If someone you know is struggling to keep track of their finances as they age, early dementia might be the culprit.

That’s the conclusion of researchers who tested 243 adults, aged 55 to 90, on their financial skills and performed brain scans to assess the build-up of beta-amyloid plaques, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

A misperception

Some of the participants had no mental decline, some had mild memory impairment and some had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Specific financial skills declined with age and at the earliest stages of mild memory impairment, with similar declines in men and women, the study authors said.

“There has been a misperception that financial difficulty may occur only in the late stages of dementia, but this can happen early and the changes can be subtle,” said senior study author P. Murali Doraiswamy. He is a professor of psychiatry and geriatrics at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina.

After accounting for education levels and other factors, the researchers found that the more extensive the amyloid plaques were, the worse a person’s ability to understand and use basic financial concepts or to complete financial tasks, such as calculating an account balance.

“The more we can understand adults’ financial decision-making capacity and how that may change with ageing, the better we can inform society about those issues,” Doraiswamy said in a Duke news release.

“Older adults hold a disproportionate share of wealth in most countries and an estimated $18 trillion in the US alone,” Doraiswamy noted.

Financial capacity test

“Little is known about which brain circuits underlie the loss of financial skills in dementia. Given the rise in dementia cases over the coming decades and their vulnerability to financial scams, this is an area of high priority for research,” Doraiswamy added.

Most testing for early dementia and Alzheimer’s disease focuses on memory, explained study author Sierra Tolbert, a Duke researcher.

A financial capacity test, such as the 20-minute one used in this study, could help doctors track a person’s mental function over time, Tolbert suggested.

“Doctors could consider proactively counselling their patients using this scale, but it’s not widely in use,” Tolbert said in the news release.

“If someone’s scores are declining, that could be a warning sign. We’re hoping with this research more doctors will become aware there are tools that can measure subtle changes over time and possibly help patients and families protect their loved ones and their finances,” Tolbert added.

The study was published online recently in The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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Even though asthma is common in the United States, there are many misconceptions about the respiratory disease, an allergy/immunology expert says.

“Asthma is a serious condition that affects more than 26 million Americans – more than 8% of the population,” Dr Todd Mahr, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, said in a college news release.

No cure for asthma

“One of the biggest dangers with asthma is that so many people who have asthma think it’s well-controlled, when it actually isn’t,” he said. “When people have good solid information about how to control their asthma and reduce symptoms, they are better able to live the kind of active lives they want.”

There is no cure for asthma, but there are ways to control it that enable asthma patients to do all the things they enjoy. These therapies include medications, immunotherapy and avoiding triggers.

Some people mistakenly believe that having asthma means not being able to exercise. But exercise boosts heart and lung strength and improves the immune system. Some exercises that work particularly well for people with asthma are swimming, walking, hiking, and indoor and outdoor biking, according to Mahr.

He noted that a number of elite athletes have asthma that’s well-controlled.

Don’t stop your medication

Many people also think that inhaled steroids used to treat asthma are the same as those used to build muscle. The steroids used to treat asthma are anti-inflammatory drugs, not hormones.

Another misconception is that asthma medications are habit-forming and dangerous. But that’s not true of any asthma medications used in the United States, Mahr explained.

It’s also not true that you can stop taking your asthma medications if you’re feeling good. You probably feel well because those medications are working, he noted.

But, Mahr added, you should not be using quick-relief medications if your asthma is under control. Use of those medications should be limited to times when you’re having trouble breathing or when preparing to exercise.

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We’ve all been there – we pack a gym bag with the best intentions, only to drive straight home after work. Who wants to commit to a workout when you’re tired and starving, and when it’s winter and already dark outside?

The good news is that you don’t need a long workout to reap the benefits. The not-so-good news? Squeezing in these active minutes might require a bit of creativity and planning. Need more convincing? Researchers found that people who incorporate their workouts into their work day are usually more productive and alert.

We scoured Health24 to find the best tips on how to get in some exercise during the course of the day.

