Health Challenges Common to Women
When it comes to health, women tend to experience more challenges and are more likely to be diagnosed with certain diseases than men. These generally fall into the category of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Nearly 50 percent of adults have a chronic illness, and 38 percent of women suffer from one or more chronic diseases, compared with 30 percent of men. In many cases, knowledge and awareness may be key for prevention.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, and because women's symptoms may be more subtle than those in men, they may not be initially recognizable. For example, rather than experiencing severe pain in the chest, women may suffer from upper abdominal pain, lightheadedness, or fatigue. Becoming familiar with such symptoms may help to prevent a serious occurrence.
Cancer
Approximately 250,000 women in the United States die from cancer each year. Some types, such as breast, lung, colon, and skin cancer, are largely preventable, but raising awareness about symptoms and risk factors for early detection are vital.
Diabetes
While diabetes, especially Type 2, is more common in men, it is women who often have complications that are more serious and can result in death. For example, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease by about four times in women, as opposed to two times in men, and women have worse consequences after suffering a heart attack. Women are also at higher risk of other complications, such as blindness, kidney disease, depression, and urinary tract infections. Additionally, they may transmit Type 2 to their offspring.
Osteoporosis
Women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than men because the hormone changes that take place at menopause directly affect bone density. The hormone estrogen is essential for healthy bones, and after menopause, estrogen levels fall, which can lead to a rapid decrease in bone density. Women also have bones that are thinner and smaller than men's. Approximately 80 percent of the 10 million Americans with osteoporosis are women. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D and eating a healthy diet can help improve bone health, as can exercise and avoiding smoking and drinking.
Alzheimer's
According to the Alzheimer's Association, women over the age of 65 have nearly twice as much chance – one-in-6 as opposed to one-in-11 – of developing the disease as men. While research is being done to determine the cause, one reason could simply be that women generally live longer and therefore have more time to contract it. Another could be that women are twice as likely to suffer from depression as men. Researchers can trace depression to the shrinking of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for memory function. The hippocampus is an important factor for memory formation in women, but not so much in men. Exercise can also play a key role. Women generally are less physically active than men, but studies indicate that women who were considered to have a high fitness level were nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia as those who were less fit.
Living Well with a Disability
Many people tend to take good health for granted, until something comes along to change that. Whether it's an accident, an injury, or debilitating illness, lives can be transformed in an instant. If that happens it's easy to feel sorry for ourselves, and that's all right – for a while. However, the faster you can let go of grieving, the quicker you can move on, overcome challenges, and enjoy a full life. Here are some tips to help:
You've suffered a major loss, so don't try to ignore your feelings; allow yourself time to work through your grief, and understand that you will likely experience a roller coaster of emotions.
Accept what has happened and let go of the past; it's not healthy to continue looking back and wishing things were different.