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What Makes Every Month Easier For Women?

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By MICHAEL ROIZEN, M.D., and MEHMET OZ, M.D. King Features Syndicate

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 6, 2008

Women, listen up: More gym time could mean less hassle at your next gynecologist appointment. Compared with women who fit in less than two hours of physical activity a week, if you work out an hour each day (that includes walking time), it could cut your risk of uterine fibroids by 40 percent. That's pretty significant, since fibroids cause trouble in about 25 percent of premenopausal women. (As many as 75 percent of women have these growths, but they don't all cause problems.)
Uterine fibroids are benign tumors (excess tissue) that develop in the wall of your uterus. Even though they're not cancerous, they can be troublemakers. Symptoms can involve fierce pain and heavy periods. Fibroids may contribute to infertility, and they're a leading cause of hysterectomies, though they don't have to be: There are other options, including some that are far less invasive, that aren't always offered to women. But that's a topic for another column.

You can't control most of the risk factors for uterine fibroids (such as being of African descent or simply being of childbearing age). But one thing other than daily physical activity seems to lower your risk: losing weight if you need to. However, neither gives you a free pass from routine gynecological checkups. And you especially need to get there if you have unusually heavy periods (you need fresh protection as often as every hour), abdominal fullness or pressure, abnormal cramping during your period or a need to use the bathroom more than usual - not just to get away from the guys for a minute.

Feeling overwhelmed? Try a quick liaison with lavender.

Seems a scant five minutes of exposure to a mild lavender scent helps ameliorate (that means reduce, in this case) your body's release of cortisol - a key stress hormone that can prematurely age you by triggering inflammation.

In one small study, sniffing lavender not only reduced cortisol levels but also enhanced antioxidant activity in the bodies of the people studied - a double blow to the aging process.

This isn't the first time lavender has been associated with good health. It has long been considered an aphrodisiac (use lavender-scented lotion for your next foot massage and you'll see what we mean). It's also considered a calming agent. In fact, more than one study has shown it to be effective against insomnia, which is one of the reasons the fragrance ends up in so many pillows. Its other reputed powers: Its oil has been used as an antiseptic and disinfectant, and as a headache treatment when rubbed onto the temples. (Though it's not for young boys; some reports suggest that repeated lavender use can mess with their hormones.)

Can't get your hands on this little purple flower - or something that smells like it? Every little bit of stress-busting helps make your body younger. One of our favorites: Get a day planner. And a friend. Better to clutter a piece of paper with a to-do list and to talk about the clutter with a friend than to clutter your brain with how-will-I-do-it-all worries. Lavender-scented paper? Go for it.

The YOU Docs - Mike Roizen and Mehmet Oz - are authors of the best-selling "YOU: The Owner's Manual" and "YOU: On a Diet." To submit questions and find ways to grow younger and healthier, go to www.RealAge.com, the docs' online home.

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