1. Exercise at your desk

If you are working in an open-plan office environment, you’re probably thinking, “There is no way I’m doing these.” But there should be no shame in office exercise. Who knows, you might even start a trend. These exercises are inconspicuous enough to do at your desk, yet effective for toning and stretching. If you really don’t want to be conspicuous, try and sneak into a deserted boardroom. These exercises include chair dips, core exercises, sitting on a Swiss ball instead of a chair and stretching. What are you waiting for? Read the article and get moving today.

2. Squeeze in a quick workout before or after work

If the desk-route is not for you, there are plenty of at-home workouts that are effective when paired with some intense, short bursts of cardio such as jump-rope, running on the spot or jumping jacks. You don’t require a gym or any equipment for these exercises. Simply change into some comfy clothes and do a quick workout before hitting the shower. Here are some guidelines to get you started:

The perfect 15 minute no-gym workout

The 15 minute-workout you can do in your lunch break

3. Hit the gym

If you do have a gym membership, don’t let it go to waste. If the gym is close to your office building, start going during your lunch break. If you choose a quick workout (use the guidelines above), you can be done and showered and ready for the second-half of the day within an hour.

4. Take a walk

Meeting a colleague or a friend during your lunch break? Grab a coffee on the go and take a walk around the block. Not only will you reap the benefits of some fresh air, but you will also get your heart rate up, which will help you to focus and concentrate on the conversation. Bear in mind, however, that the area around your office building might not be a safe walking environment – check out your surroundings and be vigilant at all times.

5. Factor your run into your work day

Training for your next race? Take your running clothes along to work and go for an hour-long run during your lunch break – that’s if you have shower facilities at your office.

6. Move more

Instead of emailing your colleague at the other end of the floor, get up and go to their desk instead. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, set a reminder on your phone or laptop to get up and move every hour, or go to the coffee shop around the block instead of the one in the lobby of your building. These little bursts of movement don’t seem like much, but they add up. Even small 10 minute bouts can be effective, according to Dr Michael V. McConnell, head of Cardiovascular Health Innovations at Verily Life Sciences.

7. Spread the inspiration

Rope in your colleagues and go for group walks, or organise a group walk or run after work. Not only will you get moving, but you will bond with your colleagues and build morale outside the boardroom.

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When a heart attack occurs, delaying treatment by even a few minutes could be deadly.

But many people wait hours after symptoms set in to get care – either because they feel mentally “frozen” and unable to act, or because they’re slow to recognise the seriousness of the situation, a new survey reveals.

Moderate-to-severe discomfort

The finding stems from a look at how 300 Swedish patients reacted while having a heart attack.

“The patients who waited more than 12 hours seeking medical care when having symptoms perceived an inability to act,” said study lead author Carolin Nymark. These patients often described feeling as if they had “lost control over themselves”. Others said they felt unable to take any action because they didn’t know how to react or what to do.

Nymark works in the department of neurobiology at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm. She and her colleagues reported their findings online in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.

The researchers said that heart attack symptoms can show up as several forms of moderate-to-severe discomfort, including chest pain, or pain affecting the throat, neck, back, stomach and/or shoulders for 15 minutes or more. Nausea, cold sweat, weakness and shortness of breath may also set in, along with a sense of foreboding, fear or powerlessness.

“Another red flag is feeling you have no power to act on your symptoms,” Nymark said. “This may indicate a real health threat and the need to call an ambulance.”

Assessing behaviours

The survey was conducted between 2011 and 2014, while respondents were hospitalised after a first or second heart attack.

Patients waited a median of about three hours after their first symptoms to seek care. Half reacted sooner, half took longer – some as much as 24 hours or more.

Seeking care in less than an hour was considered a “very short delay” response. Those who waited 12 hours or more were included in a “very extended delay” group.

The researchers wanted to assess the behaviours that might affect choices one makes with respect to seeking medical care, as well as the thoughts and actions of patients during a heart attack.

Patients were asked how seriously they viewed their symptoms, how urgently they sought medical care, and whether they felt plagued by an inability to take action.

Those who reacted quickly knew their symptoms were serious and where they should go to get help. And they didn’t try to put the symptoms out of mind, the study found.

But many who delayed treatment said they hadn’t understood their symptoms, underestimated their seriousness or thought they would pass. Some said they thought getting care would be difficult. They also reported being gripped by an overriding feeling that they were out of control and were powerless to respond.

