Women, you all have generally everything under control. You know what your Father’s BP numbers are, you know which medicines your mother in law takes, you make sure that your child gets a healthy breakfast and you take measures to control your husband’s sweet tooth. Now that you know about everybody’s health, let me ask you some simple questions, let us see if you can answer them. When was the last time you had a health check-up? When did you have a mammogram done? Do you know you need to worry more about the fat on the belly than on the thighs or the butt?
We knew you are likely to be casual about your own health, hence we came up with a list of questions you always wanted to ask and the answers you must know about. It is time you take care of your own health too…
Will being a woman protect me from heart disease?
This misconception that men are more likely to suffer from heart diseases than women can cost many them their lives. Though estrogen in women protects the heart by lowering the bad cholesterol and increasing the good cholesterol, after menopause the risk for heart disease for women is equal to that of men. Breast Cancer which is more feared is in fact 10 times less likely to affect them than heart disease.
Heart disease in women is different than that in men. The most common difference is that female heart attacks don’t always begin with chest pain which is otherwise common in males. Their symptoms are subtle in nature like nausea, dizziness, fatigue and a discomfort near the abdomen. Women also need to take care of their heart by exercising, eating right, quitting smoking and monitoring their heart rate by going for frequent checkups. To know more about heart disease, read Know about your heart, Ladies
How do I know if I have normal periods?
When we compare notes with our girlfriends about periods, with so much of differences each of us wonders if we have normal periods. Chances are each of you is having normal periods. Listen to this…
Normal periods start from the age of 12 to 16 till menopause. Periods may come once every 21-35 days and lasts from 3 to 7 days. So if your period falls under this range then you have a normal period.
Signs that you are not having normal periods -
- If you need to change your sanitary napkins every one or two hours
- If your period lasts longer than 7 days
- If you have experience severe menstrual cramps which generally you never experience.
Consult your doctor if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.
Is bleeding between periods normal?
Bleeding between the periods is common during the early years of menstruation and later during menopause and many women have experienced light bleeding lasting (1-2) days sometimes in their life. Some women face spotting or light bleeding even during ovulation.
The other probable causes can be beginning or stopping of contraceptive pills, stress, low thyroid level, hormonal dysfunction, certain drugs like anti coagulants. You must consult your doctor to ascertain the source of bleeding and the possible cause.
Note: Bleeding between the periods can be dangerous if you are pregnant or for women who have been through menopause for more than a year and for those who have not reached puberty. If you do not resume regular periods within 2 months, consult your doctor.
How do I protect myself from Breast Cancer?
There is no way you can guarantee to safeguard yourself from breast cancer but you can take measures to reduce the risk for it.
- Reduce your weight. Your risk for breast cancer increases if you are overweight.
- Get regular exercise, exercising for 30 minutes 5 days a week reduces your chances for getting breast cancer.
- Stop drinking, alcohol consumption is directly related to breast cancer.
- Research has shown women who have their first pregnancy before the age of 25 reduced their chances for breast cancer and those women who breast fed for 2 years or more reduced their risk to half.
- Undergo mammograms every year without fail.
- Learn how to do self breast examination and look out for any abnormality.
What causes Cervical Cancer and can a vaccine prevent it?
Cervical cancer is the cancer of the cervix that is present at the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. It is generally caused by Human papillomvavirus or HPV which is transmitted during sexual contact. Half of sexually active individuals are infected with HPV virus though only 13 out of the 100 known types of HPV are known to cause cancer. HPV does not cause cancer at the time of its infection and it will be years before it develops into cancer. One way of diagnosing cervical cancer is through Pap test.
Today there is a vaccine called as Cervarix which blocks 2 strains of virus, type 16 and type 18 that are known to cause 70% of cervical cancer. This vaccine given in 3 doses are recommended for women in the age of age 11 to 26. This vaccine protects women from cervical cancer only caused by these 2 strains so you need to still undergo Pap test regularly.
To protect yourself from Cervical Cancer-
- Wear a condom every time you have sex
- Limit the number of sexual partners
- Quit smoking, smoking increases the risk for cervical cancer by 50%
- Regularly go for a Pap test.
What is PCOD?
PCOD or Polycystic Ovarian Disease or PCOS Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a common problem affecting as many as 1 in 15 women. In PCOS there is hormonal imbalance which causes problems in menstrual cycle and may affect fertility. Generally the pituitary gland in the brain secretes two hormones called as LH and FSH which later produce estrogen and androgen. In PCOS the levels of LH rise and the ovaries produce a more androgen or male hormone. This may result in facial hair and excessive body hair along with acne. The hormonal imbalance also causes problems in the functioning of insulin and may increase the risk of Diabetes.
Some symptoms of PCOD are:
- More facial hair, hair on the chest, belly and back.
- Weight gain and difficulty in losing weight.
- Irregular periods
- Acne
- Thinning of hair
You may have many of the symptoms of PCOS, without actually suffering from it. You need to undergo an ultrasound test, physical examination along with test to measure your thyroid, cholesterol and blood sugar level to diagnose PCOS.
Now that you have most of your common questions answered, take care of your health, undergo regular medical checkups and consult a doctor when you feel something is wrong with your body…
Remember to be as proactive with your health as you are with other’s health, you deserve the care too…
