Wonder why our grandmothers and moms are so fit, when
they hardly had access to gyms and ‘healthy’ options to eat like we have
now? While rapid urbanization and redefinition of gender roles are
giving women more freedom and power, they are also taking their toll on
women’s health.
Wonder why our grandmothers and moms are so fit, when they hardly had
access to gyms and ‘healthy’ options to eat like we have now? While
rapid urbanization and redefinition of gender roles are giving women
more freedom and power, they are also taking their toll on women’s
health.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
There are so many ‘PMSing’ jokes
cracked by men who do not know what women actually go through. Bloating,
abdominal cramps, breast swelling or tenderness, constipation, joint or
muscle pain, acne along with emotional symptoms like mood swings are
only some of the symptoms occurring 1 to 2 weeks before the periods.
Some women could even suffer from a very severe form of PMS called the
Premenstrual Dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Vaginal infections (Vaginitis)
Do you have itching and redness
around your vagina, abnormal vaginal discharge with an unpleasant
smell, burning sensation during urination and/or pain during
intercourse? It could be vaginitis, an infection or inflammation of the
vagina. Some women may not have any symptoms. Extreme illness, creams,
tight clothing, douching, sexual activity, faecal contamination, etc.
disrupt the normal bacterial environment of the vagina and cause
vaginitis. Vaginal yeast infections can be treated with over-the-counter
creams and vaginal suppositories, and bacterial vaginosis with
antibiotics.
Fibroids
Every 3rd or 4th woman in the cities has ‘fibroids’
these days. Usually detected when women approach the doctor due to very
heavy bleeding and pain during menstruation or when they have problems
conceiving, fibroids are nothing but fibrous growths in the uterus. They
grow fairly slowly, and are formed in response to the female hormone
oestrogen. They occur naturally, and sometimes shrink after menopause
due to the lack of the hormone in the body. Occasionally, they can grow
to weigh several kilograms and cause pain during sexual intercourse and
frequent urination, urgency to urinate and in very rare cases,
infertility.
Endometriosis
nd if you thought problems with menstruation end
here, you could not be more wrong. Every month the cells of the
endometrium (inner lining of the womb) swell and get thicker, and are
shed during menstruation. Endometriosis is a condition in which
endometrial cells grow in other areas of the body most commonly in the
area lining the abdominal cavity. It causes irregular bleeding and mild
to severe cramping pain in the pelvis which may radiate to legs. It may
even lead to infertility in some women. What’s worse, it may not even be
your fault – it’s known to run in the family.
Anaemia
With the demands of the family, career and other
activities many women feel tired every day. But do you feel tired even
before the day has begun? Is your skin pale? Do you have brittle nails?
Chances are that you are anaemic and your blood lacks enough red blood
cells. Low RBC count means reduced oxygen carrying haemoglobin (Hb)
count which translates to low oxygen in blood making you feel exhausted,
irritable and dizzy. Smooth, swollen painful red tongue, cracks or
fissures at the corners of the mouth and sore and pale mouth are other
signs. Blood loss from menstruation, increased blood supply demand
during pregnancy, deficiencies of vitamins like vitamins B2, B6, B12,
and folic acid due to poor eating habits can cause anaemia.
Breast and cervical cancer
One of the greatest health fears
for a woman is breast cancer. According to medical experts, about 4 out
of 5 breast cancer patients in India are at an advanced stage when they
come to a hospital. The cancer registries’ data shows that urban women
are at almost double the risk of breast cancer than rural women. No time
for fitness, bad food, increased tobacco and alcohol consumption and
lifestyle changes like late marriage are the perfect recipe for breast
cancer. A lump or mass in the breast, discharge from or rash around the
nipples, skin dimpling on the breast are some of the signs you should
look out for. Cervical cancer has beaten breast cancer as the leading
cause of cancer deaths in women in India; it kills around 33,000 women
every year in India. Cervical cancer is known to occur because of a
virus called the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) transmitted through sexual
contact. Bad local hygiene, too many children, not enough spacing
between children, low nutrition levels and early marriage all contribute
to the risk factors. The high risk group includes girls who have had
premature sex as teenagers, those who have had multiple pregnancies or
multiple sex partners and don’t use contraceptives. The disease remains
asymptomatic for a long time till it starts invading neighbouring
tissues
Osteoporosis
Women require certain essential nutrients like
iron, folic acid and most importantly calcium during various stages in
their life. The term osteoporosis is synonymous with women, low calcium,
weak bones leading to fractures. Vitamin D deficiency caused by low
exposure to sunlight and low dietary vitamin D are the main causes.
Over-exercising (e.g. marathon running), especially in young women,
increases osteoporosis risk because of excessive weight loss and early
termination of menstruation. Osteoporosis is often asymptomatic until a
bone fractures, then an X-ray and bone density measurement confirms the
diagnosis. Prevention and treatment choices include lifestyle changes
such as no smoking, minimizing alcohol intake, regular (weight-bearing)
exercise, maintaining healthy weight, low-salt and calcium plus vitamin
D-rich diet.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS or PCOD)
Women with agile,
lean, svelte bodies and perfect-than-thou faces – you admire them, but
at the same time envy them because you look nothing like them. Before
you heave a sigh of relief because most women around you are struggling
with obesity, acne and unwanted body hair just like you do, you should
know that you might be suffering from what’s commonly known as PCOD or
PCOS (Polycystic ovarian disease or syndrome). While women are leaving
their traditional roles behind and donning the hats which men once did,
the stress build-up is only causing the hormones to go out of whack.