Better sooner than later

As to whether that kind of “freezing up” in the face of a heart attack might arise from denial, fear, hopelessness and/or disbelief, Nymark said: “It’s probably a mixture of these things, but we haven’t investigated it, so we can’t say.”

Looking ahead, however, she suggested that hospital and cardiac rehabilitation caregivers might want to broach the issue with heart attack survivors so they will be better prepared if and when a second attack occurs.

Dr Gregg Fonarow, director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, reviewed the study findings. He noted that campaigns urging people to react quickly to signs of a heart attack have fallen short.

“Despite decades of educational campaigns and other efforts, there are still many men and women who delay seeking medical attention after the onset of symptoms,” he said. “These findings may help guide future interventions to help individuals seek care for acute cardiovascular conditions sooner rather than later.”

One tactic would be to offer patients guidance on coping with difficult decision-making situations, Fonarow said. Another would be to better educate the general public, so people are better prepared to spot, interpret and react to heart attack symptoms.

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Carrying fat on legs instead of the belly protects postmenopausal women from heart disease, a study suggests.

Do you remember the first time you realised that your vagina region gets sweaty? Maybe you worked out extra hard or spent a long day walking around in the heat. Then, when you got to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, you notice some seriously, er, sweaty underwear.

I mean, everyone knows that people sweat from their armpits, forehead, and sometimes their backs or hands. But being sweaty adjacent to the vagina?! That is less than ideal, let’s be honest. Here’s the scoop on whether sweating down there is typical, or something to be concerned about.

First of all, getting sweaty in the vagina area is totally normal.

It happens to everyone. That’s because we sweat wherever we have sweat glands, says Dr Chris Adigun, a dermatologist based in North Carolina. And there are sweat glands all over your vulva, which is the external area surrounding the vagina.

Remember: Your vagina is internal — it’s what you feel if you stick your finger inside the hole toward the bottom of your vulva. And there are no sweat glands up there, Dr Adigun points out. So, it’s not really true to say that your vagina is sweating, just to be extra clear.

However, there are sweat glands on the parts *around* your vagina. Specifically, sweat glands exist where the hair on your vulva exists — that’s the labia majora (the big, outer “lips”), the mons pubis (the hump above your vagina), and the groin (where your legs meet your pelvis). “Your groin is not really all that different from your underarm,” Dr Adigun says.

Just like your armpit, your groin is a junction between a limb and your trunk (except instead of your arms, it’s your legs). That’s why it makes more sense to call perspiration down there crotch sweat, as opposed to vagina sweat.

READ MORE: Oh, So THAT’S Why You Shouldn’t Use Vaginal Cleaning Products

Is it possible to have *too much* crotch sweat?

Most of the time, a little sweat in your vulva area is nothing to worry about, Dr Adigun says. We all sweat, and sometimes that sweat happens to be downstairs. If you’re sweating while exercising or when you’re really hot, that’s not unusual, she notes. So instead of feeling awk when you spot a sweat stain on your yoga pants, consider taking it as a sign of a hardcore workout (and a sign of how totally awesome you are!).

Of course, some people do sweat more than what doctors would consider normal, and too much crotch sweat can interfere with your everyday life. That kind of excessive sweating is called hyperhidrosis.

While people who have hyperhidrosis most often sweat more than the average person from their head, armpits, hands, and feet, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, they can sometimes have extra-intense sweating in their genital zone. In one case study, a healthy 17-year-old girl went to her doctors because she frequently sweats through her shorts. She sweats so much that she would wear thick maxi pads every day to try to keep her pants dry.

That’s certainly an abnormal amount of sweat down there. But you don’t need to have that much sweat to make an appointment with your dermatologist: “Like abnormal sweating on any part of your body, if you’re soaking through your clothing when you’re not really hot, that’s more than normal,” Dr Adigun says.

It’s worth making an appointment anytime sweat is making you feel uncomfortable or inhibiting your life in some way. Dr Adigun sees patients all the time who are concerned about crotch sweat because they’ve been embarrassed by sweat stains on their pants one too many times.

READ MORE: How To Wash Your Vagina — Plus More Awks Period Questions Answered

What can you do to help keep a sweaty groin area dry?

