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Women’s Health
At GCMG, we offer a comprehensive range of specialized healthcare services for women at every stage of life. We focus on diagnosing and treating conditions and diseases that affect women’s physical and emotional health.
Every woman has different needs, values, culture, history, strengths, challenges, and resources. Every woman has a different healthcare journey. GCMG wants to help you make the most of your trip. Our primary care physicians and patient care teams care about the whole woman. We partner with you in your healthcare decisions and encourage you to be an advocate for your health. What’s more, we empower and support women to make healthy choices regarding lifestyle, safety, and wellness. We provide the education and resources to deliver compassionate, personalized, high-quality care.
In our clinic, you will find a warm and welcoming environment, one where you feel comfortable and respected when discussing your unique needs and concerns. We will listen carefully, get to know you, and provide you with the best possible care to help you prevent disease and heal.
We are here to help women and girls achieve the best possible health and optimize their lives.
Top Women’s Health Concerns
Annual Wellness Visit
Annual Wellness Visit
Why is an annual well-woman exam so important?
- Prevention and early detection of health issues: An annual well-woman exam allows healthcare providers to screen for and detect health issues early on before they become more serious.
- Monitoring of existing health conditions: For women who have existing health conditions, an annual well-woman exam allows healthcare providers to monitor these conditions and make any necessary adjustments to treatment plans.
- Reproductive health: An annual well-woman exam includes a pelvic exam, which allows healthcare providers to assess the health of a woman’s reproductive organs.
- Contraceptive counseling: An annual well-woman exam provides an opportunity for women to discuss contraception options with their healthcare provider and make informed decisions about their sexual health.
- Overall health and wellness: An annual well-woman exam includes a discussion of a woman’s overall health and wellness, including diet, exercise, stress management, and mental health. This can help identify areas where a woman may need additional support or resources to improve her health and well-being.
Overall, an annual well-woman exam is an important part of maintaining good health and preventing and detecting health issues early on. Women need to make this a priority and schedule regular appointments with their healthcare providers.
Family Planning / Birth Control / Fertility
Family planning for women refers to the various methods and practices (birth control) that can be used to prevent or space out pregnancies.
Types of birth control methods available for women:
- Hormonal methods: Birth control pills, patches, injections, and vaginal rings. Hormonal methods work by preventing ovulation or thickening cervical mucus to prevent sperm from reaching the egg.
- Barrier methods: These methods physically block sperm from reaching the egg. Examples include condoms, diaphragms, and cervical caps.
- Intrauterine devices (IUDs): These are small, T-shaped devices that are inserted into the uterus. They work by preventing sperm from fertilizing the egg and may also prevent implantation of a fertilized egg.
- Natural family planning methods: These methods involve tracking menstrual cycles and fertility to determine when it is safe to have unprotected sex. These can include the calendar method, basal body temperature method, and cervical mucus method.
- Sterilization: These are permanent methods of birth control, such as tubal ligation or removal of the fallopian tubes.
Women need to discuss their options with a healthcare provider to determine the best method of birth control for their individual needs and preferences. Factors such as effectiveness, side effects, and ease of use should be considered when choosing a method. Additionally, it is important to use a reliable form of birth control consistently and correctly to prevent unintended pregnancy.
Fertility in women refers to the ability to conceive and carry a pregnancy to term. A woman’s fertility is primarily determined by the functioning of her reproductive system, which includes the ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, and vagina.
Factors that can affect fertility in women include age, hormonal imbalances, certain medical conditions, lifestyle factors such as smoking or excessive alcohol consumption, and certain medications. Certain medical conditions such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can also affect fertility.
Obesity / Weight Loss
Obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States, resulting from an increase in the size and number of fat cells in the body. It is a serious health condition that can lead to complications like metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, certain cancers, and sleep disorders.
Factors contributing to obesity include environmental influences, family history, metabolism, and behaviors. While some factors, like family history, are unchangeable, lifestyle habits such as exercise and diet are within your control. Certain medications (like antidepressants and steroids) and medical conditions (such as hypothyroidism and sleep apnea) can also lead to obesity.
Obesity can increase the risk of various serious health issues, including:
- High triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Metabolic syndrome (characterized by high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides)
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Gynecological issues, including infertility and irregular periods
Prevention
Regardless of whether you’re at risk, overweight, or at a healthy weight, you can take steps to prevent unhealthy weight gain. The strategies for preventing weight gain mirror those for weight loss: regular exercise, a healthy diet, and a long-term commitment to mindful eating.
