Stool softeners are generally considered safe during pregnancy.

Pregnancy constipation, defined as having fewer than three bowel movements a week, can be uncomfortable. Stool softeners, such as Colace, moisten the stool and make it easier to pass. These products are unlikely to harm a developing baby because their active ingredient is only minimally absorbed by the body. Check with your health care provider, however, before taking any medication — including stool softeners and other types of laxatives — to treat pregnancy constipation.

Keep in mind that pregnancy constipation can often be prevented with lifestyle changes. For example:

• Drink plenty of fluids. Water is a good choice. Prune juice also can help.
• Include physical activity in your daily routine. Being active can help prevent pregnancy constipation.
• Include more fiber in your diet. Choose high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains. With your health care provider's OK, consider a fiber supplement, such as Metamucil.

If you take iron supplements, mention the constipation to your health care provider. Although iron is an important nutrient during pregnancy, too much iron can contribute to pregnancy constipation. You might have to take a stool softener if you are taking an iron supplement.

Yes.

During pregnancy, a combination of factors can create a pregnancy glow. Greater blood volume brings more blood to vessels, resulting in skin that looks flushed. Changes in hormone levels might also cause the skin glands on the face to secrete more oil (sebum), which can make skin look slightly shinier.

The factors that contribute to pregnancy glow can have a downside, however. Fluctuating hormone levels during pregnancy might make you more prone to acne.

Enjoy your pregnancy glow. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your health care provider.

"Pregorexia" is a term coined by the media that refers to a woman's drive to control pregnancy weight gain through extreme dieting and exercise.

Although health care providers don't uniformly recognize the term, the behavior associated with pregorexia is real and could harm a baby's health. While far more women gain too much weight during pregnancy, some women do excessively worry about their weight gain and experience body image issues during pregnancy. The risk of pregorexia might be higher for women who have a history of eating disorders and those who have a weak social support system.

Specific warning signs of pregorexia might include:

• Talking about the pregnancy as if it weren't real
• Heavily focusing on calorie counts
• Eating alone or skipping meals
• Exercising excessively

Your health care provider can help you determine an appropriate weight gain during pregnancy, based on your pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index. He or she can also explain how to use healthy lifestyle habits and proper nutrition to control weight gain during pregnancy. It might also be helpful to consult a registered dietitian or a mental health provider as well.

Appropriate weight gain during pregnancy is crucial for both maternal and fetal well-being. If you're pregnant and struggling with your body image, share your concerns with your health care provider.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Although regular PMS and PMDD both have physical and emotional symptoms, PMDD causes extreme mood shifts that can disrupt your work and damage your relationships.

In both PMDD and PMS, symptoms usually begin seven to 10 days before your period starts and continue for the first few days that you have your period. Both PMDD and PMS may also cause bloating, breast tenderness, fatigue, and changes in sleep and eating habits. In PMDD, however, at least one of these emotional and behavioral symptoms stands out:

• Sadness or hopelessness
• Anxiety or tension
• Extreme moodiness
• Marked irritability or anger

The cause of PMDD isn't clear. Underlying depression and anxiety are common in both PMS and PMDD, so it's possible that the hormonal changes that trigger a menstrual period worsen the symptoms of mood disorders.

Treatment of PMDD is directed at preventing or minimizing symptoms and may include:

• Antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem, others) and sertraline (Zoloft), may reduce symptoms such as emotional symptoms, fatigue, food cravings and sleep problems. You can reduce symptoms of PMDD by taking SSRIs all month or only in the interval between ovulation and the start of your period.
• Birth control pills. Taking birth control pills with no pill-free interval or with a shortened pill-free interval may reduce PMS and PMDD symptoms for some women.
• Nutritional supplements. Consuming 1,200 milligrams of dietary and supplemental calcium daily may possibly reduce symptoms of PMS and PMDD in some women. Vitamin B-6, magnesium and L-tryptophan also may help, but talk with your doctor for advice before taking any supplements.
• Herbal remedies. Some research suggests that chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus) may possibly reduce irritability, mood swings, breast tenderness, swelling, cramps and food cravings associated with PMDD, but more research is needed. The Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate herbal supplements, so talk with your doctor before trying one.
• Diet and lifestyle changes. Regular exercise often reduces premenstrual symptoms. Cutting back caffeine, avoiding alcohol and stopping smoking may ease symptoms, too. Getting enough sleep and using relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness, meditation and yoga, also may help. Avoid stressful and emotional triggers, such as arguments over financial issues or relationship problems, whenever possible.

Review your symptoms with your doctor. A thorough medical evaluation may determine if symptoms are due to PMDD or some other condition. If you're diagnosed with PMDD, your doctor can recommend specific treatments to help minimize symptoms.

You may be tempted to take prenatal vitamins because of unproven claims that they promote thicker hair and stronger nails. However, if you're not pregnant and not planning to become pregnant, high levels of certain nutrients over a long period of time may actually be more harmful than helpful.

