NAPS Women's Health Conference - September
Places are already being snapped up for the NAPS women health conference in September.
Following the successful conference held in Derby last February, the next NAPS conference will take place in Canterbury on Friday September 29 at the Darwin Conference Suite, University of Kent. It promises lively and informative discussion from a strong line-up of eminent experts in the field.
Topics for discussion at Canterbury will include an up-to-the-minute overview of current clinical developments in PMS and menopause from NAPS Chairman Mr Nicholas Panay, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London. Susan Quilliam, relationship psychologist, will look at the impact of PMS on relationships. Professor John Studd will discuss the menopause and Dr Carrie Sadler, a specialist research GP, will speak on cervical cytology. Dr Claudine Domoney considers the latest information on complementary treatments and therapies. NAPS Dietary Advisor, Gaynor Bussell will look at the importance of diet and nutrition for women during their reproductive years. Gilly Andrews, menopause/ PMS specialist nurse will be discussing contraception issues and there will be a personal story from a local NAPS member and PMS sufferer. And finally breast care specialist Dr Ruth Wilson will look at good practice in breast care.
For further information and to book your place for this important conference, CLICK HERE
Femal and Naps to launch new online menstrual diary
Want to take the guesswork out of PMS, and regain control of your hormones? NAPS have joined forces with Femal, the pollen supplement for hormonal health, to introduce an interactive, online menstrual diary. Developed by NAPS chairman and consultant gynaecologist Nick Panay, the leading UK expert on PMS and menopause, the menstrual diary is on course to become available online this summer. Visitors to NAPS website www.pms.org.uk will be able to download their personal chart to record accurately each day their PMS symptoms according to the severity of symptoms, examine trends in symptoms over subsequent months, and benefit from sound treatment guidance. In addition, women who are approaching the menopause (known as the perimenopause) can identify and monitor the change in their symptoms and track their frequency or severity, allowing them to make useful decisions about treatment now and in the future.
Accessible through the NAPS website, users are taken to the diary's homepage, which includes an introduction to the diary and how it works. They are then asked to fill in the Selection Criteria questions, which identify them as having PMS and/or perimenopause symptoms. This is followed by in-depth definitions of both conditions and access to the main areas of the site including the Diary Section, where symptoms can be recorded on a daily basis. Other areas include the My Symptom Trends section, which provides graphics of emerging symptom patterns. Another key feature of the site is the Guidance section which contains advice on coping strategies to manage PMS or perimenopause and other tips on lifestyle, diet and treatments.
"By providing a way to gain a greater understanding of their body and cyclical changes, the diary empowers women to take control of their symptoms without allowing them to take over their life, work and relationships," comments NAPS chairman, Nick Panay.
"Femal is delighted to be sponsoring such an important tool for women's hormonal health," says Byron Chatburn, managing director of Sea-Band, UK distributors for Femal. "We really want the diary to be accessible to all women, to be user-friendly and to provide them with the best expert advice from NAPS, and to ensure that we get it right, we will be consulting extensively with users, experts and the top health journalists in the country."
About Femal
Formulated to manage the symptoms of PMS as part of a lifestyle programme, Femal is a nutritional supplement specially designed for women to take throughout their menstrual cycle and through the perimenopause and menopause. It can be taken alone or as part of a programme for managing well-being. Femal's high flavonoid content is thought to stabilise fluid absorption in blood vessels and reduce capillary permeability, which is consistent with reducing the effect observed in oedema, weight gain and bloatedness.
Femal is available from Boots, Lloydspharmacy, Alliance pharmacies, Holland and Barrett and other pharmacies and health food stores in packs of 30 tablets (£9.99), or 60 tablets (£16.99). Please see www.femal.co.uk for further information.
Shake it like a belly dancer!
Women from across the country were brought together to wiggle their bellies for an event organised by natural diuretic Aquaban Herbal and the National Association for Premenstrual Syndrome (NAPS).
Aquaban Herbal and NAPS joined together to help raise awareness of the issues of premenstrual bloating and educate women that it is a treatable condition.
It was hoped they would break the Guinness World Record for the largest group belly dance but just a week before the event, news came through that a group in Hungary had smashed the current record. So instead the belly dancers enjoyed a morning learning and dancing a routine together, followed by an award presentation for the best-dressed belly dancer.