There are several options, Dr Adigun says. First, she suggests that people try topical antiperspirants. These aren’t your typical deodorants. Instead, you want to use something like Certain Dri, which will say “antiperspirant” on the packaging. While deodorants mask the odour of sweat, antiperspirants temporarily plug up your sweat glands so that you physically sweat less.

She suggests using the roller-ball versions, which can be easier to use on precise areas like your groin. But it doesn’t work for everyone: “This is pretty sensitive skin,” Dr Adigun says. “So, sometimes [antiperspirants] can be a little bit irritating.” Be extra careful to keep the application away from the actual vagina to reduce the risk of infection from a potentially irritating product.

READ MORE: 8 Reasons Your Vagina Is Swollen After Sex — And What TF To Do About It

As an alternative, she routinely does Botox injections in the groin area. That may sound terrifying (a needle near your vulva?!), but it’s generally safe and super effective. While most of us know about Botox for its wrinkle-smoothing ability, the injection is often also used to stop excessive sweating. It suppresses your sweat glands so they don’t sweat as much, and it lasts a long time. Usually, you’ll have to redo Botox injections twice a year — that’s six whole months of sweat suppression.

But that’s about it for the major interventions, Dr Adigun says. The other fixes doctors usually use for sweat — Iontophoresis and MiraDry — are not used on the vulva. Both of these procedures go deep into the tissue beneath your skin with either electrical currents or thermal energy, respectively. That’s totally fine for your underarms or your hands and feet because there’s not much else other than sweat glands under those areas. “There are too many other structures in other areas that could be damaged by MiraDry,” Dr Adigun notes. No one wants that.

READ MORE: Here’s Why Having Sex With A New Partner Can Change The Smell Of Your Vagina

There are a few other temporary fixes you could try, though, especially if your groin sweat isn’t that annoying to you. If you don’t have hyperhidrosis but are still a little irked by your crotch sweat, you could try to soak up the sweat with a talc-free baby powder product like Lush’s Silky Underwear (applied on the skin of the vulva, not the vaginal opening). This option won’t stop your sweat, Dr Adigun reminds; it’ll just absorb the moisture. But it absolutely can help if, on a hot day, you worry that your undercarriage will be damper than usual.

^{This story was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za}

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Kasandra Brabaw

Have you ever found yourself wondering: WTF is a WOD? Or, overheard someone talking about Grace, Angie, and Helen — only to discover that they’re workouts…not women? Welp, if so, chances are you’ve encountered a CrossFit junkie.

It’s not that surprising seeing as the global fitness family that’s more than a million strong and counting. So, even if you’ve been hiding under a yoga mat for the last 20 years (CrossFit started out of a garage in Santa Cruz, California in 2000), you have probably at least heard about CrossFit. Chances are you’re already aware of the fact that it’s known for intense workouts, a close-knit community, and lots and lots of abs. Still, so much about CrossFit remains a mystery—especially for folks who have never stepped a Nano-clad foot into a box (CrossFit speak for gym).

But CrossFit isn’t Vegas — as in, what happens in the box doesn’t have to stay there. Whether you want to get stronger, lose weight, are seduced by the promise of a ride or die #fitfam, or are just vaguely intrigued, this CrossFit crib sheet will clue you in on the fitness phenomenon.

READ MORE: “I Tried CrossFit For The First Time — This Is What I Learnt”

So, what is CrossFit…you know, other than super intense?

First things first: “The basic definition of CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movements, executed at a high intensity,” says CrossFit Games competitor Brooke Ence, CF-L2 and founder of Naked Training.

In basic terms, that means that CrossFit focuses on movements that best mimic everyday happenings such as sitting on the toilet, walking up stairs, chasing your dog in the park, putting cereal away in the top cabinet. Why is this a good thing? The exercises make their everyday equivalents easier now—and as you continue to age. Most of the exercises you do in a CrossFit class are borrowed from other sports like Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, gymnastics, track, and rowing.

When Ence says “constantly varied” she means the fact that you’ll (very) rarely do the same CrossFit workout twice because there are so. many. movements. That may sound more overwhelming than walking into Zara during a sale, but it’s not. There are nine fundamental moves, which you’ll learn your first few classes — and all other workouts are iterations of these.

