Matthew Karlovsky M.D.

We all know that yoga is a te4rrific way to stay in shape, become fit, and get a good cardio work out. Most full time yoga-holics are in shape, and certainly this is true for yoga instructors. But ...

Does age matter when it comes to treating women with slings for urinary incontinence? Will the sling work the same way, and are there added complications for older women? What are the risk factors ...

It’s not uncommon to hear from patients that in public restrooms, for hygiene reasons, they will squat or hover above the toilet during urination in order to avoid contact with the toilet seat. ...

Like men, women can develop cancer of the bladder. The most common type is called urothelial carcinoma, previously known as transitional cell carcinoma. It is the eighth most common cancer in ...

Phytoestrogens are a group of naturally occurring, plant-derived compounds that have either a weak estrogenic, or anti-estrogenic effect. They are often called “dietary estrogens”, and are used ...

A lack of sexual desire that causes distress is defined as one of the female sexual dysfunctions (FSD), specifically, hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). In other words, the lack of having a ...

The thyroid gland’s importance in the body is essentially related to its regulation of many aspects of the body’s functions. Dysfunction of the thyroid, either overactive or underactive, is a ...

The urethra in women lies just beneath the clitoris, and above the vaginal opening. Urinary incontinence, the involuntary loss of urine, can occur with activities such as exercise, sex, coughing, ...

Who has a more successful outcome from her bladder lift surgery? Is it the woman who is undergoing it for the first time, or is it the woman who is undergoing it for the second time? Reason would ...

Modern medicine can often and effectively address female urinary incontinence issues, with either a combination of behavior modification, medication or surgery, or alone as strategies. Most will ...

Medications like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis have revolutionized the male sexual health world and brought the subject of sex into the doctor’s office and out in the media. Commercials for ...

It is well known that just being pregnant is an established risk factor for stress incontinence in women, whether young or middle-aged. Common theories include pelvic floor damage during ...

On its own, a kidney stone attack is one of the most painful events described by patients. My female patients always declare that the pain from a kidney stone is worse than childbirth. When a ...

Female Sexual Dysfunctions (FSD) are common and often do not get the attention necessary. FSD is usually categorized into four major groups: low sexual desire, low arousal, lack of orgasm, and ...

The consensus seems to be yes. Fermented milk products contain so-called “probiotic,” or “good” bacteria, including lactobacillus, acidophilus and bifidobacterium that compete with Candida in the ...

Most of us know that oysters are commonly known as aphrodisiacs, whether in truth in myth, and yohimbine has been used as an aphrodisiac for hundreds of years, however, are there foods that can ...

A previous post on this blog discussed performing Kegel muscle exercises late in pregnancy and into the first 12 post-partum months to help reduce the development of urinary incontinence. This ...

Dyspareunia is a sexual dysfunction where pain is experienced during, before, or after sex. It often leads to disruption of normal sexual activity and relationships problems. It can be a localized ...

Cosmetic vaginal surgery has become increasingly popular, and I have posted blog comments on it in the past. It can include labiaplasty (reducing large inner lips), or vaginoplasty (tightening the ...

Diabetes Mellitus, the condition where the body is resistant to insulin, leading to elevated blood sugars, is a common condition that can lead to many detrimental health issues such as heart ...

First, a disclaimer. This blog post does not endorse the use of marijuana as it is illegal; however I recently read several studies of interest on this topic. THC, tretrahydrocannabinol, is the ...

This is such as interesting question, because when I see patients who present with a cystocele, vaginal vault prolapse or rectocele, I will often help describe it as a “bladder hernia” or “rectum ...

It is widely known and accepted that even just one vaginal birth is the most common risk factor for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) such as cystocele, rectocele, uterine prolapse and urinary ...

For several decades, scientists have been attempting to develop a vaccine for the common UTI. The only problem is, that UTIs are caused by more than one type of bacteria and there are many risk ...

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a chronic pain syndrome of the bladder that is often now included within Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS). IC is noted for symptoms of pelvic pain, urgency, frequency, ...

Recently I saw a patient with an interesting and peculiar complaint: she felt constant clitoral arousal that lead to pressure that she could not relieve. It was leading to anxiety and disrupting ...

Like most women suspect, often the first UTI a woman will have is related to sexual activity. In bygone days, it was called “honeymoon cystitis”, referring to a bladder infection the developed ...

Loss of Estrogen with menopause can lead to urinary incontinence and bladder symptoms. The two most common types of urinary incontinence are Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI), and Urge Urinary ...

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is quite a prevalent problem in both the female and male population. It can exist both with and without urinary incontinence. OAB is defined as having frequency and ...

Some women have experienced passage of air or wind from the vagina that can create an audible noise, commonly known as queefing, and may be embarrassing. It can happening during sporting ...

What is it about menopause that leads to deterioration of vaginal health? Most answers revolve around Estrogen levels getting lower but how does the latter lead to the former? The environment ...

Until surgical methods matured, pessaries were the only form of treating pelvic organ prolapse (POP), such as cystocele, rectocele, uterine prolapse and stress incontinence. A pessary is ...

Researchers in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine and The Albert Einstein // College of Medicine report that women who are into regular ...

I will be giving a Grand Rounds presentation at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, AZ on July 23, 2009 in the Rosati Education Center, Ocotillo Amphitheatre. It will be on Mesh Complications ...

A recent nationwide sampling of women conducted by Indiana University revealed that 53 percent of women have used vibrators during sex. Despite longstanding assumptions, this was the first large ...

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common female pelvic health problem and physical therapy is the most commonly recommended first line therapy for it. About one third of women have UI. It is usually ...

The term Painful Bladder Syndrome (PBS) has become the new “catch-all” diagnosis for women who experience pain with their bladder, and has become interchangeable and/or incorporated with the ...

The most common and proven mesh for vaginal surgery is type I polypropylene. It is inert, soft, and has a wide weave to allow tissue ingrowth and acceptance into body tissues. All others are ...

There is hot debate about stem cell use, their ethics and potential for curing diseases. Although promising, the application to disease states should not be overblown. We may all feel bad for ...

In all realms of medicine, advancement in patient care is a learning process, with the ultimate goal being better patient care. New technologies abound, and scientists and physicians are often at ...