It’s important to understand common women’s health issues, and don’t feel intimidated. Instead, do whatever you can to lead a healthy lifestyle, including eating a healthy diet, staying physically active, quitting smoking, and getting regular checkups. Simple preventive measures can go a long way to reducing health risks that can crop up later in life.
Though some problems aren’t that scary and hence many may just let it slide in the hopes that it’ll soon pass, the issues can be annoying. Don’t hesitate to visit the hospital and get a consultation. The doctor will have the right advice for you and you can get rid of seemingly small but persistent problems.[break]
The Week has listed five common health problems that women suffer from in silence. If you too have any of them, remember you aren’t the only one, and so schedule an appointment with your local physician.
Urinary incontinence
Millions of women experience involuntary loss of urine called urinary incontinence (UI). Some women may lose a few drops of urine while running or coughing. Others may feel a strong, sudden urge to urinate just before losing a large amount of urine. Many women experience both symptoms. UI can be slightly bothersome or totally debilitating. For some women, the risk of public embarrassment keeps them from enjoying many activities with their family and friends. Urine loss can also occur during sexual activity and cause tremendous emotional distress.
Women experience UI twice as often as men. Pregnancy and childbirth, menopause, and the structure of the female urinary tract account for this difference. Older women experience UI more often than younger women. UI is a medical problem.
If the symptoms continue to persist, then, rather than suffering in silence, seek medical attention. Don’t shy out because of embarrassment. Your doctor or nurse can help you find a solution. No single treatment works for everyone, but many women can find improvement without surgery.
Menorrhagia
Menorrhagia is the medical term for menstrual periods in which bleeding is abnormally heavy or prolonged. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a common concern among pre-menopausal women. While every woman suffers from annoying periods every month, heavy bleeding can be awkward, irritating and at times embarrassing. It’s quite bothersome when you have to make trips to the restroom every two hour or so.
When women suffer from menorrhagia, every period causes excessive blood loss and cramping that it’s difficult to carry on usual activities. There are many reasons for heavy menstrual flow. From hormonal imbalance to uterine fibroids, the underlying causes can be best tackled by an expert who will advise you on how to take care of the problem.
If you have menstrual bleeding so heavy that you dread your period, talk with your doctor. There are many effective treatments for menorrhagia.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Affecting 10 percent of women of reproductive age, this condition causes small cysts to form on the ovaries during ovulation. These cysts may be nothing more than a nuisance, causing side pains every now and then or may become infected and rupture, possibly damaging a women’s uterus and hence her fertility. Women with PCOS are more prone to weight gain, abnormal periods, acne and excess hair growth.
PCOS is a common hormonal disorder among women of reproductive age. In adolescents, infrequent or absent menstruation may signal the condition. In women past adolescence, difficulty becoming pregnant or unexplained weight gain may be the first sign.
The exact cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is unknown. Early diagnosis and treatment reduces the risk of long-term complications, such as Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease.
Yeast infection
Yeast is a fungus that normally lives in the vagina in small numbers. A vaginal yeast infection means that too many yeast cells are growing in the vagina. These infections are very common. Although they can bother you a lot, they are not usually serious. And treatment is simple. A yeast infection causes itching or soreness in the vagina and sometimes causes pain or burning when you urinate. Some women also have a thick, clumpy, white discharge that has no odor and looks a little like cottage cheese.
The symptoms are more likely to occur during the week before your menstrual period. Many women have infections that come back. If you have more than four yeast infections in a year, see your doctor. He or she may do some tests to see if your yeast infections are being caused by another health problem.
Many women shy out of visiting their gynecologists but a persistent infection can be painful and annoying; so it’s best to schedule a checkup.
Lower backache
By the time you reach middle age, your bone strength, muscle elasticity and muscle tone starts to decline and the discs in your spine become drier and less flexible, making them less able to cushion your vertebrae. Also in women, less calcium levels can also be the cause of backache while lack of exercise can also add to the problem.
Overweight people have an increased risk for back pain. This is especially true for people with extra weight around the mid-section, which pulls the pelvis forward, creating stress on the lower back.
Backache is often considered a problem with old age, and many women don’t seek medical help for it. But sometimes, simple exercises and a dose of calcium supplements can do the trick in getting rid of the troublesome health issue and a doctor can determine what’s wrong and provide help.
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