal under the microscope. If a hysterectomy overcomes the problems that were causing them distress, they may well consider that they made the right decision. If, however, the operation fails to resolve their problems, it is reasonable for them to conclude that the operation was not necessary.

Are there any restrictions on physical activity after endometrial resection or ablation?

No, but strenuous exercise should be avoided until bleeding stops.

What are the limitations on physical activity after excisional surgery for endometriosis?

Once again, common sense is the key. You may exercise once any bleeding stops but if it makes you feel uncomfortable or tired, cut back on the activity until this is no longer a problem.

I had a hysterectomy in my mid-thirties and am now having hot flushes at the age of forty. Am I having an early menopause and what are the likely consequences of this? Yes, what you describe is consistent with an early menopause. Apart from hot flushes you may have other symptoms of decreased oestrogen levels , such as night sweats, vaginal dryness leading to uncomfortable intercourse, and a generalised lack of ‘zip’. Your early menopause puts you at increased risk of developing heart disease and osteoporosis.

How can I tell if I need hormone therapy after a hysterectomy?

This will be indicated by your experience of symptoms such as hot flushes, tiredness, insomnia, vaginal dryness and bladder irritability. Testing the levels of sex hormones in your blood is sometimes helpful in determining whether hormone therapy is called for.

How soon can I have sex after a hysterectomy?

Hysterectomy temporarily disrupts the sex life of couples, usually for three to eight weeks. Sex is possible once wound healing is complete, usually a few weeks after surgery. Some couples prefer to wait until the postoperative check-up which usually takes place about six weeks after surgery. The return to sexual intercourse should be gradual. Gentle penetration by the penis will test whether the scar is still tender. It is a good idea to discuss this aspect of recovery with your partner before you have the hysterectomy.

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What are thoughts, and how do we control them? If we can control thought stimulation in the cerebral cortex, the sleep centre will take over. In other words, if we can control thoughts, we will shift into the THS and sleep will follow soon.

Thoughts are like a big theatre stage. Thoughts are ideas, images, and conversations that are presented to the conscious mind. There may be a lot of thinking going on in the mind, but those thoughts that are conscious to us at one single moment are very limited. For example, right now you are reading this book, and your mind is conscious only of reading this sentence. You are less conscious of the last paragraph or of the last chapter. You are even less conscious of your surroundings, such as what clothes you are wearing, and, furthermore, you are even less conscious of the activities outside your room; unless your attention is drawn to them. At one single moment the mind is only conscious of a limited amount of information.

The mind is very much like a big stage in the theatre. There may be a lot of activities on the stage. The theatre is normally dark, and you can hardly read the programme, but the stage is bright and you can see and be aware of what is on the stage. This is like the fully awake state of your mind. You are aware of most of the events on the stage and you can be very easily distracted from one part of the stage to the other.

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