A women’s health does not refer only to her physical condition, but to her total well-being. The health of a woman is determined not only by biological factors but also by effects of workload, nutrition, and stress. Women often focus on the health of their spouse or children, while neglecting their own needs.
A time of choices (20s to late 30s)
When you’re young and busy, it can be easy to forget about your health. You’ve got a career to build, roommates to contend with, and that whole “adulting” thing on your mind.
Subtle health symptoms that can point to health problems in young women are dizziness and fatigue, chest pains, hair thinning and hair loss, ongoing depression or anxiety, sudden changes in your vision, popping and snapping knee joints, bloating and abdominal pains, pain during sex, UTI, trouble getting pregnant, less frequent ovulation, lower quality and quantity of eggs, decrease in cervical fluid, etc.
Time of change (40s to late 50s)
Your 40s are a busy decade, but it’s also a time to immerse yourself in physical activity. It's the time when many women move through perimenopause, the years leading up to full-blown menopause. During perimenopause, estrogen levels fluctuate.
- Hormone imbalance: Experiencing a hormone imbalance, have a tumor or cyst, or have undiagnosed problems with your thyroid glands.
- Perimenopause: But as you enter perimenopause, typically in your early 40s, you may start to regularly experience very heavy periods due to decreased progesterone and increased estrogen
- Stress: Often stress is the culprit and your body will regulate itself.
- Hair loss: Although stress and childbirth are the most common causes of hair loss in your 30s, this may be a signal that your body is lacking important nutrients. It is usually due to an iron deficiency. Because menstruation can deplete a woman's iron supply.
- Stress: Mood swings, irritability, depression, and lack of sleep.
- Cardiovascular health: Diabetes: A chronic condition in which the body produces too little insulin or can't use available insulin efficiently.
- Osteoporosis: means "porous bones," is a disease that thins and weakens your bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It is sometimes called a "silent disease" because it can develop gradually over many years without causing any symptoms.
- Hormonal changes: Estrogen loss has also been linked to bone loss.
- Osteoarthritis: a joint disorder that usually affects the hips, knees, feet, and spine
- Weight Gain
- Risks for cancer (Breast, Ovarian, and Uterine)
Menopause
Menopause occurs when a woman hasn’t menstruated in 12 consecutive months and can no longer become pregnant naturally. It usually begins between the ages of 45 and 55, but can develop before or after this age range. Menopause can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, vaginal dryness and painful intercourse, anxiety, depression, mood swings, and weight gain.
For most women, medical treatment isn’t needed for menopause. Few healthy lifestyle modifications are there to cope with menopause is exercise regularly, eat a healthy balanced diet, avoid triggers like spicy foods, hot beverages, and alcohol, eat soy (from whole foods, not supplements), meditate and practice yoga.
The foundation of good health is the same no matter what your age is! Eating healthy, being active, visiting doctor for regular checkups, taking care of mental health, and avoiding unnecessary risks, like texting or taking a phone call while driving.
