DASHA® is using Cervical Health Awareness Month as a springboard to broach women’s health issues, and there is no one better to turn to than Dr. Galina Karpenko, one of the top gynecology and infertility specialists with New York Reproductive and a recipient of the Patients’ Choice Award. Below, Dr. Karpenko shares some of her knowledge with members of the DASHA® community.
Risk factors such as your family disease history and age are beyond your control, so it’s important to focus on the things that are in your control when it comes to your personal health. Risk factors we can control include what we eat, how much physical activity we get, whether we smoke, drink or do drugs, and whether or not we fasten our seat belts. (If you didn’t read Dr. Pollack’s chalk talk on preventative medicine last fall, please click HERE.) According to a study done in 2000, up to 35% of all early deaths in the U.S. can be avoided simply by stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet, and exercising more. These are obviously preventative measures that apply to both sexes.
In general, here are some basic and easy guidelines to follow:
1. Get more exercise. A combination of aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises are best. 
2. Eat heart healthy foods. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, beans, fish, lean meats, and nuts are great for you. Try using spices, herbs, lemon and lime to salt and flavor your food. Avoid refined carbohydrates.
3. Don’t drink more than one glass of alcohol per day. It raises your risk of stroke and other illnesses.
4. Watch your blood pressure and cholesterol. Get tested every year, particularly if high blood pressure or cholesterol runs in your family.
Get your regular annual check -ups, pap smear and mammograms as recommended by your doctor!
Some women are choosing to have children later in life, as they focus on building a career before selecting a life partner. As a physician dealing with infertility on a daily basis, I cannot emphasize enough that the healthy life style outlined above is key to improving your fertility.
As we age, a healthy lifestyle is often not enough. Women who wait until their mid-40s or even late 30s very often face the sad reality that despite all the right things they did, they can longer get pregnant. Although your “biological clock” cannot be wound backwards, it can be “frozen.”
The most important thing that 21st century women should know is that your fertility can be preserved. Cryopreserved! Your eggs (oocytes) can be extracted, frozen and stored while your fertility is still high.
Oocyte cryopreservation is aimed at three particular groups of women:
1. Women diagnosed with cancer who have not yet begun treatment;
2. Women undergoing treatment with assisted reproductive technologies who do not consider embryo freezing an option for religious reasons;
3. Women who would like to preserve their future ability to have children, either because they do not yet have a partner, or for other personal or medical reasons.
As of October 2012, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine no longer considers this procedure to be experimental. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) endorsed oocyte freezing as a standard and safe procedure in March 2012.
DASHA® also offers acupuncture treatments for those with fertility issues, for patients wishing to incorporate eastern medicine into their wellness regiment. (To watch Dasha’s video on “Acupuncture for Fertility,” click HERE.)
On average, women will experience the symptoms of menopause around the age of 51. Common symptoms include menstrual irregularity, hot flashes, difficult sleeping, mood changes, vaginal and urinary problems, decreased sex drive, forgetfulness or trouble focusing. Your best recipe to alleviate these symptoms is again, the same one I prescribed above! Exercise and eat well to maintain an ideal body weight, and don’t smoke.
Acupuncture can also be very useful to decrease hot flashes.
To learn more about Dr. Galina Karpenko and the services offered at New York Reproductive, please visit http://www.drkarpenko.com/.
DASHA® wellness & spa is a luxury lifestyle brand and New York City-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. To learn more, visit dashawellness.com.
