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While both men and women contract various conditions, some health issues are more common in women. This is because women and men aren’t the same, particularly when it comes to health risks. Women’s bodies go through major changes throughout their lives, leading to different health issues than men. Moreover, as many drug trials do not include women patients, their health issues remain detected.
Following conditions are more frequently present in women:
Bleeding and discharge are a normal part of the menstrual cycle. However, other symptoms, such as bleeding between menstruations and frequent urinating may indicate other underlying conditions, such as reproductive tract cancer. If left undetected and untreated, it can lead to kidney failure or infertility. Another problem that women face with their menstruations is heavy bleeding, 14 out of 100 women experience heavy bleeding that interferes not only with their daily lives but can also cause anemia, a disease caused by iron deficiency.
Thyroid
Thyroid disease is twice as prevalent in women as men, and it is more common in women during their reproductive age. Women generally have low thyroid hormone level (hypothyroidism) due to which their metabolism slows down. On the other hand, high thyroid level can cause an early onset of menopause, in early 40s. 5% to 10% women suffer from postpartum thyroid which occurs within one year of after giving birth.
Cancer[1]
The most common cancer affecting women are breast and cervical cancer. WHO findings say that about half a million women die from cervical cancer, and half a million from cervical cancer each year all over the world.
Sexual health and bladder issues
Women rapidly get affected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and urinary tract infections. The effect of STDs is more severe in women than men. STDs often go untreated in women as symptoms are less noticeable. Women have a shorter urethra which enables bacteria to travel a smaller distance to reach to the bladder. As such, urinary tract infections and incontinence are more common in women.
Uterine fibroids
These noncancerous tumors occur in the uterus of women in their childbearing age. Made of muscle cells, fibroids grow around the wall of the uterus or womb. Symptoms of uterine fibroid include heavy or painful bleeding between periods, painful sex, feeling full in the lower abdomen, and urinating often. Risk factors include African-American descent or being overweight.
Osteoporosis[2]
As per the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 68% women in the USA suffer from osteoporosis, a condition characterized by brittle and fragile bones. Osteoporosis is more common from early childhood to early adult years as bodies build up most of the bone mass until the age of 30. Risk factors of osteoporosis include small, thin-boned frame, sedentary lifestyle, frequent menstrual cycles, and ethnicity as white and Asian women are at a greater risk. Adequate consumption of calcium and weight-bearing physical activities can help in lowering the risk of osteoporosis.
Diabetes[3]
Diabetes, which occurs due to elevated blood glucose level, is a condition that affects about 13 million women under the age of 20 or older. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, a condition that occurs due to low secretion of insulin hormone from the pancreas. Insulin helps in removing the excessive glucose from the blood stream. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, keeping weight under check, and having your fasting blood sugar levels regularly monitored will help in reversing the effects of diabetes.
Other diseases commonly affecting woken include depression, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and unintentional injuries.
The good news is that many women’s health conditions, which are based on their age and background, are preventable. You can also make your disease treatments affordable by letting your insurance provider to share the costs of your healthcare. If you are undecided or have no clue about which health insurance would be best for you, you can visit a trusted resource such as PrudentRx and refer PrudentRx FAQs and PrudentRx drug list where you will find all the useful information about various health insurance plans and medications.
References:
1. https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/ten-top-issues-for-women’s-health
2. https://www.webmd.com/women/features/5-top-female-health-concern
3. https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health-photos/womens-health-threats.aspx