Our health is the most essential thing in our life. It's what allows us to experience life to the fullest. We’re covering six common health issues women experience along with tips on what preventative measures you can take to keep yourself feeling healthy, happy, and vibrant.
Move your body
Heart disease often goes undiagnosed among women making it the leading cause of death. Chest pain is the most known heart attack symptom, but for women, symptoms aren't always necessarily chest related. Heart conditions can manifest as pain in the jaw, back, or arms and sometimes show up weeks or months before a heart attack. Moving your body is one of the best preventative measures you can take to reduce your risk. Even if it's taking daily walks around your neighborhood. Maintaining a healthy diet is also essential. Aim to fill up your plate with heart-healthy foods like berries, salmon, avocados, walnuts, beans, and leafy green vegetables.
Check your boobs
Breast cancer is also super common. One in every eight women in America is diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. Things like alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, hormone replacement therapy, and certain oral contraceptives can be contributing factors. The good news is that it is highly treatable when caught early. In addition to getting examined by your doctor regularly, also incorporate breast self-exams into your routine. To do this, lay down and raise your left arm. Keep your fingers flat and together as you use a firm pressure to make small, circular motions (think quarter size) front the front to the back of your right breast to detect any lumps. Then raise your right arm and repeat on the left breast.
Prioritize your mental health
Maintaining your physical health is vital, but mental health is equally as essential. Mental health conditions are widespread among women in the US. More than one in five women have experienced mental conditions such as depression or anxiety in the past year. Contributing factors that often lead to these psychological conditions include dramatic hormonal changes such as during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause as well as life stressors. Whatever the cause may be, know that you don't have to go through it alone. Talk to your doctor. Work with a therapist. Let friends and family know how you feel so they can be there to support you. Lifestyle changes such as exercise, spending more time with loved ones, eating healthy, getting quality sleep, and managing stress can also support your mental health.
Step up your oral hygiene
Not only do hormone fluctuations mess with your mood and skin, but they also make women more susceptible to getting gum disease. Luckily, preventing oral health issues is relatively easy. Visit your dentist for regular cleanings, ideally, two weeks after your period, as your gums will be more sensitive before and during your period. Floss once a day. And brush your teeth at least twice a day using a clean toothpaste.
Drink responsibly
Drinking a glass of wine here and there while socializing with your girlfriends or just chilling on your couch unwinding after a long day certainly won't derail your healthy habits. However, it is essential to note that women absorb 30% more alcohol into their bloodstream than men. This is because women have less of a protective enzyme in their stomach that helps break down the alcohol. So if you are going to drink, make sure you do it responsibly by sticking to a maximum of two glasses and drinking one glass of water for each glass of alcohol you consume.
Switch to natural products
Endometriosis is another common health issue for women. One in 10 women in America is affected by it and often go undiagnosed. Symptoms include chronic pelvic pain to the point that it prevents you from going about your day-to-day duties, painful sex, irritable bowel syndrome, back pain, fatigue, muscle aches, and infertility. Although endometriosis can't be prevented entirely, there are things you can do to decrease your chances of getting the condition. One easy lifestyle change you can make is to eliminate environmental toxins from your life, such as plastic and metal cans, and switch to natural products that don't contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. So do an audit of the skincare products, period care products, and cleaning supplies you use and ensure you’re not using ones that could be potentially harmful.