It’s a fact of life—as we age, our muscles begin to loosen. And it’s not just faces and figures that relax. Internal organs can lose their firmness, too, resulting in pelvic organ prolapse, when these organs fall. UNC Health OB-GYN Tiffany M. Flanagan, MD, doesn’t mince words: “Gravity does not like women at all. Everything…
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in both men and women, but more women than men will have a stroke over their lifetime. “Generally, stroke is more common as we get older,” says UNC Health vascular surgeon Liliana Nanez, MD. “Because women tend to live to be older than men, more women…
When Kathy Landers left her hometown of Colorado Springs to visit Raleigh for her daughter’s archery tournament in 2019, she didn’t know an emergency surgery would be a part of the trip. She ended up suffering a stroke at the hotel—something she never expected to happen at the age of 45. Her husband recognized the…
When you love someone who you think might be a victim of domestic violence, it’s natural to feel scared and uncertain. What can you do to help? Is this really happening? Maybe he’s never left bruises, as far as you know, but his anger gets intense very quickly, and he calls her names or insults…
You hardly think about how wonderful it is to smile—until you can’t. That’s the devastating realization Gabrielle Biskaduros had when she suddenly couldn’t move the right side of her face. “I noticed during my haircut that my smile looked off and felt a little numb, and the next day I lost all facial movement on…
When Kimberly Mays was about 20 weeks pregnant with her second child, she began to feel faint and overheated. An ultrasound revealed that Mays’ baby had a very rapid heart rate, and she was referred to a maternal-fetal specialist near her hometown of Southern Pines, North Carolina. There, she learned her baby’s heart rate was…
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. Yet many women may not be aware that heart disease is as big a concern for them as it is for the men in their lives. The good news is that an estimated 80 percent of heart…
Your son is at college 300 miles away and calls you complaining of an earache. Your dad has run out of his blood pressure medication and needs a doctor to renew his prescription. You feel a burning sensation when you pee. You’ve had a urinary tract infection before, and the symptoms are the same. And…
Jennifer and Noah Canvasser’s twin boys Micah and Zachary were born in 2012 at 27 weeks’ gestation, each weighing only about 2 pounds. After six weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), both boys were doing well. They were up to 5 pounds and beginning to nurse. “We were full of hope and excited…
Lately, the only thing consistent about your menstrual cycle is that it’s inconsistent. At night, you find yourself checking the thermostat after a hot flash, or you wake up in a dreadful sweat. Perimenopause is here, and you’re coming to terms with it. But what does this mean for your fertility? If you’re in midlife…
Health, Menopause, Pregnancy and Maternal Health, Women's Health
If you are pregnant, choosing a person to manage your pregnancy is a big decision. Some women choose an obstetrician, while others opt for a midwife. Midwives are specialists in low-risk pregnancies, and you don’t have to be crunchy to benefit from using one. UNC Health certified nurse midwives Meg Berreth and Jamie Martin answer some…
Most people think that preeclampsia, a high blood pressure condition that occurs during pregnancy, goes away after the baby is born. That’s why Noelle Roth, who was diagnosed with the disease just two days before having her daughter, was surprised to learn that her short stint with the condition had long-term ramifications. It puts her…
