Blog Archive
The Pap smear is a critical gynecologic screening that tests for cervical cancer. The test, named after Dr. Giorgios Papanicolaou, the Greek physician who developed it, has become an essential monitor of women’s health. The Pap smear is just one of many services that Dr. Kevin Hooker offers at Lake...
Have your periods become irregular and your hair less abundant? Do you have unwanted hair growth on your face, stomach, or back? Are you struggling with infertility? The cause may be polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), where small fluid-filled sacs or cysts form on your ovaries. This condition occurs when your...
If you’re thinking about becoming pregnant, you may be concerned about what constitutes a high-risk pregnancy. Or perhaps you’re already pregnant, and your doctor has told you that your pregnancy is high-risk. It’s enough to cause considerable worry for any expectant mom. But what does the term “high-risk pregnancy” mean?...
Your body is an excellent communicator, often letting you know something is amiss. You might have stomach trouble to indicate a food allergy, a headache that points to lack of sleep, or a blister that proves you wore ill-fitting shoes. If you experience an ovarian cyst, you’ll get hints that...
As if hot flashes, sleep problems, and skin and hair changes weren’t enough, women transitioning into menopause often deal with a condition that causes problems in the bedroom: vaginal atrophy. Reduced estrogen production is the culprit, which makes the vaginal walls very thin and weak. The result? Your mucus production...
There’s a lot to think about when you’re expecting a baby, from eating right to easing morning sickness and creating your birth plan. You can also add gestational diabetes to that list. Since November is Diabetes Awareness Month, we want to give you a primer on what raises your risk...
Sources vary and contradict one another, so health guidelines and recommendations can be confusing, from how much exercise we should get each week to which foods are the healthiest for us. One hotly debated area in women’s health care is the all-important breast cancer screening, the mammogram. When should you...
Infertility is a painful problem for those wishing to become parents, and sometimes the causes can be difficult to pinpoint. You may not know that 7-10% of women of childbearing age, or 5-6 million, suffer from a hormone disorder called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), the most common cause of infertility. ...
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a life-altering condition where your pelvic tissues and muscles that support your pelvic organs — the vagina, bladder, uterus, and rectum — weaken. The result is that an organ can sag, push into another organ, or even fall outside of the body. The majority of...
Are you experiencing mysterious symptoms like weight gain, hair thinning, irregular periods, and thick, dark spots on your skin? These are all signs of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a health problem between 5 and 13% of women in their childbearing years experience. One of the most concerning things about PCOS for women...
Every mother-to-be wants to do all she can to have the healthiest pregnancy possible, but what about exercising during pregnancy? Is it safe? Fortunately, we now know that physical activity is a vital part of a healthy pregnancy, even though pregnant women used to be discouraged from doing much activity...
Do you know which condition affects 10 million Americans, with 80% of them being women? It’s osteoporosis, a condition that causes your bones to become brittle and weak, leaving you vulnerable to fractures. May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, and the ideal time to learn about how best to...
The Pap smear, a test for cellular abnormalities of the cervix, was developed by Greek physician Dr. Georgios Papanikolaou and has been a lifesaver. Over the last four decades, cervical cancer mortality has dropped by more than 50%, thanks to the Pap test, and it prevents cancer over 95% of the time by...
While most women experience pelvic pain frequently due to menstruation, pregnancy, or ovulation, it can also be a sign of something more serious, such as a miscarriage or conditions like endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and even ovarian cancer. But what differentiates common pelvic discomfort from something more serious? When you experience...
Infertility is heartbreaking for couples seeking to start a family. Research shows that 10-15% of infertile couples suffer very real emotional effects due to the struggle, including devastating grief and feelings that a long-held dream has been dashed. If you and your partner are dealing with infertility, Dr. Kevin Hooker and our caring team at Lake Havasu...
Endometriosis is a painful condition that can lead to a devastating consequence for certain women — infertility. The condition is complex and difficult to self-detect because symptoms mimic those that accompany your period, which may delay diagnosis. In this post, we discuss what endometriosis is, the symptoms to watch for, and how...
