Top 5 Health Issues Which Affect Women
Women all over the world are becoming more and more independent, confident, capable and liberated than those of the previous era. Women are now redefining gender roles and are claiming more power and freedom for themselves.
Heart Disease:
Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women. In women, the condition is responsible for about 29% of deaths (according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention). Although more men die of heart disease than women, females tend to be under diagnosed, often to the point that it’s too late to help them once the condition is discovered. Obesity, stress, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and inactivity are the lead causes for heart disease. Left untreated, the disease can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a ‘devastating and complex disorder’ in which people experience overwhelming fatigue that is not improved by bed rest, and many other symptoms like muscle pain, memory loss, and insomnia. Basic everyday tasks like dressing, showering or even thinking can overwhelm people suffering from CFS. Women are four times more likely than men to develop CFS. The reasons are not yet entirely clear – it could be that certain hormones or brain chemistry differences contribute.
Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is second to lung cancer as the leading cause of death for women. Recent research shows that while doctors are getting better at treating the disease, incidence rates are on the rise. That’s largely due to lifestyle factors. Today, women are getting married later, having children later (if they have them at all), and are more overweight, stressed out, and generally more inactive than their mothers were (when breast cancer rates were still quite low).
Osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease. It weakens bones and increases the risk of unexpected fractures. The term literally means “porous bone,” and the disease results in an increased loss of bone mass and strength. Largely preventable, it affects the strength and resiliency of the bones, which can lead to fractures and bone breaks later on in life. Other risk factors include age, having a wiry frame, ethnicity (Caucasian and Asians have the highest risk of developing the disease), eating a diet that’s low in calcium or vitamin D, smoking, and excessive alcohol use.
Depression:
Depression appears to affect more women than men. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that about 12 million women are affected by a depressive disorder each year compared to about 6 million men. Twenty percent of all females can expect to deal with this mood disorder at some point in their lives. One common time when it emerges: in their 20s. “As they leave college and enter the workforce, many women feel alone and without a strong support network, which is very tough and frightening,” explains New York City psychologist Dr Ellen McGrath. “There is so much uncertainty about so many things — your job, your love life, your finances — that it’s easy to feel hopeless and pessimistic about the future.”
Heart Disease:
Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women. In women, the condition is responsible for about 29% of deaths (according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention). Although more men die of heart disease than women, females tend to be under diagnosed, often to the point that it’s too late to help them once the condition is discovered. Obesity, stress, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and inactivity are the lead causes for heart disease. Left untreated, the disease can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a ‘devastating and complex disorder’ in which people experience overwhelming fatigue that is not improved by bed rest, and many other symptoms like muscle pain, memory loss, and insomnia. Basic everyday tasks like dressing, showering or even thinking can overwhelm people suffering from CFS. Women are four times more likely than men to develop CFS. The reasons are not yet entirely clear – it could be that certain hormones or brain chemistry differences contribute.
Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is second to lung cancer as the leading cause of death for women. Recent research shows that while doctors are getting better at treating the disease, incidence rates are on the rise. That’s largely due to lifestyle factors. Today, women are getting married later, having children later (if they have them at all), and are more overweight, stressed out, and generally more inactive than their mothers were (when breast cancer rates were still quite low).
Osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease. It weakens bones and increases the risk of unexpected fractures. The term literally means “porous bone,” and the disease results in an increased loss of bone mass and strength. Largely preventable, it affects the strength and resiliency of the bones, which can lead to fractures and bone breaks later on in life. Other risk factors include age, having a wiry frame, ethnicity (Caucasian and Asians have the highest risk of developing the disease), eating a diet that’s low in calcium or vitamin D, smoking, and excessive alcohol use.
Depression:
Depression appears to affect more women than men. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that about 12 million women are affected by a depressive disorder each year compared to about 6 million men. Twenty percent of all females can expect to deal with this mood disorder at some point in their lives. One common time when it emerges: in their 20s. “As they leave college and enter the workforce, many women feel alone and without a strong support network, which is very tough and frightening,” explains New York City psychologist Dr Ellen McGrath. “There is so much uncertainty about so many things — your job, your love life, your finances — that it’s easy to feel hopeless and pessimistic about the future.”
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