Various Womens Issues

The top killer for women is heart disease, which claims around 489,000 deaths each year. Heart disease kills more women every year than all other types of cancers combined. Because of the common misconception that heart disease primarily affects only men, only 13% of women are aware that this disease is a major threat even to their lives. However, heart disease is still a preventable problem.

Women can reduce their risk of getting a heart attack by making the following lifestyle changes: First, they must quit or avoid smoking and secondhand smoke. Also should eliminate or limit alcohol intake; perform regular cardiovascular exercise to stimulate blood circulation and in maintain a healthy body weight. These steps significantly reduce the stress on the arteries and heart. If women have high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or high cholesterol, they must consult with their doctor as to the best ways to bring these other risk factors under control.

Cancers, especially breast and lung cancer kills around 73,000 women each year. 90% of them who developed lung cancer have definitely been cigarette smokers. According to American Cancer Association, breast cancer is a leading cause of death in majority of the women. Breast tumors are diagnosed in almost 211,000 women every year with nearly 20% morality rate. To reduce the risk of developing cancer, women must lead a healthy lifestyle and meet with their doctor regularly to take preventive screenings. Cancer, if detected in the early stages, can save lives.

The third cause of deaths of the women is stroke. Every year in United States, almost 164,000 people die because of a stroke, and 100,000 of these deaths are women. The factors that increase the chances of having strokes are uncontrolled smoking and blood pressure. Strokes do not only cause deaths but also often leave the women permanently disabled. Even though the risk of stroke depends heavily on the family medical history and genetics, stroke is as preventable as heart disease.

The fourth killer is chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases or COPD, including asthma, emphysema and lung cancer. These diseases are responsible for around 65,000 deaths in women each year. Smoking is the leading cause of these pulmonary disorders. COPD are actually preventable. To reduce the risk for developing this disease, women just need to quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.

Fifth is Alzheimer's disease, which affects the brain and starts with simple forgetfulness. As it progresses further, it totally wipes out entire memories of the sufferer. This disease kills around 42,000 women every year. Women must get regular screenings for this from their doctor. The next disease that threatens most of the women alike is diabetes. About 18 million people were diagnosed with diabetes last year, and around 37,000 women died from the complications of this disease. Still, so many people do not know that they have diabetes until it becomes most severe. This late stage is characterized by kidney failure, blindness, and nerve damage, as well as an increased risk of having heart attack or stroke. Diabetes, however, is still highly preventable by following a regular exercise, controlled diet, and conducting regular blood sugar tests.

• John Palsson
• 17/11/2008, 12:03 PM
• 0 Comments