If you’re expecting a baby, your excitement may be tempered by a good bit of worry. Certain factors can push your pregnancy into a classification known as “high risk,” which is why it’s critical to be under the care of an excellent OB/GYN. Dr. Keven Hooker has many years of...
If you’re perimenopausal, you may be part of the 8% of women who suffer from ovarian cysts, small, fluid-filled sacs that grow either on your ovary or within it. The word “growth” is often cause for concern, but fortunately, ovarian cysts are most often noncancerous. Nevertheless, it’s important to know...
Female urinary incontinence is no laughing matter — especially when it’s laughing that triggers an embarrassing accident. If you’ve curtailed your social life due to fear of leakage problems, you’re not alone. The problem affects one in four women; the older you get, the higher your risk. Leakage problems affect...
We have Dr. George Papanicolaou to thank for developing a lifesaving women’s health screening — the Pap smear. It’s a critical screening for cervical cancer, a difficult-to-detect cancer that, until the Pap test became widespread, claimed many women’s lives each year. In fact, this critical test is responsible for a...
Once you learn you’re expecting a baby, there’s joy, excitement, and typically, worry. You want to do everything right for your baby to ensure a healthy pregnancy, from exercising and eating a healthy diet to shunning tobacco and alcohol. Another important aspect of a healthy pregnancy is testing for diseases...
We know that routine screenings are powerful weapons against cancer, and mammograms are a critical tool for detecting breast cancer early, when it’s more treatable. A mammogram is a breast X-ray that can show abnormalities even before they become palpable and guide your doctor about whether you should have further...
If you’ve hit menopause or you have used birth control for many years now, you may be noticing uncomfortable vaginal symptoms. One of the most impactful is that sexual intercourse becomes not just uncomfortable, but downright painful. Needless to say, this obstacle to intimacy with your partner sets you up...
Most people associate the thyroid glands with metabolism and the fact that an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) causes weight loss, and a sluggish thyroid (hypothyroidism) can result in weight gain. What many don’t realize is that the thyroid can also affect fertility. Dr. Kevin Hooker and the Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care...
Intimacy with your partner brings a feeling of closeness, but many women’s ability to enjoy sexual intercourse is hampered by vaginal discomfort. It may surprise you to learn that these problems aren’t rare — they affect many women. A significant sexual challenge is dispareunia, or painful sex. One of the...
Most parents don’t even want to think about the crisis of their teen daughter becoming pregnant, but what if it happens? How do you help your daughter? Where do you start, and how do you deal with your shock and grief? Dr. Kevin Hooker is a compassionate and expert provider...
As any woman who has ever given birth can tell you, there’s plenty to fret about when you’re pregnant. Are you doing all the right things for your baby, like eating well, resting, exercising sensibly, and getting regular prenatal care? And as the big day approaches, additional worries will likely...
Endometriosis is, unfortunately, a common condition with painful symptoms and a sometimes life-altering side effect: infertility. Even more unfortunate is the fact that endometriosis is tricky to diagnose for several reasons. Dr. Kevin Hooker and the caring team at Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care are experts at diagnosing endometriosis and offering...
Long ago children were told stories about babies being found in the pumpkin patch or the stork making a special delivery. Fairy tales about pregnancy and childbirth abound, but did you know there are also plenty of myths about prenatal care? Good prenatal care markedly increases your chances of having...
There’s hardly a time that’s more joyful than when you discover you’re going to have a baby! Although everyone hopes for a smooth, uneventful pregnancy and birth, some 6-8% of women fall into the “high-risk pregnancy” category, but what does this mean? And even though this statistic isn’t high numerically,...
Struggling with infertility is devastating — but it isn’t hopeless. Dr. Kevin Hooker is an accomplished expert in fertility treatment, deeply caring, and the specialist you should see if you’re suffering with infertility. He offers treatments that support your quest for a viable pregnancy, listens closely, and customizes your treatment. ...
