The hormones estrogen and progesterone play key roles in regulating the menstrual cycle. However, these hormones can also affect headache-related chemicals in the brain. The dip in estrogen before your period may cause a headache during menstruation, and estrogen...
Gynecology
Water Retention: Relief for This Premenstrual Symptom
Water retention (also called edema) occurs when fluid builds up inside your body. Some women notice water retention every month before their period. Hormone imbalances and a woman's diet can cause premenstrual water retention. Water retention can be uncomfortable and...
Diabetes and Menopause: What to Expect
Managing diabetes and handling menopause symptoms can feel like a daunting challenge for many women. Each condition can combine effects on your body. For example, if you feel dizzy, find it hard to focus, and are unusually irritable, is this due to hormonal changes?...
Get to Know Dr. Michael Clouatre, M.D.
Dr. Michael Clouatre completed his medical degree at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in 1993. Then, He completed an Obstetrics & Gynecologic Surgery internship and residency in 1997 at LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. How do you pronounce...
Umbilical Cord Blood: Delayed Clamping and Donating
After a baby is born, the doctor clamps and cuts the umbilical cord. However, some families delay clamping for a time. Delaying the clamping allows more time for the umbilical cord blood to flow to their baby. This delay is beneficial because the blood that remains...
Blood Glucose Screening and Tolerance Test: All You Need to Know
When you’re pregnant, your doctor will recommend a one-hour blood glucose screening and tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. Low-risk pregnant women typically take the screening test between 24 and 28...
Fourth Trimester – Happy, Healthy Mom Equals Happy, Healthy Baby
The fourth trimester, or the first three months of a baby’s life, is filled with a tremendous amount of adjustments and milestones for the baby. These mental and physical developments during your baby’s first three months outside the womb are just as important as...
Different Period Blood Colors: What it Means for Your Health
When you have your period, your uterus sheds its lining. Menstrual blood flows from the uterus through the cervix and passes out of the body through the vagina. Through the duration of your period, the blood might change color, ranging from black to orange to pink to...
Hormone Pellets: A Safe Treatment for Hormone Imbalance
Women at any age may experience hormone imbalance. Hormone levels decline or fluctuate contributing to severe PMS, hot flashes, night sweats, postpartum depression, headaches, fatigue, low libido, and sleeping disorders. Birth control pills can also cause hormone...
Get to Know Dr. Darrin Cunningham
Dr. Darrin Cunningham completed his medical degree at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1991, subsequently completing an Obstetrics & Gynecologic Surgery internship and residency in 1996 at Hillcrest Health Center in Oklahoma City,...