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Sometimes being a woman seems unfair. Case in point: have you ever been accused of having PMS? PMS stands for premenstrual syndrome. Most have heard the term and may have used it jokingly when a woman’s emotions were high, casually alluding to the fact that her moodiness must be from imbalanced hormones during her menstrual cycle.
While it may seem like fun and games to joke about PMS, it’s a real physiological phenomenon that should be taken seriously. Nine out of ten women experience premenstrual symptoms to different degrees. If you’ve noticed your own PMS affecting other people, it might be time to consider whether you’re dealing with a more serious premenstrual disorder: PMDD.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a severe version of PMS that affects your life more significantly. In this blog post, we’ll cover the basics of premenstrual disorders and give you tips to help with your symptoms around that time of the month.
Let’s start with the basics.
Premenstrual syndrome includes a range of symptoms, both physical and emotional, that occur in a woman’s body due to changes in her body’s chemistry from the menstrual cycle. A few common symptoms can include:
Interestingly, PMS is most likely to occur in women in their 30s. Other factors that increase your chances of pre-period problems include high stress and a history of depression.
So how do you know if it’s PMS? A tell-tale sign is that the symptoms repeat at least three cycles and linger for about five days before your period begins, ending on day four of your cycle. If your PMS is more extreme and disruptive than what we described above, you may be suffering from PMDD.
Only about 5% of women of childbearing age face premenstrual symptoms so severe that they interrupt daily life. Symptoms of PMDD can include all of the physical and emotional PMS symptoms, plus more. Here are some indicators of PMDD:
If your life is completely thrown off course each month a week or two before your period, PMDD is a real possibility. There is hope — PMDD is both preventable and treatable.
If your premenstrual symptoms are mild but bothersome, you don’t just have to sit back and accept the wave of discomfort each month. Preventing PMS or PMDD may be as simple as adding self-care to your routine. Are you performing these three self-care items daily?
If those three tips are not doing the trick, you may need to move on to treatment options to cope with the symptoms. During this stage, start documenting your symptoms so that you can discuss them with your online OBGYN in the future if necessary. You can journal the old-fashioned way with pen and paper, or download a phone app. Include the date, symptom, severity, and effect on your life.
Over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications may help temporarily relieve your symptoms but they do nothing for prevention. Some vitamins and herbs may help with the prevention and reduction of premenstrual symptoms including:
So maybe you’ve already tried the preventative measures above and are still struggling with the severe effects of PMDD each month. Sometimes medication is required for treating the symptoms, including antidepressants (SSRIs), birth control pills, water pills, or pain relievers.
The great news is — finding support and treatment for premenstrual disorders is easier than ever in today’s digital world. If you need help with PMDD, you can schedule an online appointment with My Virtual Physician to discuss your symptoms with our board-certified OBGYN and make PMDD a thing of the past.
It’s important not to ignore your premenstrual symptoms if they are interfering with your life and relationships. PMDD can sometimes be a sign of a more serious problem including: depression or anxiety, ME/CFS, IBS, or bladder pain syndrome. That’s why it’s critical to see a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment if the symptoms don’t dissipate on their own. Premenstrual disorders are not a laughing matter, and My Virtual Physician will always take your concerns seriously and offer help.
Virtual doctor appointments are replacing in-person visits; it’s the clear direction that we are headed. While telehealth has had a slow start to overcome the technological and social barriers of moving care online, the pandemic has accelerated things.
According to a study, the number of healthcare companies that plan to increase investment in telehealth development has jumped from 77% to 93%. Providers are finally putting resources into developing the full potential of telemedicine.
The benefits to online appointments for patients are clear:
With the high demand for online doctors, you must be diligent about who you trust for your healthcare needs. In the early days of telehealth, there were just a few companies that offered virtual care. But today, online doctor portals are popping up everywhere. How do you choose the right one for you?
Below we will take a look at three OBGYN women’s health options that are currently available online:
If you’re looking for the traditional benefits of sitting and discussing your health with your doctor but prefer to do it from the comfort of your own home, My Virtual Physician may be what you are looking for.
Skip the wait to see your OBGYN. My Virtual Physician is truly a full-spectrum women’s telehealth provider. Our doctors are available and ready to see you today.
The message that we saw over and over when comparing women’s health online providers was that My Virtual Physician rises above the others when it comes to genuine concern and customized care for the patient.
When you start your appointment with our doctors, you get to converse directly, face-to-face with your physician.
The comments on Google reviews show that patients who see the doctors at My Virtual Physician are overwhelmingly pleased with their experience. Here’s what patients have shared:
“Dr. Howard was patient and knowledgeable. Very available and super helpful.Gave me a thorough explanation of my treatment options and helped me make my decision on my next steps.” -Esther
“Doctor was knowledgeable, empathetic, understating and even put extra effort in trying to save me money since I have no insurance. I'm committed to having My Virtual Physician as my primary Doctor by choice. My experience was fast and easy. Way better then spending several hours in a doctors office. Doctor's follow up was great!!!” -Erica
This type of personal interaction is something that cannot be replaced by chats or forms that other providers sometimes use. My Virtual Physician values the opportunity to provide access directly to patients.