When you’re expecting a baby, your number-one priority is staying healthy and robust, to give your baby the best start possible. You may wonder what activities you should change or curtail while you’re pregnant, if you should alter your diet, and more. There are changes you should make to support...
A sudden sneeze or a good belly laugh are normal parts of life, but they can cause something you’d rather not experience as a woman: sudden urine leakage. It’s unexpected, unwelcome, and embarrassing. The good news is that there are many treatments that make a real difference in reducing the...
The pap smear is an exam that tests for cervical cancer, and something that every woman should start having at age 21. Your cervix is the lower part of your uterus. It offers a pathway for your menstrual flow each month, and it changes shape and expands to allow for...
As vital chemical messengers in your body, your hormones control a lot of things, from your metabolism and sleep cycles to your libido and condition of your skin and hair. When a woman experiences a significant drop in estrogen production — typically as a result of menopause — she may...
Infertility is technically defined as being unable to conceive after 12 months, and it’s a painful problem for couples. In the United States, approximately 11% of women and 9% of men suffer with infertility. There are treatments that can lead to successful conception and birth, including discovering and solving gynecological...
Most women feel a mix of emotions with the onset of menopause — wistfulness at leaving their childbearing years behind, but relief at saying goodbye to cramps, PMS, and other period-related discomforts. As with most things in life, it’s a tradeoff. During “the change,” you swap out one set of...
Over the course of your lifetime, your menstrual period creates a rhythm in your life, and the familiarity can be comforting. That said, each woman’s cycle is different. Some have cycles whose lengths are a bit shorter or longer than the typical 28 days, and some women have minimal premenstrual...
The idea of what happens when you suffer from pelvic organ prolapse can be unnerving. This condition occurs when the muscles that support your pelvic organs, including your uterus, bladder, and rectum, weaken and cause them to fall and put pressure on your vagina or even drop out of it. ...
When you learn you’re expecting a baby, there’s plenty of advice on how to care for yourself, time to worry about whether you’re doing the right things, and excited anticipation about becoming a parent, but did you realize it’s best to start checking your lifestyle practices and considering certain decisions...
There are few life events that are more momentous and happily anticipated than the birth of a child. If you’re pregnant with your first child or your fourth, it’s important to speak with your obstetrician about the birth experience you picture and want. Certain choices you make now can up...
You’re absolutely over the moon to be expecting a baby, but there’s a lot to learn! In between reading baby books; thinking about what you eat, drink, and do; and managing cravings and exhaustion, you’re likely curious about what will happen at your prenatal doctor’s appointments. Dr. Keven Hooker and...
We can thank a physician born in 1883 in Greece — Dr. George Papanicolaeou — for the development of a game-changing women’s screening test, the Pap smear. This test catches early-stage cervical cancer, which just decades ago was a leading killer of women. Dr. Kevin Hooker provides advanced and complete...
You have a million concerns to juggle once you learn that you’re expecting a baby, from eating right and refraining from alcohol to learning how much and what types of physical activities are considered safe during each trimester. “High risk” is a term you hear often about certain pregnancy conditions...
Pregnancy is a joyous, thrilling time, but it’s also fraught with worry, as you do everything you can to support your growing baby’s health. Common self-care during pregnancy that has been found to improve your odds of having a healthy birth include abstaining from alcohol and tobacco and partaking in...
Although breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women over their lifetime, and advances in treatment have progressed impressively, there’s one test that remains the gold standard for finding breast cancer and other abnormalities: the mammogram. As providers of obstetric and gynecological care for our community, the Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care...
After the cesarean section, hysterectomy is the second most common surgical procedure that women in the United States undergo. This translates to about 600,000 women per year. During a hysterectomy, your uterus is removed, and sometimes your ovaries and fallopian tubes are removed as well. If your doctor recommends a...
