The Gynecology It is a branch of medicine that is responsible for the study, diagnosis and treatment of women's diseases, encompassing all aspects of women's health.
The field of action of gynecology is not limited to adult women, adolescents and even girls can present problems in the gynecological sphere that warrant evaluation and treatment by this specialty.
The gynecology consultation is one of the main preventive medicine consultations, being a mandatory visit at least once a year by women of reproductive age, even before having started their sexual activity, which is the best time to touch the aspects related to fertility, family planning, contraception and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Once the reproductive age is over, gynecology covers the aspects of the elderly woman, especially menopause and osteoporosis.
The gynecological examination begins with an interrogation related to the age of development, characteristics of the menstrual cycle, use of contraceptive methods, pregnancies, other diseases suffered by the woman and surgeries that have been performed. A detailed physical examination is then carried out, emphasizing the examination of the breasts in search of lesions such as nodules, lumps, alterations of the nipple and secretions, the examination of the breasts is complemented with the exploration of the armpits to identify swollen nodes or enlarged that can alert of some problem in the breast; The abdomen, pelvic cavity, and external genitalia are then palpated for abnormalities.
In order to evaluate the internal genitalia, a speculum is introduced through the vaginal cavity, this allows to evaluate the vagina and especially the cervix, the visualization is complemented by taking a sample of the orifice and the surface of the cervix to perform a test called cytology, commonly known as Pap test or smear, then an iodine-based solution known as Schiller test, which makes it possible to identify potentially malignant lesions that may be present even though alterations are not visible to the naked eye, these lesions are recognized because they are not colored, this test is of great help to guide the gynecologist of the sites where the samples should be taken to biopsy studies.
The cytology study of the sample taken is the only way to make an early diagnosis of lesions such as cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
The gynecological evaluation is usually complemented by imaging studies that allow better study of the structures that are not so accessible to the physical examination, among the main tests applied is the Ultrasound that is practiced in the breasts and also at the pelvic or intravaginal level, this study allows better evaluate the uterus and its lining or endometrium, tubes, and ovaries. Another study that has gained great popularity is mammography, this is an X-ray test in which the breast tissue can be better visualized, it has the advantage that it allows early identification of the calcifications typical of breast cancer before it can be detected by touch.
Another aspect that is part of the comprehensive evaluation of women is related to pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum phase known as the puerperium; These actions correspond to a discipline associated with Gynecology known as ObstetricsThese sciences have been interrelated to the point that they are combined and most Gynecologists are Gynecology-Obstetricians.
