The 8 Most Common Women's Health Problems. While both men and women get a variety of conditions, some health problems affect women differently and more commonly. In addition, many women's health conditions go undiagnosed and most drug trials don't include women being tested. Still, women have unique health problems, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, menopause, and pregnancy.
Women suffer more deaths from heart attack compared to men. Depression and anxiety occur more frequently among female patients. Urinary tract conditions occur more often in women, and sexually transmitted diseases can cause more harm to women. Among the most common conditions in women, the following eight diseases pose significant health risks.
In the United States, heart disease causes one in four deaths among women. Although the public considers heart disease to be a common problem among men, the condition affects men and women almost equally. However, only 54 percent of women realize that heart disease is the top health condition that threatens. In the United States, 49 percent of all consumers suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoke; factors that contribute to heart disease.
Breast cancer, which normally originates in the lining of galactophore ducts, can spread to other organs and is the most aggressive cancer affecting the world's female population. The condition occurs more frequently among female populations in developed countries because of its long lifespan. Initially, women with breast cancer may develop breast lumps. Most breast lumps aren't threatening, but it's important for women to have each lumps checked by a care provider.
Many people don't know the differences between ovarian cancer and cervical cancer. Cervical cancer starts in the lower part of the uterus, while ovarian cancer starts in the fallopian tubes. While both conditions cause similar pain, cervical cancer also causes discharge and pain during sex. From heart disease to breast cancer to depression, WebMD gives you the inside scoop on why women are at high risk for these problems, but they may not know it.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women. In women, the condition is responsible for approximately 29% of deaths, CDC reports. However, death itself is not the biggest problem for women with heart disease. The real problem lies in premature death and disability, says Cindy Pearson, executive director of the National Women's Health Network.
While more men than women die from heart disease, women tend to be underdiagnosed, often to the point that it is too late to help them once the condition is discovered. Burke says people can reduce their risk of heart disease by modifying their lifestyle to include a well-balanced diet and exercise. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. It is the second, after lung cancer, as the leading cause of death in women.
Sener, MD, president of the American Cancer Society, recommends controlling your weight, exercising, quitting smoking, and talking to your doctor about your risk and appropriate breast cancer screening. It also says that risk factors must be kept in perspective. A hunched back, back pain, and frailty used to be things older women had to accept before doctors knew anything else about osteoporosis. Now, there are steps women and girls can take to avoid these problems.
Osteoporosis threatens 44 million Americans, 68% of whom are women, reports National Osteoporosis Foundation. Talk to your doctor about the possible risk of osteoporosis and what you can do to prevent problems. Depression seems to affect women more than men. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that about 12 million women are affected by a depressive disorder each year, compared to approximately 6 million men.
To help reduce the risk of depression, Lynn recommends looking for a reason to get up in the morning. She says things like work, community, love, pets and volunteering can be good reasons. Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system attacks the body and destroys or alters tissues. There are more than 80 serious chronic diseases in this category, including lupus, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes.
According to the American Association for Autoimmune Related Diseases (AARDA), about 75% of autoimmune diseases occur in women. On its own, every disease seems to be rare, except for diabetes, thyroid disease, and lupus, but as a group, disorders are the fourth leading cause of disability among American women. Because autoimmune diseases are not very well understood, it is difficult to identify specific risk factors. Symptoms can also be nonspecific, making a proper diagnosis difficult.
However, if you know something is wrong with you or a loved one, it's important to become an active health advocate. National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. While heart disease is also the leading cause of death for men in the United States, women are more likely to die after a heart attack than men.
In addition, women are more likely than men to experience delays in emergency care and to receive treatment to control their cholesterol levels. An official website of the United States government. does gov mean it's official. Federal government websites typically end in.
Gov or. grand. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you are on a federal government site. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have a medical emergency.
Enter a city, zip code (such as 2000), address, state, or location A federal government website administered by the Office of Women's Health in the Office of the U.S. UU. Department of Health and Human Services. Endometriosis is a problem that affects a woman's uterus, the place where the baby grows when the woman is pregnant.
Endometriosis occurs when the type of tissue that normally lines the uterus grows somewhere else. May grow in the ovaries, behind the uterus, in the intestines, or in the bladder. Rarely does it grow on other parts of the body. This “stray” tissue can cause pain, infertility, and heavy periods.
Pain is usually in the abdomen, lower back, or pelvic areas. Some women don't have any symptoms, and having trouble getting pregnant may be the first sign that they have endometriosis. Uterine fibroids are the most common noncancerous tumors in women of childbearing potential. Fibroids are made up of muscle cells and other tissues that grow in and around the wall of the uterus or uterus.
The cause of fibroids is unknown. Risk factors include being African American or being overweight. Symptoms of fibroids include: CDC provides information and educational materials for women and health care providers to raise awareness of the top five gynecological cancers. Gynecologic cancer is any cancer that originates in a woman's reproductive organs.
Gynecologic cancers begin in different places inside a woman's pelvis, which is the area below the stomach and between the hip bones. She says women should work collaboratively with their doctors, finding out their family medical history, educating themselves on health issues, and paying attention to their bodies. Helping to sensitize women to mental health issues and giving them the confidence to seek help is vital. That is why WHO is working so hard to strengthen health systems and ensure that countries have strong funding systems and a sufficient number of well-trained and motivated health workers.
CDC provides information and educational materials for women and health care providers to raise awareness of the five main types of gynecologic cancer. Two important factors influencing women's health, namely, girls' school enrolment rates and increased political participation by women, have increased in many parts of the world. This means not only setting goals and indicators, but catalyzing commitments in terms of policies, funding and action, to ensure that the future brings health to all women and girls, whoever they are, wherever they live. Too many women continue to miss the opportunity to receive education, support themselves, and get the health services they need, when they need them.
Combine the higher risk of poverty with other conditions of old age, such as dementia, and older women are also at greater risk of abuse and, in general, ill health. To make full use of this information, Saralyn Mark, MD, encourages women to take charge of their health. Understanding your body is key, says Mark, senior medical advisor for the Office of Women's Health at the U. The Importance of Health Promotion for Family Nurse Practitioners The Unique Need for Women's Health NPS Best Practices for Promoting Cultural Awareness.
Pregnant women who are HIV-positive can work with their healthcare providers to ensure that their babies don't get HIV during pregnancy, delivery, or after delivery (through breast milk). . .
