Women's Health And Diseases Then And Now
Throughout history, life for women had not been particularly easy considering the risks that they must go though in relation to pregnancy. During the early days, it was common for women to become mothers and wives at a time when they are just newly emerging from childhood and innocence. This was thought to be a fulfillment of a biological function of the gender – to procreate. It was common too for women not to live long enough to go through another phase of more physical difficulties during menopause. Women’s health and diseases are issues that were recognized to be too closely tied up even then.
Many things have changed since then. Today, the world recognizes that women pass through several biological stages related to their reproductive function – menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. In each of these stages, hormonal changes occur to make the necessary biological processes happen. Thus, aside from the usual health issues that humans, meaning men and women, need to contend with, there are other health concerns that bug women. Women’s health and diseases are closely intertwined with many issues concerning gynecology, obstetrics, endocrinology, and reproduction.
Women’s Health and Diseases Issues
As women overcome many health issues related to pregnancy and childbirth, the modern civilization gave way to new kinds of lifestyle that are putting women’s health to a different kind of risks. These days, women battle a combination of traditional diseases as well as those borne of unhealthy life patterns. These include blood disorders, autoimmune diseases as well as diabetes, hypertension, anxiety and depression, bladder and vaginal infections, and various kinds of cancer.
The main causes of death of women today are:
• Cancer – Many types of cancer afflict women. Despite a significant reduction in the number of smokers among American women, about 23 percent still smoke. To date, lung cancer is still the leading cause of death of women in the US. About 73,000 women die each year due to lung cancer. This is followed by breast cancer and colorectal cancer with about 40,000 and 28,000 deaths each year respectively.
• Diabetes - This serious health condition can lead to kidney failure, blindness, and severe nerve damage. It can bring in many complications including hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. This disorder, especially Type 2 diabetes is largely attributed to poor lifestyle – unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and smoking and alcoholism.
• Heart Disease – A whopping number of American women succumb each year to heart diseases. While there are congenital cases of heart diseases, poor lifestyle still account for a great number of cases. Thus, women must strive hard to minimize alcohol consumption, quit smoking, eat more fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly, and manage underlying conditions that complicate the heart such as hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.
General Health and Wellness
As modern women emerged victorious from the threats of ill-fated pregnancies and childbirth, they have to learn to overcome too the threats of modern living. To move towards better health and wellness, they must deal with problems like weight management and related issues like eating disorders, physical fitness and exercise, as well as diet and nutrition. Living a healthy lifestyle does not only mean eating well and getting regular exercise; it also means avoiding “health don’ts” such as alcohol, nicotine, cholesterol, excessive salt, and sugar.
Through all of these efforts, women must work hard to learn more about related diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and reproductive health. More than ever, this is one time when information about women’s health and diseases is more than readily available This medical field is devoted to facilitating the prevention of disorders and diseases in women to reduce health risk factors and for them to enjoy a fuller life.
