General Wellness

At Clinic Sofia, we see many women who suffer from varicose veins and ask us how best to treat them. We recently spoke to Dr. Megan Spartz of Spartz Vein Clinic who specializes in varicose and spider vein treatment. In addition to extensive training for treating venous disease, she puts her skills to use each year as part of a mission trip to Honduras to treat people with varicose veins. She shares some background on why varicose veins happen and when you need to seek treatment.

Zika made headlines last year with news out of Brazil, where some women who’d contracted the virus while pregnant gave birth to babies with smaller brains due to a condition called microcephaly. In addition to brain damage, microcephaly has been linked with feeding issues, developmental delays, seizures, hearing and vision loss, and more.

Recently, federal health officials have fanned the flames around Zika even higher – noting that Zika exposure can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths as well as other complications throughout the entire pregnancy – rather than just the first trimester. And while Zika’s effects in non-pregnant adults were previously considered mild, several cases have shown more severe effects from infected mosquito bites, including brain inflammation and temporary paralysis.

You’ve probably always known that your dog can make you happy, but did you know that an increasing body of research shows that your furry BFF can also make you healthy?

In 2014, a record number of chlamydia cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and cases of gonorrhea and syphilis also spiked. An estimated 20 million new STD infections happen each year – these infections can influence pregnancy and overall health, which is why testing is so important.

Painful menstruation. Low back or abdominal pain. Pain during sex. Endometriosis, a disorder where the tissue that lines the inside of the uterus begins to grow outside of the uterus, often makes itself known through pelvic pain. The tissue attaches to other organs and acts as normal – which means breaking down and bleeding during each period. However, the tissue lacks a way to leave the body, which can lead to severe pain.

While the product has been around for generations, talcum powder is in the news more than ever. In February, Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $72 million to a family of a woman who died of ovarian cancer after the family argued the death was linked to her use of baby powder. With many more cases regarding talcum powder filed elsewhere, questions about safety are cropping up.