There is an increase in male sex hormones leading to increased body
hair, decreased breast size, etc. The periods are irregular and the
ovaries produce many small, immature eggs instead of healthy, mature
eggs. If the right kind of eggs isn’t produced, the chances of
conceiving reduce.
Heart disease
The moment someone mentions heart disease we
picture middle-aged men. Contrary to common perception, heart disease
can strike women too and the instances are increasing because of an
increasingly urbanised lifestyle. More women die due to heart disease
than breast cancer or cervical cancer. Earlier, cases of heart attacks
were exclusive to post-menopausal women but now even younger women seem
to suffer from them. Hectic schedules and increased instances of smoking
and drinking are to be blamed. Other factors like increased use of oral
contraceptives, irregular meal-times, tendency to eat junk food and
lack of exercise are all taking a toll as well. Young women have higher
death rates than men due to heart attacks because of the fact that they
don’t undergo chest pains usually associated with disease and unlike
men, who usually have blockage in the major arteries, women have
blockage in smaller arteries which does not get detected in angiography.
Some common symptoms in women are shortness of breath with or without
chest discomfort; pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back,
neck, jaw or stomach; breaking out in a cold sweat; nausea or
light-headedness.
Urinary Tract Infection
Women have much shorter urethras – a
good enough reason for easy upward movement of germs to their bladders.
Urinary tract infection (UTI) affects the urinary tract and is more
commonly seen in women than men. The risk of UTI increases during
menopause. Cystitis (bladder infection) is the lower urinary tract
infection and pyelonephritis (kidney infection) is the upper urinary
tract infection. UTI may cause burning pain during urination, frequent
urination and/or urgency to urinate. Fever and pain may also be seen in
pyelonephritis. In uncomplicated cases, urinary tract infections are
easily treated with a short course of antibiotics. UTI is most commonly
caused by E. coli bacteria. The infection may also be viral or fungal.
Arthritis
Women are affected with arthritis more than men.
They usually develop osteoarthritis after the age of 40. Arthritis is
not a single disease – there are over 100 different forms of arthritis.
It is a collective term for different individual illnesses, with
different features, treatments, complications, and prognoses. The
similarity is that they have a tendency to affect the joints and many
have the possibility to affect other internal parts of the body. It is
mostly related to wear and tear of cartilage (osteoarthritis) or
associated with an overactive immune system causing inflammation
(rheumatoid arthritis). Some of the causes of arthritis are hereditary
factors, infections (bacterial and viral), lack of joint fluid,
autoimmunity, etc. Arthritis causes pain and limits the function of your
joints. If your arthritis is due to inflammation of the joints then you
may experience joint swelling, redness, warmth and stiffness.
Obesity
Compared to people with a healthy weight, obese and
overweight individuals have an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease
and stroke, and tend to die younger. Obesity in women also causes
menstrual abnormality, infertility and miscarriage. Obese pregnant women
are at an increased risk of infections, pregnancy hypertension and
gestational diabetes. Obese and overweight people are gaining weight
rapidly in India. According to data from the Obesity Foundation India,
more than 3 percent of Indians are clinically obese and a whopping 25
percent are overweight.
Metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome, (syndrome X) is a set
of abnormalities related to the body’s metabolism in which
insulin-resistant diabetes (type 2 diabetes) is almost always present
along with high blood pressure, high fat levels in the blood,
cardiovascular disease, central obesity and abnormalities in blood
clotting and inflammatory responses. It increases your risk of
developing heart disease (heart attack, stroke, etc.) and diabetes.
Being overweight or obese, not getting enough exercise and genetic
factors increase your risk of developing metabolic syndrome. Women also
have specific circumstances like pregnancy, polycystic ovary syndrome
(PCOS), use of oral contraceptive and menopause, which increase their
chances of developing metabolic syndrome. Gestational diabetes during
pregnancy and PCOS increases the likelihood of developing insulin
resistance, a risk factor tied to the disorder. Women who have had
gestational diabetes or who have had a heavy baby are at higher risk for
developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Depression
Depression affects more women than men. It is a
physically debilitating and an emotionally painful condition. A
depressed person finds it difficult to enjoy anything or even function
normally. Reasons could be many – trauma, grief, love and relationship
troubles, genetic, alcohol consumption, obesity, etc. Women have an
added risk factor – the hormones. Hormonal changes, particularly after
pregnancy (postpartum) or around menopause, can trigger the condition.
80% of all mothers experience postpartum depression of one form or
another. Though most of them usually get over normal ‘baby blues’ in a
few days or at most a couple of weeks, some women take longer to recover
and suffer more severe symptoms. They may exhibit suicidal tendencies,
frequent bouts of crying, sleep disturbance, weight loss, a feeling of
guilt and a general lack of interest in their surroundings. Some women
suffer from a serious condition called postpartum psychosis which
results in hallucination, delusion and obsessive thoughts particularly
involving the baby. Recognizing depression and seeking help is the first
and most critical towards recovery.
Autoimmune diseases
In general, women are more resilient than
men and are more resistant to disease. Women produce a more vigorous
immune response and increased antibody production, thanks to their sex
hormones like oestrogen and progesterone. But this very advantage has a
downside. Autoimmune diseases affect more women than men. Autoimmune
diseases are a group of more than 80 disorders in which the immune
system produces antibodies against the body’s tissues and attacks and
destroys the body’s healthy tissue instead of protecting it from
infection or disease. They involve almost every human organ system.
Genetic, hormonal and environmental factors are suspected to be the risk
factors. Although each disease is unique, many share same symptoms like
fatigue, fever, dizziness, etc. Many symptoms resemble those of other
health problems and make it difficult to get a diagnosis. Diagnosing an
autoimmune disease may need a series of tests and procedures and can
sometimes take years.
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