The post Painful Sex: A Real Mid-life Crisis appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>Throughout a woman’s reproductive years, estrogen contributes to effective vaginal lubrication and thickens the vaginal wall while increasing blood vessels in the skin. But levels of estrogen wildly fluctuate in women’s 40s and—without hormone therapy – remain low after menopause, causing vaginal atrophy – vaginal dryness and loss of elasticity. Not only can this cause pain during sex, but, over time, intercourse under these harsh conditions also can cause vaginal inflammation and even mild injury. It can become a vicious downward spiral; the less you have sex, the more atrophy will develop, so more discomfort and less sex. It’s a use-it-or-lose-it situation!
Luckily, there are treatments available for vaginal atrophy and dyspareunia (the medical term for painful sex), ranging from over-the-counter, water-soluble lubricants to hormone replacement therapy. But lubrication alone may not solve the problem of vaginal atrophy. The North American Menopause Society suggests the use of vibrators and dildos to help stimulate blood flow. And vaginal dilators – plastic or rubbery round-tipped cylinders, graduated in size – can be used to stretch and relax the vaginal muscles. (Go to https://www.menopause.org/for-women/sexual-health-menopause-online/effective-treatments-for-sexual-problems/sexual-devices, for more information.)
Be sure to talk to your GYN about pain that persists and don’t be shy about talking to a sex therapist. A hormone specialist can help you design a therapy course that meets your body’s specific needs.
It may take some extra work, a bit of adjustment, and a sense of humor certainly helps, but sex beyond your 40s can be fun and satisfying. Take advantage of that empty nest: say YES to sex!
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]]>The post To Pee or Not to Pee appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>It happens all the time: sneeze, cough, or lift something and a little pee comes out. Just another mid-life challenge. It’s called OAB for Overactive Bladder. Of course, no one ever talks about it. It’s embarrassing and even shameful. Yet many women over 35 have experienced a little urine leakage at least once and more than one-third of women between 50 and 54, suffer from overactive bladder.
OAB may be more of an inconvenience than a danger to women’s physical health but OAB can affect a woman’s mental health. There is a serious quality-of-life burden for women with OAB who may opt out of social situations and even lose interest in sex. Quality of sleep can become an issue for those who wake through the night needing to urinate. Plus, it just makes one feel old.
Believe it or not, decreasing sex hormones contribute to OAB. Less testosterone (yes, women have it, too) makes it harder to maintain muscle; lower estrogen levels decrease production of collagen, the magic ingredient that gives our tissues elasticity. The hard truth is, lots of things start to droop.
However, there is hope! Strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor with good old Kegels or core exercises like Pilates can reduce the issue. Maintaining a healthy body weight is also important, as risk for OAB increases with higher BMI. Managing fluid intake and timed voiding can help. There are also medications and a variety of procedures to treat OAB.
The bottom line: you are not alone! It seems obvious but discuss the issue with your doctor to develop a treatment plan. Don’t let OAB stop you from living your best life!
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]]>The post Research Shows Sex Hormones Impact COVID-19 appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>As early as the 1940s researchers identified a sex bias in our immune systems, with women showing a more aggressive and more effective immune response, especially with viral infections. That sex bias became strikingly more evident during the recent COVID pandemic, with men’s risk of fatality at three times that of women.
Small observational studies also recognized the age-related increase in infection risk and disease severity begins earlier in in women – at 50-55 years, which coincides with menopause and its resulting decrease in sex hormone production.
Female sex hormones encourage increased levels of viral antibodies, boost immune cell ability – including the “repair response” – and strengthen anti-inflammatory actions. More specifically, estrogen helps with the initial detection and resulting signals to our immune system to kick it into gear. Estrogen also helps monitor the immune response, keeping it proportionate to the level of infection. Progesterone has a similarly strong role in regulating the anti-inflammatory response to infection.
Powerful inflammation-regulating functions are critical in fighting COVID-19, in which “cytokine storms” often lead to the complications that prove fatal to COVID patients. Cytokines are specialized white blood cells that enter the blood stream, circulating throughout our bodies to fight infection and disease. If unchecked, this immune response causes too much cell inflammation, damaging organs. Some cytokines specifically affect blood vessels and an overproduction of these cytokines can cause drastic drops in blood pressure, decreasing blood flow and starving crucial tissues and organs of oxygen.
Although there are vast quantities of data that point to the sex-biased severity and mortality in COVID-19, there is no consensus on treating it based on gender. Some studies have begun but much more information needs to be gathered to develop an actionable plan for abating these discrepancies.
Interestingly, there also are recognized lifestyle choices that impact men’s susceptibility to viruses. More men smoke than women, increasing their chance of systemic damage prior to acquiring infection or disease. And women wash their hands more often.
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]]>The post Now Offering IV Therapy! appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>With IV therapy, essential vitamins and minerals are delivered directly into your bloodstream for fast absorption into your body. This IV therapy also allows the micronutrients to bypass the digestive system to maintain absorption and potency.
Furthermore, here at New Day Vitality, we will tailor your infusion therapy to your bio-specific needs. Sound familiar? As with our hormone replacement therapy, we combine our unique knowledge of your health and lifestyle to develop a treatment plan just for you.
Call the office today at 410-793-5212 to find out more about our new IV therapy and live your most vital life!
