Painful intercourse

Intercourse should not be painful, say experts, so if the pain keeps on happening when you're having sex, you shouldn't feel you have to put up with it. There are many causes of dyspareunia or painful sex: Pain may simply be caused by vaginal dryness (which can be caused by taking certain medications or menopause), or it can be a sign of other conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, pelvis inflammatory disease, or the root can be psychological, so it's best to consult your gynecologist for an evaluation.

What you can do: The first thing you should do is to see your doctor to identify or rule out any physical causes and infections. For example, if your antihistamines are causing vaginal dryness, ask your doctor about alternatives, while menopausal women can apply estrogen cream on the vaginal area cream to reduce dryness. If the pain is caused by an infection, your doctor will prescribe drugs to clear up the infection. If you can't pinpoint a physical cause, you may want to consider getting help from a certified sex therapist to explore possible psychological issues.

Heavy periods

When it comes to menstruation, how long they last, and how heavy they are, there is a wide range of normal. The average period lasts 5 to 7 days, with an average of two ounces of blood lost per cycle. But for women suffering from heavy periods, they may bleed as much as 10 to 25 times that amount each month, estimates U.S. National Women's Health Resources Center, and they find their menstrual flow interferes with their regular activities or lifestyle.

In young women, heavy periods are most often due to a temporary hormone imbalance, and this will eventually correct itself. For women age 40 or older, heavy bleeding may signal a polyp, a usually benign uterine growth that commonly occurs in women in their 40s and 50s. Other causes of heavy periods include fibroids, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease.

What you can do: If your heavy periods are interfering with your quality of life, see your doctor or gynecologist to determine the underlying cause. In many cases, there's no apparent explanation for the heavy bleeding, and in this case the condition is called dysfunctional uternine bleeding. Your doctor can prescribe contraceptive pills or non-hormonal pills to help normalize your monthly flow. Heavy periods can also be treated using surgical alternatives include destroying the lining of the womb with a laser or applying heat treatment to the lining of the womb with hot water in a balloon. If polyps are the cause, they can be surgically removed.