Red Flag Signs to see Your Gynecologist

1. Bleeding after menopause

Any bleeding after menopause needs to be evaluated by a gynecologist. There are a lot of benign conditions that can cause bleeding, but cancer or pre-cancer has to be ruled out.

2. Family history of female cancers

Angelina Jolie has really brought this topic into the spotlight. There are genes that carry breast and ovarian cancer in families and other genes that carry uterine and colon cancer in families. If you have a significant family history of either of these then you should see your gynecologist to see if you qualify for testing.

3. Pelvic pain

If you have sudden onset of pelvic pain that does not go away, then you should see a gynecologist. Possible causes include ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, pelvic infections, or muscle pain.

4. Painful periods

We are not just talking about run of the mill menstrual cramps, but if you have pain during your periods that keeps you from doing your daily activities or working, then you need to see a gynecologist. They can rule out any gynecologic conditions, and you don’t have to suffer with these symptoms. There are a lot of treatment options including birth control pills and IUDs.

5. Heavy menstrual periods

Women you suffer from heavy menstrual periods should be evaluated. There could be a number of causes including hormonal, uterine fibroids or polyps. There are treatments including birth control pills, IUDs, endometrial ablations or hysterectomy.

Amber Bradshaw, M.D. is a board-certified surgeon with special interests in minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery, endometriosis, fibroid tumors, and pelvic organ prolapse

Dr. Bradshaw uses innovative technology to perform gynecological procedures and is extensively trained in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. She is the first, truly fellowship-trained robotic surgeon in the MountainStar network.