Is it useful and dangerous birth control pills, as is commonly believed
Educational Program Health / / December 19, 2019
What is birth control pills?
Birth control pills - one of the most effective means of contraception is really a reliable and affordable, known for many decades. This hormonal preparations, which contain the progestin or progestin along with estrogen. All this analogue of the female hormone. Progestins suppress ovulation, without which it is impossible to conceive.
How do they work?
To the woman could become pregnant, she needs a mature egg. In the first half of the cycle under the influence of hormones oocyte matures and falls from the ovary to the fallopian tubes. After that - in theory - the female sex cell is to meet with the sperm into the uterus, and go there to attach to the body wall. This requires progesterone - a hormone that prepares the uterus. If conception does not happen, the progesterone level drops and starts bleeding, which starts with a new cycle.
All this time, the level of estrogen and progesterone ranges as necessary for the child's conception.
Birth control pills provide your body hormones.
At the same time they suppress ovulation, that is simply nothing to be fertilized.
In tablets, there are other properties that resist conception. For example, they make the mucus in the cervix thick so that sperm can not reach the egg, and the inner layer of the uterus - a thin, so that the egg has not turned out to attach to it.
What are birth control pills?
There are two types of tablets:
- Progestin with estrogen or combined. If estrogens are many, they can suppress ovulation. But these doses have a lot of side effects, so by themselves they are not used for contraception, and is added to the pellets to simulate the full cycle.
- Progestin, which are called mini-pill. They are prescribed when it is impossible to use conventional tablets: if a woman is breastfeeding, is ill migraines or she formed thrombi in blood vessels.
They say that such contraceptives are many pobochek. It's true?
Indeed, the contraceptive pill impressive list of contraindications and side effects. Just open the instructions in any such drug and see for yourself.
There are four generations of oral contraceptives. The newer drug, the less there is of hormones, and thus the side effects.
Unfortunately, many gynecologists prescribe older drugs like: such pills are cheaper and "time-tested". Therefore, just in case, check with your doctor to any generation applies the medicine he prescribes, and we find a more lenient means possible.
Do not hesitate to ask, why the gynecologist says that you will approach these pills than they better analogues.
And what threatens contraceptive technique?
The most severe side effects that occur in oral contraceptives:
- Thromboses. There are many studies that show that the risk of thrombosis in the patients receiving tablets is increasingCombined Oral Contraceptives and venous thrombosis.
- Cardiovascular diseases.
- Glaucoma.
This is a rare phenomenon that occurs when oral contraceptives just appeared and they had a lot of hormones. Often nausea, dizziness, mood changes, breakthrough bleeding. Symptoms usually disappear in a few months, but they have to tell the doctor and, if there are no speakers, change the medication.
Due to the contraceptive pill increases the weight?
Similarly, no one can say what will be with your weight. Various studies provide different information, but show that in general, women who take hormonal contraceptives, a bit fattening.
The average weight gain while taking the mini-pill - no more than 2 kg per year. However, these data are not based on the most accurate researchProgestin-only contraceptives: effects on weight.
Different types of hormonal contraceptives approximately equally affect weight.
They lead to cancer?
Some studies suggest that oral contraceptives, especially if a long time to use them, on the contrary, reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. Women who drink the pill for more than five years, the risk of developing this type of cancer is 50% lower than in women who had never taken pillsCan Ovarian Cancer Be Prevented? .
But the risk to discover at the breast or cervical cancer, as well as tumors in the liver is increased, albeit marginallyOral Contraceptives and Cancer Risk. In some cases (if you take the pill for a long time), and this dynamic is not traced.
Birth control pills are terrible. They can be used at all?
Can. They have come up with just to use them. Of course, if there are no contraindications.
As already mentioned, modern drugs are safer, they check everything carefully.
And what about the contraindications?
Each of the drug your list, but there are general contraindications:
- Smoking and age over 35 years (if you do not smoke, age does not count).
- The tendency to form blood clots.
- Estrogen-dependent tumors.
- Bleeding from the uterus, the causes of which are not clear.
- Migraine.
- Diabetes with complications of the heart and blood vessels.
The main thing - do not smoke, if you decide to take oral contraceptives. Smoking itself to no good arguments, and in combination with hormonal contraceptives increases the risk of side effects.
What tests need to pass to get a prescription?
As a rule, no. Hormonal contraceptives for that and come up with, so that they are available and tests tons of this same lower availability.
During the consultation the doctor mainly focused on the fact that the woman talks about his lifestyle, health problems, about drugs, which constantly receives. Based on this, he decides which progestin component will approach more and appoints his name.
To verify that the tablet is contraindicated in women or not really have to pass a series of tests.
My friend on the pill. To me they too can be?
In no case.
Assign pills the doctor can only after consultation. Suddenly you have contraindications who do not have a girlfriend and you're at risk? Suddenly, her friend the doctor has appointed the older generation drug or girlfriend bought all the medicine on the advice of a neighbor?
Risk your health you will, rather than a friend. Do not do like this.
Oral contraceptives allow the ovaries to rest?
The ovaries do not know how to relax and go on vacation, they work most of the woman's life, there will come the climax.
Hormonal contraceptives do not arrange holidays for bodies, and create artificial hormones and inhibit ovulation.
It has nothing to do with rejuvenation, longevity and other wonderful qualities, who love to attribute to hormones.
They are needed to align the cycle?
Hormonal contraceptives create their own, special cycle. In it there is no main - ovulation of mature egg. Menses in this case do not come because the egg is not fertilized, so that the reception of tablets provided a break.
Such an artificial cycle is really smooth, is transferred easier, so oral contraceptives are prescribed to deal with painful menstruation.
After cessation of treatment will return your own cycle. How it will depend on many factors.
Birth control pills will help to prepare for pregnancy?
It contraceptives. They need to not get pregnant. They are not involved in the preparation for pregnancy.
Although some drugs are added folic acid in case you decide to cancel the tablets immediately become pregnant and provide this vitamin unborn child.
And acne help?
Can help. Have hormonal agents such action, they help to cope with acne. Only we should always remember that the effect of this - an additional, incidental, not the main one. In addition, sometimes something goes wrong and pimples, on the contrary, appear or become more noticeable.
How to take, so as not to hurt yourself?
It's simple: take only prescribed by a doctor and strictly according to instructions.