Finally, high intensity means that the workouts are executed at a (drum roll please)… max level of output. “The intensity is what makes all of the good stuff happen,” explains CrossFit Games Commentator, Tanya Wagner, CF-L2, of CrossFit Apex in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. (More on that in a sec).

READ MORE: This 10-Minute Workout Will Give You A Taste Of CrossFit

Okay, what happens in a CrossFit workout?

Most classes are half as long as an extended episode of The Bachelorette (or, an hour), and they are typically split into three sections: a warm-up, strength or skill, and a MetCon (which stands for metabolic conditioning).

“The warm-up is intended to get your core body temperature up and prime your muscles for movements and joint mobilisation,” says Wagner. These joint mobilisation moves are different than static stretching because they entail taking your joints through their full range of motion and are more active. Think moves like windmills, jumping squats, and hip hinges. “The warm-up is designed to target the parts of the body that will be the most stressed during the workout,” she explains.

From there, the class flow is slightly less predictable, depending on what WOD (or workout of the day) you’re doing. “If the programming for that day consists of a strength, the class will lift weights for 10 to 20 (sometimes more) minutes, working up to a prescribed weight then doing the programmed set and rep count,” explains Tony Carvajal, CF-L1, certified CrossFit trainer with RSP Nutrition. This might look like a heavy, one-rep max deadlift, 3 sets of 5 reps of power snatches performed at 70 to 75 percent of one rep max, or 5 sets of 3 reps front squat AHAP (as heavy as possible). “The goal of this portion is to break down your muscle fibres so that your muscles repair and grow back even stronger,” he explains.

READ MORE: What Is Workout 18.4 And Why Are CrossFitters So Obsessed With It?

But, if the MetCon has a high-skill gymnastics element to it, like a rope climb, you’ll spend some time working on progressions of that movement. “This training is intended to build core strength, coordination, flexibility, increase lean muscle mass, and safely progress towards higher-skill movements,” explains Carvajal.

Next up: The MetCon portion of the class. “This is the ethos of CrossFit; it’s where the intensity is,” explains Wagner. Every day the workout is different (i.e. varied) but most workouts are typically between five and 15 minutes long — and some are as short as three minutes. In fact, ask any CrossFitter for the hardest workout they’ve ever done, and chances are they’ll say “Fran,” which entails 21 thrusters, 21 pull-ups, 15 reps of each movement, and then 9 reps of each. (CrossFit Games athletes complete this workout is under two minutes!) A slightly longer workout might be a 15 Minutes AMRAP (as many reps as possible), which consists of doing 19 wallballs and 19 calories on the rower over and over until time runs out. “The clock is a factor during the MetCon because it motivates people to keep moving without taking too long of a rest,” says Wagner.

After, if there’s still time left in class, some CrossFit boxes will run an official, coach-led cooldown, while other boxes will have a suggested cool down written up on the board. “This may consist of short, low-intensity rowing, foam rolling, or static or dynamic stretching,” explains Mecayla Froerer, CPT with iFit.

If this sounds like A LOT, don’t worry, the coach (or coaches, depending on the class cap — some boxes will have more than one coach on the floor) will guide you through the whole thing.

READ MORE: 5 CrossFit Moves That Deliver Jaw-Dropping Results

Is CrossFit good for losing weight?

When it comes to weight loss, “CrossFit workouts are effective due to their total body, high-intensity style,” Froerer explains. ”These high-intensity workouts keep your heart rate elevated while simultaneously building strength and endurance. This allows your body to burn a large number of calories in a short period of time.” In fact, “you can actually burn more calories in 20 minutes with a CrossFit workout than you could on an elliptical for an hour,” says Tessie Tracy, a CF L2 Coach and Health Coach based in Los Angeles, California.

How many calories exactly? According to one study out of the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse, women burned over 12 calories per minute during the MetCon. Again, the workout may take less than 15 minutes, so if that seems low, consider the following: “After a high-intensity workout, individuals will experience something called the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption effect (or EPOC),” says Froerer. Essentially, it is a period of time after your workout where you’re consuming oxygen at a higher rate in order to bring your body back to rest. An increase in oxygen consumption requires energy, which means you continue to burn calories even after your workout is over.” Plus, over time, “you’ll be building lean muscle mass which boosts your metabolism,” says Carvajal.

