People became conscious of the importance of staying healthy and fit when the pandemic started. Even as many diseases know no gender, some health issues affect more women than men. These diseases include osteoporosis, breast cancer, and autoimmune diseases, among others.
So, women need to know more about these diseases to take charge and deal with these diseases. Understanding these health issues allow women to avoid them. It also allows women to know if they need to see a specialist to deal with these diseases.
When consulting a doctor, women should prepare the information about their issue ahead of time to facilitate the consultation. Some doctors use medical outsourcing services to allow them to see more patients during the day. With this, the patient should provide the necessary information about the health issue to ensure the doctor knows what to expect when they see the patient.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis affects around eight million American women, and the disease will cause bones to break among 50 percent of women over 50 years old. Around 44 million Americans are also at risk of developing the disease. Of this number, around 68 percent are women.
Women face a bigger risk of getting the disease due to their thinner and smaller bones. Their estrogen levels also decrease once they reach menopause. Estrogen is a hormone that helps in protecting bones. Even as women have a higher risk of developing the disease, developments in medicine facilitate the disease’s prevention, detection, and treatment.
People have to provide their bodies with the tools to repair bone damage. These tools include good lifestyle habits and suitable calcium consumption. Women have to increase their vitamin D and calcium consumption to strengthen their bones. They should also exercise with special emphasis on weight-bearing physical activities. Additionally, women should quit smoking and limit their consumption of alcohol. Consulting their doctor about the disease is also a good idea long before they get it.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is another disease that’s common among women. Even though the disease also affects men, less than one percent of the disease happens in men. So, women should work to prevent it from happening.
They should visit their doctors for screening. This is essential for older women since their risk level of developing breast cancer is higher. Women who have a history of benign breast disease, including noncancer diseases, also have a bigger chance of developing breast cancer. It’s also possible for women to inherit the risk of developing the disease if someone in the family is at risk of developing the disease.
But women also have options in preventing the development of the disease. Medications are already available to reduce the risk of the disease. But women should consult their doctors before they take the medication, especially among women who have an increased risk of getting the disease.
Engaging in physical activity also helps women stay healthy since physical activity allows them to reduce their weight. They should keep in mind that obesity is a risk factor in the development of the disease. Additionally, women should reduce their alcohol consumption to reduce the chances of getting breast cancer.
Autoimmune Diseases
Autoimmune diseases are disorders where the body’s immune system attacks the tissues of the body. These disorders include rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Type 1 diabetes. They cause the immune system to induce a systemic reaction in the body by attacking different organs.
Around 78 percent of people with autoimmune diseases are women. The individual diseases do not appear to be significant. But when they are grouped as autoimmune diseases, they are the fourth-biggest disability that American women have to deal with.
It’s necessary to deal with autoimmune diseases individually since they have different causes and risk factors. But, it’s important to look into different environmental, genetic, and hormonal factors when handling these diseases. With this, women need to consult their doctors to allow them to manage their condition.
Depression
The pandemic highlighted the importance of taking care of one’s physical and mental health. Even as these health issues affect both genders, depression affects women more than men. Some types of depression are unique to women, including perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and perimenopausal depression.
Hormonal changes among women serve as triggers for the condition. This makes it essential for women to take care of themselves when they find themselves in stressful situations. Their loved ones also play a role in helping them deal with the disease. They should recognize it as a real health condition to allow them to deal with it as a family.
Dealing with health issues is important during the pandemic to ensure women stay healthy and fit until everything goes back to normal.
