Blog Archive

Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman's reproductive years. It typically occurs in the late 40s or early 50s and is characterized by a range of symptoms due to hormonal changes. Common symptoms of menopause include: Hot Flashes: Sudden feelings of heat, often accompanied...

Every woman's experience is unique, and tailoring your healthcare discussions to your specific needs ensures a more personalized and effective approach to managing menopause. To ensure a smooth transition, open communication with your healthcare provider is crucial. Here are some key health topics to discuss during menopause: Hormone Replacement Therapy...

Out of nowhere, your body heats up and is drenched in sweat within seconds. Or, you wake in the middle of the night with the same experience, only to find yourself freezing a second later as the sweat cools.  Collectively known as vasomotor symptoms, hot flashes and night sweats affect...

You feel a twinge when you urinate, and within hours, that minor discomfort has become full-blown pain, which is accompanied by a strong urge to urinate frequently, making the pain even worse. These hallmarks of a urinary tract infection (UTI) are all too familiar to women — 6 out of 10 experience a UTI...

Under ideal circumstances, your period sticks to a reliable schedule, allowing you to prepare and plan accordingly. When spotting occurs, though, it might indicate a bigger problem than simply dealing with unwelcome stains. Spotting between periods can occur for a number of different reasons, which is why Dr. Denise Molina...

You’re experiencing pain in your pelvic region and you’re not sure whether it warrants medical attention. First, any time you’re in pain, it’s your body’s way of alerting you to a problem, so responding to the warning is always a good idea. Second, pelvic pain can point toward issues that...

Each year in the United States, more than 400,000 women undergo a hysterectomy to improve their health and/or their quality of life. While surgery of any kind is a serious undertaking, minimally invasive surgical techniques are greatly improving the process and the outcome. Here at Chicago Center for Women’s Health, our team, which is...

While advanced imaging has helped us greatly in diagnosing problems on the inside of your body, this technology has its limits. When we need a firsthand look, we can now turn to endoscopy — a specialized scope that features a lighted camera. At Chicago Center for Women’s Health, when urogynecologist...

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is very common in women — one in four women over the age of 18 report a pelvic floor disorder. While many women believe that POP is an inevitable side effect of aging, age is only one aspect. And there are steps you can take to prevent POP,...

You used to be able to predict, almost down to the hour, when your period would come. Or, maybe you’ve been dealing with irregular period cycles since you first started getting them. Whatever the case, you’re stuck with periods that you can’t predict, which is more than a little inconvenient....

You look down to see that your urine is tinged pink or appears downright red, and you realize that there’s blood in your urine. Naturally, you’re concerned.  For women, the presence of blood in urine is fairly common and can be the result of a number of different conditions, some...

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is incredibly common. Up to half of women in the United States develop some degree of this condition. In most cases, POP is asymptomatic, but if the issue advances far enough, problems can develop. As women’s health experts, Dr. Denise Molina Furlong and our team here...

Both men and women in the United States can develop urinary incontinence — about a quarter to a third of the adult population, to be exact. Unfortunately, women account for a greater percentage of these numbers for a wide range of reasons. If you’re struggling with urinary incontinence, Dr. Denise Molina Furlong and our team here at Chicago...

Throughout your pregnancy, your body underwent some significant changes to accommodate your growing fetus. Like the 3.5 to 4 million women who give birth each year in the United States, it may take a little time for everything to return to normal, and there may be a new normal. One area that’s...

Menopause is an inevtiable transition that all women make as they pass from their reproductive years into their non-reproductive years. In fact, each year in the United States, 1.3 million women become menopausal, which can lead to a number of changes in their physical and mental health. As women’s health experts, Dr. Denise Furlong and...

The pain of a urinary tract infection (UTI) is bad enough, but the need to be within steps of a bathroom is no small hassle to deal with either. If you find yourself with frequent UTIs, you want to do all that you can to avoid the problem in the...

Under normal circumstances, your pelvic floor ensures that the many organs housed inside your pelvis are in their proper places. If this floor weakens, organs can prolapse, or slip downward, which can lead to a number of different issues, depending upon which organ moves. Called pelvic organ prolapse (POP), the...

The first thing to understand about urinary incontinence is that you’re far from alone. About 1 in 4 women in the United States struggles with the involuntary leakage that is the hallmark of urinary incontinence.  While there may be some comfort in knowing you’re not alone, it does little to help you overcome this...

While some women sail through menopause with ease, most others experience side effects that range from mildy disruptive to life-changing.  If you’re struggling with mental and emotional issues due to menopause, you’re not alone. The North American Menopause Society reports that 23% of peri- and postmenopausal women experience mood changes....

Menstrual bleeding that lasts longer than seven days or occurs with a heavy flow is called menorrhagia. This relatively common condition affects over 10 million women in the United States every year. While about 50% of women experience heavy menstrual bleeding without a specific medical cause,  it can indicate a...

Hot flashes are a common complaint in menopause and the time before menopause, which can start as early as 40 years of age. Hot flashes are random and sudden feelings of warmth which typically begins in the chest and ascends to the face. Your skin might redden, as if you're...