Prenatal vitamins are formulated specifically for women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, and women who are breast-feeding, with particular emphasis on:

• Folic acid. To reduce the risk of having a child with neural tube defects, it's recommended that women who are trying to become pregnant get 400 to 800 micrograms (mcg) of folate or folic acid a day through diet and supplements. Other healthy adults — both men and women — need only 400 mcg a day. While uncommon, getting too much folic acid by taking supplements can mask the symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency and delay diagnosis and treatment.
• Iron. During pregnancy, the recommended intake of iron is 27 milligrams (mg) a day. Women between the ages of 19 and 50 who aren't pregnant need only 18 mg a day, and women age 51 and older and all adult men need only 8 mg a day. Getting too much iron can be toxic because it can build up in your body, causing constipation, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and, in severe cases, possibly death.
• Calcium. Pregnant adult women and healthy men and women ages 19 to 50 all need 1,000 mg a day. Men and women age 51 and older need 1,000 mg a day and 1,200 mg a day, respectively. Because prenatal vitamins are intended to supplement calcium you get in your diet, they generally contain only 200 to 300 mg of calcium. If you rely on prenatal vitamins to meet your calcium needs, you likely won't get enough, raising your risk of osteoporosis and other health problems.

Generally, if you eat a healthy, balanced diet, taking multivitamins of any sort isn't necessary.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can help prevent HIV infection in people who don't have HIV and are at very high risk of becoming infected. PrEP involves taking the combination drug emtricitabine-tenofovir (Truvada) or emtricitabine plus tenofovir alafenamide (Descovy) every day. Having PrEP medicine in your bloodstream can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading in your body.

A person who takes Truvada every day can lower his or her risk of getting HIV from sex by more than 90 percent and from injection drug use by more than 70 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Research suggests that Descovy is similarly effective in reducing the risk of getting HIV from sex. However, Descovy hasn't been studied in people who have receptive vaginal sex.

Research suggests that PrEP is less effective when it isn't taken daily. This may be because there isn't enough medicine in your body to block HIV from taking hold and spreading. Along with PrEP use, taking steps such as using condoms can further reduce your risk of HIV infection. PrEP doesn't prevent other sexually transmitted infections, so you'll still need to practice safe sex.

If you're considering PrEP, talk to your doctor about whether it's the right HIV prevention strategy for you.

The focusing problem you describe may be an early symptom of presbyopia, an age-related change in vision. Presbyopia can occur in addition to having farsightedness, nearsightedness or astigmatism.

In presbyopia, your eyes gradually lose the ability to adjust to see up-close objects clearly. You may also experience blurred distance vision when changing your focus from near to far objects.

If you're experiencing this problem after prolonged close-up work, such as reading or working at a computer, try resting your eyes every 10 to 20 minutes by closing them for several seconds. This may help minimize the symptoms. If you don't normally wear prescription glasses, you may consider getting a pair of nonprescription reading glasses that can be used for close-up work.

If you're concerned about these vision changes, make an appointment with your eye doctor. An eye exam can identify potential eye or vision problems that may require further evaluation and treatment.

Age-related hair loss is common in women. About 55 percent of women experience some hair loss by the age of 70. The most common cause is female-pattern baldness, an inherited condition. It's characterized by gradual thinning of your hair, which may be noticeable as a widening part or a ponytail that's less hefty than it used to be.

Treatment with over-the-counter minoxidil foam (5 percent) may prevent further hair loss and result in improved hair density. Apply the product at bedtime to wet hair and wash it out when you wake. Then style your hair as usual. You'll need to commit to a six- to 12-month trial period because it takes three months to begin seeing any effect, and a few more months to determine whether it's really working for you. If it is helping, you'll need to continue using the medicine to keep your fuller hair. Insurance usually doesn't cover the cost of the product.

Talk with your doctor if the hair loss continues, as it may be an indication of another condition, such as alopecia areata.

You might want to try various hair care methods to find one that makes you feel better about how your hair looks. For example, use styling products that add volume, color your hair, choose a hairstyle that makes a widening part less noticeable, or use wigs or extensions. Always handle your hair gently.

Probiotics are foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve the "good" bacteria (normal microflora) in the body. Prebiotics are foods (typically high-fiber foods) that act as food for human microflora. Prebiotics are used with the intention of improving the balance of these microorganisms.

Probiotics are in foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut. Prebiotics are in foods such as whole grains, bananas, greens, onions, garlic, soybeans and artichokes. In addition, probiotics and prebiotics are added to some foods and available as dietary supplements.

Research is ongoing into the relationship of the gut microflora to disease. The health benefits of currently available probiotics and prebiotics have not been conclusively proved.

However, side effects are rare, and most healthy adults can safely add foods that contain prebiotics and probiotics to their diets. Future research may lead to advanced probiotics with greater potential to improve health.

If you're considering taking supplements, check with your doctor to be sure they're right for you.

Prolotherapy is a complementary treatment for muscle and joint pain. The treatment involves repeated injections of an irritant solution into part of a joint — the joint's interior, for example, or a supporting tendon or ligament. The irritant, usually a sugar solution, is thought to trigger growth in the connective tissue of the joint, eventually leading to reduced pain.

Studies of prolotherapy in people with low back pain have had mixed results. A combination of prolotherapy and spinal manipulation or back exercises seems to be more effective than is prolotherapy alone.

The American Pain Society recommends against prolotherapy for treating low back pain, but other authorities are suspending judgment until larger, more-thorough studies have been done. Until then, talk to your doctor before deciding whether prolotherapy is right for you.