Marla Ahlgrimm: What Is A Mastectomy?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and what better time to explain one of the potential ramifications of breast cancer than now? According to women’s health author and retired compounding pharmacist Marla Ahlgrimm, one of these is a mastectomy, which is a surgical procedure performed on more than 100,000 women each year. 

 

Q: What is a mastectomy? 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm: A mastectomy is essentially a surgical procedure where a physician removes either one or both of a woman’s breasts. It’s often performed when a woman has invasive breast cancer that does not respond to chemo or radiation therapy. A mastectomy may be necessary if the risk of recurrent breast cancer is high. 

 

Q: Why would a woman have both breasts removed? 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm: Even if a woman only has cancer cells present in one breast, she may choose to have both removed to ensure uniformity. Further, women with certain gene mutations that have experienced breast cancer on one side may choose to have both removed to eliminate the possibility of breast cancer returning. A woman may also choose to have the procedure to find peace of mind, even if she is not at high risk for relapse. 

Marla Ahlgrimm On Menstrual Cravings

Those of us with ovaries know the feeling: you’re hungry. You want something salty… maybe something sweet, and you want it now. But, what causes us to go on eating binges in the days leading up to our periods? 

 

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, the answer is hormones. The retired pharmacist, hormone specialist, and self-help author explains that progesterone and estrogen, which are cyclical, are usually the culprits. These hormones can significantly influence metabolism and appetite, which can lead us to standing in front of the pantry or refrigerator with a gnawing hunger. 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm also explains that a woman’s caloric needs can increase by up to 10% during the luteal phase of her hormone cycle. This is another potential reason for the compulsive cravings. 

 

Menstrual Cravings Are Not Binge Eating Disorder 

 

Some women fear that their monthly appetite overdrive is a symptom of binge eating disorder. Fortunately, says Marla Ahlgrimm, it is not, although women with binge eating disorder may find it even more difficult to control during certain parts of their menstrual cycle. 

Marla Ahlgrimm: What Your Locks Can Tell You About Your Diet

Just like us, our hair can have bad days. But, according to Marla Ahlgrimm, sometimes, a bad hair day is an indication that something is amiss with what’s on your plate. 

 

Shedding is normal until it’s not 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that most women lose around 100 hairs each day. Chances are, you probably won’t even notice. However, if you lose enough hair that you start to get concerned, it’s time to pay a visit to your doctor. Excessive hair loss may be a sign of thyroid disease, anemia, or certain mineral deficiencies. 

Birth Control Allergies

As if women didn’t have enough to worry about, some of us of reproductive age may need to be concerned about birth control-related rashes. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, these are rare, but they do happen. 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm explains that birth control is used for many reasons, not just to prevent pregnancy. Some women are prescribed estrogen-based birth control to treat endometriosis, irregular menstrual cycles, and severe cramps. 

 

Hormones And Rash 

 

Hormones don’t typically cause rashes. This is especially true of birth control as estrogen and progesterone are both naturally occurring in the female human body. But, sometimes, women can experience skin issues including melasma, contact dermatitis, hormonal acne, and more. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that some women may even experience Erythema Nodosum, which is an inflammatory disorder typified by bumps on the knees and shins. Women experiencing this condition, which is fortunately not serious, may also experience mild joint pain and enlarged lymph nodes. 

Marla Ahlgrimm Discusses PCOS

The vast majority of women of reproductive age are familiar with polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. This common hormone disorder can result in heavy menstrual cycles or overproduction of the male hormone androgen. Today, self-help author and women’s care expert Marla Ahlgrimm discusses polycystic ovary syndrome. 

 

Q: What are the signs of PCOS? 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm: Excessively heavy, prolonged, or even infrequent periods may all indicate PCOS. Your doctor might test for the condition if you are an abnormally heavy bleeder, have cycles that last longer than 35 days, and have nine or fewer periods in a calendar year. Obese women are more likely to have severe PCOS symptoms. 

Ask The Expert: Marla Ahlgrimm On Women’s Body Shapes

As a retired women’s healthcare entrepreneur with more than four and a half decades of experience, Marla Ahlgrimm is often asked about everything from weight loss to why women’s breasts are not the same size. One such question revolves around body shape. 

 

According to Marla Ahlgrimm, women’s bodies actually come in all shapes and sizes. However, there are four primary body styles. These are rectangle, triangle, hourglass, and round. While there are many variations among these, the vast majority of women fall into one of these categories. 

 

Rectangle. Women with a rectangular body shape have shoulders, hips, and a waist that are within just a few percentages of the same width. This type of body is not particularly curvy, but tends to distribute weight proportionately, meaning a few pounds does not usually affect their overall appearance or the way clothing fits. 

 

Triangle. Within the scope of the triangular body shape, there is the pear, which features large hips, a medium-size waist, and relatively small breasts. On the opposite spectrum of the triangle is the apple, explains Marla Ahlgrimm. This body style features wide shoulders, a narrower waist, and even thinner hips. 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm: There Is No “Quick” Way To Check For A Hormone Imbalance

There are certain times in a woman’s lives where hormones are almost certainly the culprit of their symptoms. However, according to Marla Ahlgrimm, it’s not as easy as just offering one quick test to determine the core problem of a suspected hormone imbalance. This is because our hormone levels change from day to day, and even an hour by hour. For women, hormones are different at different points throughout the menstrual cycle, and they’re even affected by things such as what you’ve eaten and how much stress you’re under. 

 

Marla Ahlgrimm also explains that there are more than 50 different hormones in the human body, and there is no single test that can measure all of them. The best way to get your doctor to “check your hormones” is to start by describing symptoms, such as hot flashes or missed periods. Once you sit down and tell your doctor what’s wrong, they can pretty easily count out or consider other causes outside of a hormone imbalance.