As you can see in the reviews, the doctors at My Virtual Physician are experts in their field. Getting the correct diagnosis & treatment the first time is valuable for all involved; it saves time, money, and frustration.
The services that My Virtual Physician provides are full-spectrum. You can receive the following women’s health services from our OBGYN:
In addition to the above women’s reproductive health, My Virtual Physician offers additional services in some states.
Many online doctors only offer general care; however, My Virtual Physician was founded by a specialist. Dr. Howard is a board-certified OBGYN specialist who is licensed in nearly a dozen states and is focused on realizing his dream to make accessible women’s health care a reality.
So if you truly want an expert to get your reproductive health advice from, My Virtual Physician is in a unique position to meet that need. You won’t have to wait months to see Dr. Howard as you would if you try to schedule an appointment with a local OBGYN at a physical clinic.
While My Virtual Physician has mastered bringing the traditional doctor experience online without losing the personal interactive aspect, there are a few things to know when you schedule an appointment.
So you’re ready to book an appointment with My Virtual Physician. One thing to be aware of is the availability of appointment times. Currently, there is a short window each day that appointments are scheduled.
Appointments can be scheduled:
But don’t lose hope just yet; if you need to meet with our doctors outside of the window of times available on the scheduling assistant, just give us a call to see what we can do. In most cases, we can accommodate. Our primary mission is to make sure our patients receive the care they deserve.
Because My Virtual Physician is run by a tight-knit group of physicians who are experts in their field, it is not a huge corporation that employs endless numbers of doctors. This means that My Virtual Physician is only able to provide services to patients who live in the states where the doctors are currently licensed.
Reference the map below to find out if My Virtual Physician is currently available in your state, and which services are offered.
Let’s move on to another women’s healthcare online provider: Nurx.
Nurx’s mission is to make healthcare accessible, affordable, and better. However, its use is limited to more of a prescription and delivery service rather than a full-spectrum telehealth provider. Let’s go over some things to know about Nurx.
Nurx is convenient for receiving certain regular prescriptions and tests.
Nurx is great if you already take an established birth control that works and you don’t have the desire or need to consult a doctor. Nurx provides prescription birth control and a few other recurring prescriptions.
Once you complete the initial consultation, which consists of filling out some paperwork and paying a fee, your recurring prescription will be reviewed behind the scenes. Nurx has their own pharmacy that they use to send medication to you.
Your prescription is shipped to your door on a recurring basis. This is convenient if you plan on taking the same medication long-term, but it only works if the medication is not urgent. For example, you would not want to wait on shipping for antibiotic treatments if your body is trying to fight off an infection.
Getting tested for STIs carries some stigma and is a little awkward. We like that Nurx has developed some STI testing kits that can be self-administered in the privacy of your own home.
This is a good option only for regular annual testing and should not be used if you suspect you may have been infected. There is a long delay of seven working days after you send the test kit back to the Nurx lab for results on STIs.
Some of the issues women have had with Nurx are a bit concerning. For claiming to be experts in women’s healthcare, they have some explaining to do.
While Nurx serves a purpose, its biggest downside is that it lacks direct communication between you and your doctor. In fact, you don’t have a doctor with Nurx. Your paperwork gets reviewed by a doctor along with a stack of others.
A conversation between you and your doctor is the most effective way to truly meet your healthcare needs and manage your medication competently. It is impersonal when lacking face-to-face communication with a doctor.
Nurx operates more like a lab or pharmacy than a doctor’s office. There are quite a few reviews that show some recurring problems with Nurx’s subscription model:
Of the 12 conditions that Nurx can treat per their website, only half are related to women’s health conditions, which include:
Overall, Nurx might be ok if you are simply looking to get your medication or testing and don’t need any personalized care or advice. Next up: hers.
If you like your healthcare to have some sex appeal, you might be tempted to try a prescription provider called hers. hers was created as a branch-off from the original website, hims, which provides a wide range of similar men’s products.
hers provides hair care, skincare, and supplement products as well as mental health, and now, primary care services.
If you like the products that hers offers, hers can be a convenient option for receiving prescriptions regularly.
Hers is different from most online doctors because they carry their own line of personal hygiene products. Women must pamper themselves for optimal health, both mentally and physically. The products themselves are highly rated in customer reviews.
Similar to Nurx, hers also has their own pharmacy they work with to mail birth control prescriptions and other medications directly to your door each month. All of your prescriptions will be recurring subscriptions.