Pregnancies are as varied as snowflakes. Whether you anticipate a normal pregnancy or have concerns and are considered “high risk,” you have a picture in your mind and heart about the way you want your birth to go, ideally. This is what the basis of a birth plan is —...
It’s every mom-to-be’s top wish that her baby be as healthy as possible when they’re born, and mom’s habits and self-care during pregnancy have everything to do with how the baby fares in utero and after birth. If you’re pregnant, you probably get lots of advice — solicited and unsolicited...
Are you tired of worrying every time you laugh, sneeze, or cough because you might have urinary leakage or a full-on accident? Incontinence affects many women, and there are numerous reasons for why the problem occurs. Women’s urethras are much shorter than men’s, so anatomy accounts for some of...
There’s no question that pregnancy, childbirth, and getting to know your new baby constitute some of the most exciting and joyous times in your life. The changes your body goes through during this period, however, are profound, and often rapid. Recovery from childbirth takes time and is different for each...
Your baby is coming whether you’re ready or not, and millions of women throughout history have delivered babies successfully without any formal training. However, the better prepared you are, the greater your chances of having a smooth delivery. Dr. Kevin Hooker at Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care specializes in preparing women...
Menstrual periods vary from woman to woman; what is normal for one woman might be highly unusual for someone else. This can make it hard to know what’s okay and what isn’t. It is important to pay attention to your body and get checked out if anything is weird. At...
Congratulations! You’re expecting! After doing a little celebration dance and hugging your partner, one of the next things you should do is schedule a prenatal care visit. Prenatal care is the medical care you receive during your pregnancy. Even if you’re healthy and have had children before, it’s still important...
Menopause can be a challenging transitional time in a woman’s life. Common symptoms women experience with menopause include hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and urinary incontinence. And one of the most troubling aspects of menopause is its effects on your sex life. Many women experience symptoms such...
Are you feeling anxious, afraid, or panicked because of an abnormal Pap smear test? Dr. Kevin Hooker and our compassionate team at Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care want to ease your discomfort. We understand the fear and confusion abnormal Pap smear results can bring. That’s why we’ve put together this guide....
The vast majority of pregnancies are, for lack of a better word, normal. Every pregnancy has its ups and downs, but most follow a routine. A woman becomes pregnant, carries the baby for around nine months, and gives birth to a happy, healthy child. A couple days later, both mom...
It can be difficult and even devastating to receive a diagnosis of unexplained infertility… that is, until you understand what that means. What sounds like a dead end is actually a open-ended diagnosis that lets you know nothing is inherently wrong. You still may be able to conceive, although it...
The arid, Arizona summers can be quite intense when you’re also dealing with a pregnancy. It isn’t just the issue of carrying extra weight that make the months of June through August so especially daunting, but that you also experience a number of new problems during a pregnancy, ones that...
As a society, we’ve gotten much better at discussing women’s health over the last few decades. Women are taken more seriously when they speak about issues from period discomfort to postpartum depression to body pain and beyond. Despite this, it seems as though Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) still lies on...
When you have a high-risk pregnancy, it means there are dangers associated with it that could affect you or your baby. Some conditions can make your pregnancy a higher risk before you even conceive, like being over 35, having an existing medical condition or breathing problem, or a history of...
Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disorder that occurs when the endometrium, which is the tissue that lines the uterus, grows outside of the womb itself. Because this misplaced tissue continues to respond to the monthly fluctuations of your menstrual cycle, it still thickens, breaks down, and bleeds with every menstrual...
Most ovarian cysts are related to your menstrual cycle. They can develop, grow, and resolve without your even being aware. Some, however, cause significant pain and may become large enough to shift the affected ovary out of position. These are the cysts that require medical attention. Dr. Kevin Hooker is...
If vaginal dryness has rendered sexual intimacy painful, rather than pleasurable, you’re far from alone. In fact, up to three in four women experience painful intercourse at some point in their lives. Most often, this is a result of the hormonal changes that accompany menopause. You don’t have to endure...