Keep in mind, though, that if weight loss is your overall goal, consistency is queen. “My biggest tip for using CrossFit to lose weight would be to go at least three times a week,” says Tracy. “I also recommend you track your progress, write down your workout scores/times, and use this information to increase intensity. Maintain this for six weeks and be amazed by the results you experience!”

READ MORE: 10 Of The Most Common Terms You’ll Hear At CrossFit

That said, how much weight you lose, and how quickly depends on a host of factors including nutrition, stress levels, genetics, and sleep quality. “CrossFit can help you burn a lot of calories, but if you truly want to lose weight you need to watch what you eat,” explains registered dietitian Julie Upton, CF-L1, co-founder of Appetite for Health. “CrossFit promotes a diet that is higher in protein and healthy fats and is lower in carbohydrates than the current typical American diet for overall health.”

And it’s important to note that not all gains (or losses) can be measured in kilos. “The number on the scale is not as important as a person’s body composition — or, how much of their body is made up of muscle vs. fat,” says Wagner. Muscle weighs more than fat, which means “you might have more lean muscle on our body and your clothes might be fitting looser, even if your weight isn’t actually dropping,” Tracy adds.

“Whatever your goals, if it’s your first time you should expect to push yourself, be ready to make some new friends, and have fun,” says Froerer. “Too often I see people make going to the gym an added stress when it should be a stress relief.”

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za.}

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Gabrielle Kassel

Out of life’s top 10 most embarrassing moments, farting during sex has got to be one of them. After all, sex is supposed to be hot and intimate — in a good way — not stinky or interrupted by a beyond-unsexy sound.

But like most humiliating events, farting in the middle of intercourse happens to the best of us. Before you crawl under the sheets to hide (or die), here’s everything to know about why the misfortune happens—and how to prevent it.

What causes farting during sex?

Expelling gas is essentially a bodily reflex (did you know you fart several times in your sleep?), but it also can be triggered when push comes to shove — literally.

You see, the vagina and rectum sit next to each other. So when you are tensing your muscles during sex, the rectum may not be able to hold gas as it usually does, explains Dr Kelly O. Elmore, an ob-gyn in California.

The motion of thrusting (vaginally or anally) can also amp up this pressure near your tush and push air out, resulting in toots.

READ MORE: 12 Ways To Feel Sexy AF Right This Very Second

Whoa, so is farting during sex basically queefing?

Nope, not quite. Queefing or “vaginal farts” are simply the result of trapped pockets of air getting pushed out of your vagina.

Expelling gas via your bum, on the other hand, is either caused by swallowing excess air (say, from using a straw) or by bacteria hard at work digesting your food.

And since digestion doesn’t stop for sex, you can potentially let one rip at any moment. Even the really inopportune ones.

READ MORE: 8 Reasons Your Vagina Is Swollen After Sex — And What TF To Do About It

Is there anything I can do to prevent farting during sex?

Good news: Yup! A few things actually, but first, it’s important to remember the following: “If you have a lot of gas prior to having sex, you will likely have gas during sex,” Dr Elmore says.

So if you know you’re going to be getting it on after, say, dinner, try to steer clear of hard-to-digest and bloating foods such as gluten, beans (you know the rhyme…), dairy, and cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower).

“As healthy as veggies are, they also contain starches our body can’t fully break down and digest. When they can’t break down, they produce gas,” explains Dr Niket Sonpal, assistant clinical professor at Touro College of Medicine.

What (and how!) you drink can play a role, too. So avoid carbonated beverages and sipping through a straw, both of which can increase the amount of gas in your body and cause it to be released by both ends.

While all of these recommendations are super doable, there’s just one con: “There is no time period that is classically stated to wait before engaging in intercourse after eating. It’s not like swimming,” Dr Sonpal says. In other words, you may have to experiment with what you eat and when in order to figure out what plan best relieves your farting issue.

