Women should treat health as a priority: Dr Sunita Gupta

Dr Sunita Gupta of Fortis Hospital, discusses the health problems of Indian women and offers remedial measures.

Dr Sunita Gupta, MBBS and MD from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, currently working as senior consultant, Gynecology and Obstetrics at Delhi’s Fortis Hospital, in an exclusive interview to Smita Mishra of Zeenews.com speaks about the health of Indian women, the challenges faced by them and the remedial measures they should adopt for a happy and healthy living.What are the common diseases faced by women?

The complaints that the women generally come with vary according to their age. For example young girls mostly come with Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome, a condition affecting ovaries which has risen to magnanimous proportions in recent years, and older ones come with pregnancy related complications which is also on the rise. Besides, fibroids, infertility of both men and women and cancers are also becoming increasingly common. It is said that Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS), a major cause of infertility, is an incurable disease. Is it true? It is true that there is no established cure for PCOS and we generally treat patients symptomatically. Those who are troubled by increasing weight are given weight management medicines, those who have acne are referred to dermatologists and those who have difficulty in conceiving are treated for infertility. But there is nothing to be depressed about PCOS, as it is easily managed by medicines. Is a rise in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome mainly due to the changing lifestyle or is it genetic? Sometimes it is genetic. But lifestyle and food habits also play a significant role. If a woman has a genetic history, or leads a sedentary life or is obese and takes calorie rich, high carb diet, her chances of having PCOS increase manifold. What is the cause of fibroids? Do they lead to cancer? No, thankfully there is less that 0.1% chance of a fibroid turning cancerous. It is genetic to an extent and is mainly due to hormonal imbalance in the body. You said that the incidence of pregnancy related complications have increased over the years. The reason being..? Late pregnancies, pollution, birth control pills and lifestyle I think are mainly responsible for this. Due to the older age of the mother, hypertension, diabetes and obesity become common during pregnancies and they often cause severe complications. Pollution has also become a major cause of pregnancy related complications. Sometimes there is a miscarriage and we hardly know the concrete reason behind it. Expecting mothers are not aware that this may be due to any thing, the pesticide in their food, the preservatives, the water they are drinking or even the air they are breathing in! These complications and diseases are more common in working women or those belonging to the lower strata? It is common in both. Women from poor backgrounds are more prone to illness due to lack of proper health care and basic amenities and working women because they do not eat well, are more stressed and lack the time and energy to look after their health. Is it true that women become physically weak after pregnancy? Only when they do not take care of their health. There is no denying the fact that pregnancy is physically very demanding, and it is more painful for working women, who have to manage both the worlds, but proper diet, proper intake of vitamin and minerals and rest when required, can assure a robust health even after pregnancy. Why did you choose this as a profession? Well…I always wanted to be a doctor. I could not have been anything else! I am extremely happy and satisfied with my job. Is it difficult being a woman and a doctor? Have you ever felt that had you been a man, things would have been easier for you? There is no doubt about it! It is very difficult to be a woman and a doctor or for that matter any professional. Innumerable times in my career I have felt that had I belonged to the other gender things would have been easy for me. Many times my profession has taken a back seat as I had to manage my home and look after my children. I have seen my colleagues ordering pizzas on phone for their kids as they cannot go home at nights due to medical emergencies. So somewhere you have to make adjustments! Do you regret being a woman? Oh no. I have my own rewards and satisfactions. I have my own laurels and achievements. I can be kinder, more compassionate, more understanding because I am a woman. Do you have some health care suggestions for our women readers? If they have PCOS, they should make lifestyle changes. A 30 minute exercise is a must, coupled with a healthy low carb diet. After 40s they should go for regular health check ups once a year. All women between the age of 9 to 40 should be vaccinated against cervical cancer. Proper care should be taken during pregnancy. Daily intake of vitamins is a must. They should not plan close pregnancy, which career women do these days so that they can concentrate on their career once the children grow up. And last but not the least, they should eat at regular intervals and not go without food for long hours. Dr. (Mrs.) Sunita Gupta, has been in specialty practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology in South Delhi for the past 20years. She has completed her MBBS & MD from AIIMS and is presently a consultant at Fortis Hospital and Modi Hospital, besides running her own private clinic. She has been an active participant in many Obs. & Gyne. workshops, held both in India and internationally, including a specialized training in operative & diagnostic Laparoscopy and Hysteroscopy at the University of Kiel, Germany. .