Staying healthy is important to ensure you live a quality life. However, there are health risks that can affect you and diminish your quality of life. While some are common to both men and women, there are health risks that are specific to women.
Here are the top five health risks that every woman should look out for.
- Cancer
Women suffer from breast cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer. Breast cancer commonly affects women and originates in the milk ducts though it can spread to other parts of the body. One way to identify the cancer is to check for lumps in the breasts and by having a mammogram.
Ovarian cancer originates in the fallopian tubes while cervical cancer has its origins in the lower uterus. Both cancers affect the reproductive system. Cervical cancer can be detected using a pap smear and one of the symptoms is that the woman experiences pain during intercourse.
Women should look out for these types of cancer by doing cancer screening since early detection can lead to effective treatment.
- Mental health
Women are predisposed to mental health problems due to hormonal changes and are likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. For instance, there is the premenstrual syndrome, postnatal depression, and menopause depression.
Sometimes mental health problems can lead to substance abuse, both of which are health risks.
Women should look out for such problems and have them addressed before they escalate. For instance, women can join addiction and mental health treatment programs to help them take back control of their lives.
There are facilities that are established for dealing with such health risks for women and the earlier you join them, the more likely you can overcome and reclaim your life.
- Osteoporosis
More women than men are known to suffer from osteoporosis, a condition that entails a weakening of bones causing them to break easily. The condition is usually contributed by age, lack of exercise, smoking, certain medication, consuming alcohol and genetics.
Women should look out for the condition by going for diagnostic ultrasound or taking an x-ray to measure bone density. While it may not be cured, treatment can be prescribed to prevent progression such as medication, dietary supplements and leading a healthier lifestyle.
- Heart disease
Heart disease is usually caused by high cholesterol, high blood pressure, weight gain, and smoking. It is therefore considered a lifestyle disease and that can be prevented by making lifestyle changes.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle can greatly reduce the chances of developing heart disease and enable women to lead a healthy life.
- Maternal health risks
Pregnancy and childbirth come with health risks that can be detrimental to the woman. For instance, the woman can develop high blood pressure, anemia, diabetes, ectopic pregnancy or depression.
Every woman should be keen to get the relevant care during pregnancy and childbirth to prevent and treat the associated health risks.
For instance, anemia can be treated by taking iron and folic acid supplements as well as a proper diet while an ectopic pregnancy can be detected using a blood test.
Women should also take preventative and treatment measures against sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. When left untreated, these STIs can cause the death of women, fetus, and newborns.