While the reviews we saw regarding the actual products tended to be positive, the patient reviews of the services that hers provides were overwhelmingly bad. Out of 10 reviews at the time of this article, 70% of the reviews were 1 star. Some of the biggest complaints were:
At first glance, you may not even realize that hers is providing healthcare services. Their website gives the appearance that hers is just a skincare product line. If you look closely, there is a link for primary care services. In their sexual health section, you can find:
While a few of those options may be convenient for recurring subscriptions, it seems like hers is more of a store pushing their products than a doctor who is serving their patient’s best interests.
While providing access to birth control is a noble cause, it may be irresponsible to do so without a proper assessment and time for discussion between the patient and doctor. Similar to Nurx, hers has no face-to-face appointment for women’s health care.
Their process includes completing an online intake form, chatting with a provider (it is unclear whether this is a video or text chat), and then receiving a prescription and refills in the mail if deemed appropriate.
Women’s telehealth has great potential to change how we see our doctors and specialists. Switching to virtual doctors is a step that most patients will be taking in the near future, if they have not already begun to do so. As you can see, not all online women’s healthcare providers are created equally, and each has their own set of benefits and setbacks.
If you’re looking to replace your OBGYN, be sure to choose a full-spectrum provider who can address all of your reproductive care needs. Schedule an appointment with My Virtual Physician today to find out what makes us different!
Congratulations, you’re pregnant! Pregnancy is such a unique experience that it is both one of the most exciting and one of the most nerve-racking adventures in most women’s lives. On the one hand, is the excitement of taking part in the miracle of life, and on the other hand, you are a nervous wreck because you want everything to go perfectly.
In the United States, the average number of biological children per family has remained between 1 and 2 since the late 1970s, according to Census.gov. So it is fair to say that most pregnancies in the US are a new experience by first-time mothers. Because pregnancy is new, exciting, and uncertain, it is common practice for expecting mothers to download a pregnancy app.
Over half of pregnant women have downloaded a medical app to track their baby’s growth. As pregnancy apps became available for free download at the turn of the century, newly expecting mothers began finding comfort in knowing what was going on inside their bodies. Pregnancy apps provide regular updates and visuals to the mom-to-be who can’t yet see or feel her baby growing.
While an app that gives you updates on the size of your baby and the changes that a typical body is experiencing during each stage of pregnancy can seem harmless, there may be a reason to think twice before downloading that pregnancy app.
The pandemic has caused an exponential growth in the number of downloads of mobile health apps, up to a 25% increase in downloads. This increase may be due to fewer in-person visits and less time with the doctor to discuss the new mother’s changing body.
Because we have become a society that thrives on instant gratification, the model of an instant download of a free app is very appealing when compared to waiting several weeks for your first prenatal appointment with your doctor. If you are relying on information provided in your app, just keep in mind who is behind the content on your pregnancy app.
The majority of pregnancy apps are operated by non-medical organizations; instead, they are usually run by journalism-type institutions. In fact, a 2021 study of 29 pregnancy apps showed only 28% of apps referenced literature in their content. On top of that, only 40% of the apps studied covered each stage of pregnancy thoroughly and appropriately.
While we acknowledge that these health apps do contain useful information and tidbits, it appears to be largely incomplete, lending the question of whether it was designed for a more nefarious purpose.
Unsuspecting mothers, who were simply looking for more details on their growing poppy seed, were the driving force behind the initial construction of these apps, but is that still the only purpose today? Or is it possible that well-intentioned mothers are downloading pregnancy apps and in turn unknowingly exchanging their sensitive health information and providing a consumer to soak up their advertisements?
Consider that all mobile apps have to make a profit somewhere. Generally, most apps make a profit off of annoying ads that pop up or show on the sideline while you are trying to use the app. The primary goal of the app can phase more into getting consumers to view or click on the ads rather than the original intention of providing accurate health information.
Along with the advertising bombardment you will probably receive while using a pregnancy app, you are likely going to find yourself getting a lot more junk e-mail. Most of the apps require a sign-up which means you are giving your email away to companies that can target you based on all the details you provided on your pregnancy. A 2017 study showed that almost all the pregnancy apps studied gave away private health information to third parties.
With pregnancy hormones circulating on high, the emotional burden of targeted ads like stretch mark cream and expensive cord blood banking can take a toll on a woman who is just trying to learn about her baby’s development.
So what can a woman do? Some doctors have recognized that their patients have a need to understand their pregnancy each step of the way, but it would not be possible for doctors to provide every answer, every time.
The solution for the health information and targeted ad problem of pregnancy apps might be that more and more doctors will begin to develop their own apps or resources that are comprehensive, free from advertising, and that adhere to strict HIPAA privacy laws. Until we get to that point, awareness is the most important tool that we can use to prevent pregnancy apps from causing more harm than good.
Of course, there are always old-fashioned books or e-books that can be read, although they are not quite as exciting as logging in each day to see how your little one has developed. Every woman must weigh her decision on whether the risk is too great.
My Virtual Physician is available to help guide you through your pregnancy and answer any questions that may arise. With our monthly complete care plan, you can see your online OBGYN doctor as many times as needed throughout the month to address any of your pregnancy questions that come up.