- Exercise regularly: Aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity each week, such as brisk walking or swimming.
- Follow a healthy diet: Focus on low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while avoiding saturated fats and limiting sweets and alcohol.
- Identify eating triggers: Recognize situations that lead to overeating and work to avoid them.
- Monitor your weight: Weighing yourself at least once a week can help with weight management.
- Get sufficient sleep: Both inadequate and excessive sleep can alter hormones that increase appetite, leading to cravings for high-calorie foods.
- Stay consistent: Adhere to your healthy eating plan consistently, including during weekends and holidays, to enhance long-term success.
The goal of dieting should be to develop sustainable, healthy eating habits rather than relying on quick-fix methods, which rarely yield lasting results. Evidence shows that diet aids such as prepackaged foods or pills are ineffective for long-term weight management.
When to See a Doctor
If you suspect you may be obese or have concerns about weight-related health issues, consult your healthcare provider. They can assess your health risks, discuss weight-loss options, and evaluate your BMI, waist measurement, and other heart disease risk factors. Treatment will depend on the underlying causes and severity of your condition, as well as any complications.
Mental Health / Anxiety / Depression
Mental health encompasses a range of disorders that impact mood, thinking, and behavior. While many experience mental health concerns at times, a condition becomes a mental illness when ongoing symptoms cause significant stress and impair daily functioning. Examples include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors. These conditions can negatively affect various aspects of life, including work, school, and relationships. Fortunately, symptoms are often manageable with a combination of medication and psychotherapy.
Signs and symptoms of mental illness can differ based on the disorder and individual circumstances. Common indicators include:
– Persistent sadness or low mood
– Confused thinking or difficulty concentrating
– Intense fears, worries, or feelings of guilt
– Extreme mood swings
– Withdrawal from friends and activities
– Low energy or sleep issues
– Detachment from reality, paranoia, or hallucinations
– Difficulty coping with daily stressors
– Relationship and situational challenges
– Substance use problems
– Significant changes in appetite or sex drive
– Heightened anger or aggression
– Suicidal thoughts
Sometimes, mental health symptoms may manifest as physical issues, such as unexplained pain or headaches.
When to See a Doctor:
If you experience any signs of mental illness, consult your primary care provider or a mental health professional. Most conditions do not improve without treatment and can worsen over time.
If You Have Suicidal Thoughts:
Suicidal thoughts can accompany some mental illnesses. If you feel you may harm yourself, seek help immediately:
– Call 911 or your local emergency number.
– Contact your mental health specialist.
– Reach out to a suicide hotline, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
– Talk to your primary care provider.
– Share your feelings with a trusted friend or loved one.
– Contact a spiritual leader or someone from your faith community.
Remember, suicidal thoughts require immediate attention—don’t hesitate to seek help.
Migraine
A migraine is a type of headache characterized by intense throbbing or pulsing pain, typically on one side of the head. It is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and heightened sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can last from hours to days, with pain severe enough to disrupt daily activities.
Some individuals experience a warning symptom known as an aura before or during a migraine. Auras can manifest as visual disturbances, like flashes of light or blind spots, or as other sensations such as tingling on one side of the face or in a limb, along with difficulty speaking.
Medications can help prevent some migraines and alleviate their intensity. Combining the appropriate medications with self-care strategies and lifestyle modifications may provide relief.
When to See a Doctor:
Migraines often go undiagnosed and untreated. If you frequently experience migraine symptoms, track your attacks and treatment methods, and schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss them.
Even if you have a history of headaches, consult your doctor if the pattern changes or if your headaches feel different.
Seek immediate medical attention or go to the emergency room if you experience any of the following symptoms, which may indicate a more serious issue:
- A sudden, severe headache resembling a thunderclap
- Headache accompanied by fever, stiff neck, confusion, seizures, double vision, or numbness/weakness, which could signal a stroke
- Headache following a head injury
- A chronic headache that worsens with coughing, exertion, straining, or sudden movement
- New headache pain occurring after age 50
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you should have an emergency outside of our regular office hours or on the weekend, our staff can be reached by calling (978) 453-8261, and the Global Care Medical Group physician will be paged and will promptly return your call.
For life threatening emergencies call 911.
Lowell location
595 Pawtucket Blvd
Lowell, MA 01854
Tel (978) 453-8261
Fax (978) 453-7911
Tewksbury location
600 Clark Rd
Tewksbury, MA 01876
Tel (978) 453-8261
Fax (978) 458-1670
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