Hilary Lynn, brand manager for Aquaban Herbal says: "We organised the record attempt so women could get together to have some fun, while learning something new and raising money for NAPS.
"We also had information stands and people on hand to offer advice about water retention. Water retention is one of the most common symptoms of PMS affecting three out of five women in the UK, but sadly people often don't realise it's treatable and consequently put up with the bloating and extra weight gain each month.
"We were disappointed we didn't manage to break the record but it was an enjoyable morning and I think it's inspired many of the first timers to take it up as a hobby!"
NAPS would like to say a huge thank you to all those who took part and raised sponsorship money for NAPS, especially Hilary Lynn, who raised a tremendous £500.
Aquaban Herbal is formulated using a blend of natural ingredients to help reduce the discomfort of water retention without leaving you dehydrated.
Aquaban Herbal RRP £3.49. For further information check out www.aquaban.co.uk
Poor care for new mothers with postnatal depression
There is increasing public concern at the low NHS priority given to meeting the reproductive health needs of women. This growing sense of a service that is failing many women is reinforced by the results of a MIND survey of 148 women in England suffering from postnatal depression, which has revealed that one in ten had to wait over a year for treatment. The survey conducted by mental health charity, Mind, suggests that new mothers with postnatal depression often have poor care and are given medication instead of being offered counselling. The survey continued to find that four-fifths of women admitted to psychiatric wards were separated from their babies.
It is thought that one in six women are affected by mental distress either during pregnancy or following childbirth, with 25% of maternal deaths linked to menstrual health problems. Over two-thirds had to wait more than a month for treatment, 75% were given medication and 25% offered counselling.
One of the main issues, the charity said, was that some health professions could not differentiate between the 'baby blues' and postnatal depression, so it was often not picked up quickly enough. A major concern is the lack of mother and baby units, there are only 17 in England and Wales, two in Scotland and none in Northern Ireland.
NAPS chief executive Chris Ryan says: "This latest survey further underlines why leading medical associations, like NAPS, have just established the new Women's health Alliance and to campaign for more responsive health services for women."
For further details check out BBC Health on line.
Other useful numbers: www.mind.org.uk or www.apni.org
PMS and self-esteem
Lack of self-esteem is a major problem for many PMS sufferers. At this time, they often feel worthless and inadequate, which leads to confidence issues. We have permission to publish a question that was recently posed to our Ask the Experts, which addresses this issue.
Q: Self-esteem is at an all time low. Feel worthless, inadequate and think I look fat, ugly, hate my hair at the moment. In my rational moments, I think, perk yourself up, get a haircut, get a massage, treat yourself, but I can't seem to pick up the phone and arrange it. It's like I want some external recognition. It's like I am not worth making the effort for...I would like my partner to be more thoughtful and caring and use more verbal words so the affirmations are really in my face. I always have to encourage this sort of comment. Of course, I can't discuss it with him, as I am so petrified he will get cross that I am making a fuss and will upset him. Again, down to the low self-esteem, I know. He feels I am overly critical of him as it is...I see it differently."
A: "Is it that, actually, you are asking too much of your partner? Do you need such constant reassurance that no one could possibly give it? If so, then that need is not wrong, not bad - but it comes from your earliest childhood, from the fact that you didn't get the love you deserved. In order to feel good about yourself, no amount of support and affection from anyone - including your partner - will make up for this. You need to see a counsellor and explore your past, explore what particular childhood events have left you vulnerable.
Or is it that, actually, your partner is giving very little, is simply not delivering when it comes to love and affection. If so, then that's not only adding to your low self-esteem - it will be an actual cause of it. It's difficult for anyone to feel good about themselves if the person they care most about is withdrawing from them. In this case, hard call, you need to challenge your partner, ask him how he really feels, explore how you really feel - and probably go to couples counselling (with him or alone) to sort your problems out.
Whatever you answer, there are ways forward on this. A good counsellor will help you realise what's really happening and what you can do about it. Try the British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists on 0870 443 5252 or www.bacp.co.uk.
Cartoon of the month - Sally Ann Lasson
More wit from Sally Ann Lasson, cartoonist on The Independent, who has agreed to allow us to publish a cartoon strip each issue.
