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| For Women, Health Issues Raise Special Concerns |
When it comes to women health concerns can be far different than those faced by men. While it is true that the male and female bodies are prone to many of the same concerns with regard to illness, disease, and general maintenance, there is no arguing with the fact that women face a variety of unique challenges. These challenges begin early in life and continue well into menopause and beyond.
Reproductive issues
Girls first encounter the difficulties of being a woman when menstruation begins. From that point onward, girls face a host of issues directly related to their sex. Chemical imbalances in the vagina can result in yeast infections, and the uterus and ovaries are always susceptible to injury and various medical conditions.
Common ailments
Every woman soon learns that there are some illnesses and conditions that tend to affect females more than men. For example, men are three times less likely to suffer from gall stones than their female counterparts, and are also three times less likely to experience regular migraine headaches. Females also suffer more from urinary tract complications and bowel issues. There are also a host of cancers that seem to specifically target females.
Autoimmune complications
Multiple sclerosis and lupus are far more likely to appear in females than in males. Both are autoimmune conditions in which the immune systems of the body react negatively to the body's own tissue and cause degenerative symptoms that dramatically decrease the patient's quality of life. Fully three out of every four patients with these conditions are female.
Calcium deficiencies
As a woman ages, the density of her bones gradually decreases. Often times, female senior citizens can lose as much as one-half of their entire bone mass. In addition, these patients can suffer from brittle bones which leaves them vulnerable to weakness throughout their bodies. It also makes them more susceptible to falls, and increased damage to their bones when those falls occur.
Dealing with these concerns
Every woman should develop good habits early on in life, and maintain these habits to ensure that they remain as healthy as possible. Sound nutrition is, of course, essential, with particular emphasis on supplementing the diet with the necessary vitamins and minerals to protect her body against many common ailments. It is also critical to get into the habit of exercising regularly to maintain muscle strength and prevent obesity.
Part of this overall attention to good health consists of regular visits to both a family doctor and an obstetrician/gynecologist. These professionals can help to ensure that regular examinations are given to prevent reproductive, muscular, and skeletal problems, as well as many other common ailments. Where prevention is not possible, these doctors can at least enable their patients to receive early treatment to minimize any condition's impact.
When it comes to maintaining a healthy body, the process should begin as early as possible. Though the average woman will go through life with the potential for many medical complications, most can be avoided or minimized with a sound focus on healthy living. For the majority of women health concerns are best addressed beginning in childhood and continuing throughout the rest of their lives. ( Elaine Daniel )
