I am sorry to hear that you have been feeling these symptoms for almost an entire month. There can be many different causes of soreness in your breasts. The cause will also then depend on many different factors in your life such as whether you are breast feeding, on any hormonal medications etc. My advice is for you to consult an experienced women's health doctor regarding your problem as you have been experiencing such symptoms for almost one month without resolution. Your doctor will then be able to examine you and may order further investigations such as a breast ultrasound if required.

thanks for your question. In a nutshell, yes you should definitely see your GP regarding your irregular periods to rule out certain things, PCOS being one of them. Excess body hair (hirsutism in medical speak) and irregular periods are some common characteristics of PCOS, with the others including being overweight and having acne. So what you’ve told me is certainly suggestive. Thyroids disorders are also a rare cause of irregular periods, especially if you know that you have a family history of thyroid problems. This can also be screened for easily when you see your GP.

Yes it is best to see a gynae for some blood tests and a pelvic ultrasound. Prolonged heavy menses may result in iron deficiency anemia, and this needs to be corrected. Issues which need to be excluded include any gynaecological problems like fibroids or endometrial polyps, as well as any problems with blood clotting. Even if all is normal on testing, heavy periods are not something you have to put up with with.

I am sorry to hear that your symptoms have been so worrying for you. Firstly, your symptoms sound like what we refer to as Intermenstural bleeding. In a young person of reproductive age like yourself, the main thing to always rule out is always a pregnancy whenever you experience irregular spotting or bleeding that is out of the ordinary. However, if you have not been sexually active, then there can also be many other causes of intermenstural bleeding such as cervical polyps, infections or even hormonal imbalance.

There could be several reasons for a missed period. The causes for it will depend on factors such as your age, lifestyle factors and whether you are sexually active or not. You have correctly done the right thing when you missed your period which was to perform a urine pregnancy test. That would be the most important thing to rule out with a delayed period. If the urine pregnancy test is negative and your period is still not here in a few weeks, you may consider repeating the test to ensure that the negative test was not done too early.

The purpose of taking folic acid prior to conceiving and during the first trimester of your pregnancy is to significantly reduce the risks of neural tube defects in the baby. According to guidelines, the recommended dose of folic acid recommended for any woman who is trying to conceive is at least 400micrograms. However, in certain situations, the required amount of folic acid is much higher eg: 5mg For example, people with: 1. Pre-existing diabetes 2. Personal history, partner's history or family history of neural tube defects 3.

Hi,Progesterone pills are commonly given as one of the management options for patients with PCOS. These pills are usually taken for a week every 3 months of not having your natural period. Many girls affected by PCOS may not get their periods for many months, and the main purpose of a progesterone pill such as Norcolut is mainly to induce a withdrawal bleed once every 2-3 months. This is to maintain a healthy endometrial lining. However, if you are trying to conceive, then taking a progesterone such as Norcolut may not be the most suitable.

Sorry to hear you are having a flare of your eczema in addition to trying to look after a young baby. I would advise that you see a doctor or dermatologist so that your condition can be looked at and treated quickly. If there is weeping from the breast, the eczema areas may be infected. Usually topical antibiotics and steroids will help treat your eczema quickly. If the condition is quite severe, sometimes oral medicines may be added. Eczema is easily treatable so do approach an experienced doctor for help. This will allow you to breastfeed your child comfortably again.

Hi, Menstrual cycles abnormalities/changes can occur for a wide variety of reasons from the benign such as stress to more serious conditions like cancers. Generally, if there is any change in the pattern of your menstrual cycles especially if the change if persistent, it would be advisable to seek medical advise. Normal menstrual cycles do differ from person to person but it usually would be between 21 to 35 days. Thus my advise would be to seek further evaluation with your doctor to determine the cause of the change of your menstrual cycle.

Just like what Dr Ang has mentioned, dark-colored menstrual blood can be considered normal, and you do not have to worry if you do not experience other accompanying symptoms. However, from a holistic approach, a TCM practitioner would inquire further to find out if you suffer from menstrual pain and if you do, does it happen before, during or after the period; is your menstrual cycle regular; any fertility issues etc. According to TCM, dark menstrual blood is seen as stagnated blood (血瘀).

Folic acid should generally be taken prior to conception and in the first trimester in particular as the neural tube is still forming. Folic acid is important for prevention of neural tube defects. It is also important in women with diabetes and on antiepileptic medication to prevent neural tube defects. There is some conflicting evidence in the possible role of folic acid in reducing the risk of autism.

Hi there, The answer to your question will depend on what your menstural pattern was before yasmin and how irregular your periods have become now. Your periods on Yasmin would have been very regular because of the monthly withdrawal bleeding. However, if you have since stopped the medications and find that your periods have become irregular, it would be good for you to go for further checks to ensure that this irregular periods is not due to some other underlying cause.

It would be important for you to get a work up of the irregular periods first before you resume your Yasmin. Resuming birth control pills is ideally done with the first day of your period, but this should only be after other causes of your irregular periods have been excluded. Hope this helps.

Hi there, Your symptoms sound like they way be related to some form of nipple eczema or dermatitis. Especially since the symptoms worsen with sweating and is associated with intense itch. What you should do is to see a doctor for a consultation as only when a doctor examines the area of concern can we form a better clinical diagnosis and help you treat your condition better. Hope this helps.

Various factors are associated with a higher risk for Postpartum depression. These factors are delineated in a narrative review by Ghaedrahmati et al [1]. You may read this article for more information about other Postnatal Mental Conditions.