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]]>The post COVID-19: Maryland’s August Mandates plus a Little Song and Dance appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>Unfortunately, coronavirus cases in Maryland are on the rise again, slowly but surely. As a result, Maryland’s Governor Hogan and local officials have updated prevention guidelines.
As of 5 p.m. last night, all Marylanders are mandated to wear face masks in public areas of buildings and in outdoor public areas when social distancing can’t be maintained. (Anne Arundel County announced the same requirements back on July 10th.)
On July 29th, Maryland’s Department of Health issued an out-of-state and public travel advisory recommending Maryland residents refrain from all non-essential travel outside the state.
The Health Department also advises that any Marylander returning from out-of-state or any out-of-state traveler should either get tested for COVID-19 promptly upon arrival in Maryland or within 72 hours before travel to Maryland.
“We’re strongly advising against any travel from states with positivity rates of 10 percent or higher,” adds Gov. Hogan. Currently, those states include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Idaho, Nebraska, South Carolina and Texas. A continuously updated list of state COVID-19 test positivity rates can be found here.
As of July 24th, Anne Arundel County bars and restaurants that serve liquor must close by 10 p.m.
This week’s COVID-19 Quarantine Boredom Busters are offered with the rainy forecast in mind. To perk things up, put on your dancing shoes and join the fun while watching these great dance movies (we are compelled to add Singin’ in the Rain to the list). Not so light on your feet? Try belting out some of these feel-good songs. Have fun!
Stay safe, stay healthy and SING!
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]]>The post New Policies for Re-opening appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>Starting Monday, May 18, 2020, New Day Vitality will be re-opening all offices on a LIMITED BASIS. We’ll be seeing patients for pellet inserts and urgent labs in the office. We will continue to treat all other patients via tele-medicine.
Please DO NOT CALL to schedule your appointment. We will be calling all patients in turn and will work through our backlog as quickly as possible.
To ensure our patients’ and staff’s safety and well-being, we have changed certain procedures to comply with CDC, state and local guidelines for re-opening as follows:
We’re all excited to be seeing our patients once again, but, of course, we must do so with great care to keep all of us safe.
Please call the office if you have any other questions at 410-793-5212.
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]]>The post COVID-19: Office Closures and Continuing Services appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>On March 31, 2020, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a stay-at-home order that prohibits residents from leaving home, except for trips considered essential, such as leaving home to obtain food and medicine, effective at 8 p.m.
New Day Vitality will be closed for ALL in-office visits effective March 31, 2020. We will continue to treat patients through tele-medicine.
In the coming days, we will be contacting patients to schedule phone consultations in lieu of office visits. During those consults, we’ll discuss symptoms and treatment options, including alternatives for pellet therapy patients.
We will reopen for in-office visits as soon as permitted. Until then, if you have any questions or need medication refills please call the office line at 410-793-5212 and leave a message. We will be checking messages frequently and return your call as quickly as we can. If you have a true emergency, please contact Donna at 240-419-1026.
As always, our priority is to keep our patients and staff members safe and healthy. We appreciate your patience and understanding through these rapidly changing circumstances.
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]]>The post COVID-19 Protocol Updates appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has been confirmed in 49 of the 50 U.S. states. Statistics and projections are ever-changing with rapidly developing information being added constantly. But one thing that is certain is our ability to slow its spread.
Just like strains of the common flu, the coronavirus is exhaled through droplets and passed along through touch. So, also like the common flu, one of your best defenses is handwashing. The other thing you can do is “social-distancing” – it’s recommended to limit your exposure to groups of 50 or more people.
At New Day, we will continue our normal sanitizing but have added cleaning all light switches, door knobs and handles, the coffee maker and water cooler, waiting room chair arms, TV remote, all toilet hardware and counter tops each morning. You’ll find hand sanitizer for your use throughout our office as usual. Our personalized service means there is little chance of 10 or more people at any of our offices at one time.
We do ask that you please reschedule your appointment if you have a fever of 100.4 or higher and a cough and seek medical attention from your primary care physician.
You can find COVID-19 updates, including information on risk and prevention, from the Centers for Disease Control at CDC.gov. There are also great and easy-to-read articles at The Wall Street Journal website. Search for “The Coronavirus Crisis.”
If you have questions or concerns, please call us at 410-793-5212.
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]]>The post Summer Beauty Special appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>On Wednesday, June 19, 2019, for ONE DAY ONLY, we’re offering 20% off beauty services, including Botox and fillers, PLUS 20% off all Senté skin care products at our Arnold and Owings Mills offices.
Appointment times are limited so call today to schedule yours – 410-793-5212.
DON’T MISS THESE SUMMER SAVINGS!
SENTÉ® brings biotechnology experience and the rigor of scientific formulations to the skincare market. At the core of SENTÉ® science is Heparan Sulfate Analog (HSA), a patented ingredient found exclusively in the SENTÉ® product line, designed to improve the appearance of mature or prematurely aged skin.
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]]>The post New Office in Owings Mills appeared first on New Day Vitality.
]]>We’re excited to announce our newest office location at 90 Painters Mill Road, Suite 134, in Owings Mills. Our medical providers will begin seeing patients at this location on June 6. Appointments at any of our three locations can be scheduled by calling 410-793-5212.
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