Beyond that, when you’re feeling gassy before time with your S.O. and pretty sure you’ll end up letting one rip, Dr Elmore recommends popping a gas-reducing OTC, or sipping on natural digestion helpers, such as ginger or peppermint tea, before things start to get hot and heavy. Hey, it can’t hurt.

READ MORE: Here’s Why Having Sex With A New Partner Can Change The Smell Of Your Vagina

Can any other factors make farting during sex worse?

It’s very possible that gas might worsen when you’re pregnant thanks to, among other things, all of those lovely hormonal changes.

More specifically, to support the pregnancy, your body will start to make more progesterone, which relaxes muscles in your body — including those of your small and large bowel, Dr Sonpal says.

“This increased relaxation means the GI tract is moving slower, which allows gas to build up and in turn leads to bloating, burping, and flatulence,” he explains. (Fun fact: This is also why women tend to experience constipation during pregnancy.)

But wait, there’s more: In addition to all of these fun happenings, the growing uterus can put pressure on the GI tract, slowing down digestion and leading to more gas. Sorry, mamas-to-be!

What about sex positions—do any increase your chances of farting?

Well, for one, butt stuff but (eh? eh?) that should go without saying.

As for vaginal intercourse, you’re more likely to fart in positions that mimic fetal position (like spooning variations) and/or compress the abdomen and abdominal muscles, such as doggy style.

Other moves in which your partner presses down against your abdomen or involves you pushing your legs against your stomach will also cause compression of the small and large colon, potentially allowing air to escape, Dr Sonpal explains.

READ MORE: Can Your Vagina Be Too Tight For Sex?

Greaaat. So, how do I handle farting during sex?

Well, being that it’s typically just you and your partner getting it on, it’s hard to pull the whole “who farted?!” move you used to use in middle school.

So take Dr Elmore’s advice and just own it in the moment: “If it occurs, acknowledge it and keep moving.” After all, a sign of a healthy relationship is being able to talk about anything, she adds.

Instead of spending your time focusing on whether or not you’re going to fart, which, btw, is a great way to kill your groove, just laugh it off if and move on.

It’s really no big deal…unless you make it one.

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthsa.co.za.}

^{Image credit: iStock}

Elizabeth Bacharach

Americans are eating as much processed meat as they did two decades ago, and have not increased the amount of fish they consume.

That’s the bad news from new research on dietary data, which also found one-quarter of US adults eat more than the recommended amount of unprocessed red meat, and less than 15% eat recommended amounts of fish/shellfish.

Cancer risk

The good news comes from another finding: Americans are eating a bit less beef and more chicken than they used to, and for the first time, consumption of poultry exceeded that of unprocessed red meat.

“Despite strong evidence linking processed meat with cancer risk, consumption of processed meat among US adults didn’t change over the study period [1999-2016],” noted lead investigator Dr Fang Fang Zhang, from Tufts University’s School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston.

“While factors other than health [e.g., social, cultural and economic] can influence Americans’ food choices, the lack of widespread awareness of health risks associated with processed meat may have contributed to the lack of consumption change,” she added in a news release from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The researchers analysed data gathered between 1999 and 2016 on the eating habits of US adults, 20 and older.

Over those 18 years, consumption of processed meats stayed about the same, 182 grams/week in 1999 and 187 grams/week in 2016.

The top five types of processed meats consumed in 2015-2016 were: luncheon meat (39%), sausage (24%), hot dogs (9%), ham (9%) and bacon (5%).

Benefits of fish

Consumption of unprocessed red meat during the study period fell from 340 grams/week to 284 grams/week, primarily due to a decline in beef consumption.

Poultry consumption rose from 256 grams/week to 303 grams/week, primarily due to a 34-grams/week increase in consumption of chicken.

Fish and seafood consumption remained about the same, 115 grams/week compared with 116 grams/week, according to the study.

The researchers noted that the low consumption of fish and shellfish could be a result of high retail prices, lack of awareness of the health benefits, and concerns about mercury contamination in certain fish. But, they added, scientific evidence suggests that the benefits of fish intake exceed the potential risks for most people.

“Our findings support further actions to increase the public awareness of the health risks associated with high processed meat consumption in the US,” Zhang said.

The study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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