Living life as a woman may be fun. You have great clothes, jewelry and a sublime sense of intuition. However, being a woman you may have specific problems related to health that warrant special attention. Such issues may range from obesity to breast and ovarian cancer, pregnancy to menstruation and menopause. Let us focus on three prime diseases of woman that warrant immediate attention.
Heart Diseases
Heart diseases are responsible for premature death and permanent disability in women. There have been growing incidences of death among women who are less than 60 years old from various heart diseases. Many of them may have suffered from symptoms indicating problems of heart but neglected and complicated it. As such, when the problems are detected it may be too late to provide relief. Sometime the symptoms are not pronounced as chest pain but innocuous like pain in jaw, shoulder or shortness of breath and nausea. Increasing age and heredity, smoking and sedentary lifestyle, high blood pressure and high cholesterol all contribute and enhance risk of heart diseases. Periodic checks and tests recommended by doctors help in minimizing risks of heart diseases.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is the second largest killer disease for women, just after lung cancer. Fear of breast cancer is so acute in some women that they shy off from regular breast screening. Some even make crucial decisions like mastectomy where it may not be a necessity. While breast cancer may be worrying, it is not a death sentence for a woman. There are many advanced methods for treating breast cancer.
Woman having a family history of breast cancer, having an abnormal breast biopsy and those subjected to chest radiation are at greater risk of breast cancer. The disease may also rise from drug overdose, smoking, obesity and alcoholism. Women not having any children and those who have experienced early (prior to age 12) menstruation should stay alert. Controlling weight, regular breast screening, exercising and not smoking are some simple ways to prevent this disease.
Osteoporosis
Among the 44 million Americans affected by osteoporosis, about 70% are women. This is largely a preventable disease. Most of the bone mass of body is build until age of 30. After this, bone stops formation and the focus is on maintenance. As such, behavior and practices developed by women in their early childhood and adolescence play crucial roles in development of this disease. Bones of women affected by this disease gets brittle and prone to breakage.
Women with irregular menstrual cycle, those experiencing estrogen losses for menopause are more likely to have this disease. A family history of osteoporosis, diet low in calcium and Vitamin D, sedentary lifestyle and smoking increase the risk of osteoporosis.
Perhaps one of the reasons why women struggle with health issues is they tend to be caretakers of others in a family. Only when the issue gets too complicated to tolerate, do they seek medical help. Women having more risk factors should undergo regular checkups and follow routine exercises and diet to prevent these diseases.
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