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Healthy habits, regular check-ups are key for women
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(U-WIRE) HONOLULU- Women have a wide range of health needs. In addition to healthy eating, drinking lots of water, getting lots of rest, exercising regularly, and mental health care, women must also think about breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, pregnancy, birth control, gynecological infections and menopause.
Women have higher risks of developing osteoporosis, dying from a stroke, and experiencing depression or domestic violence. Studies have proven that women do not consume enough iron, folic acid, and calcium through their normal diets. In 1984, women outnumbered men in heart disease deaths for the first time. Today, heart attacks are the largest cause of death of American women. Only in the last two decades were women included in medical studies on heart disease. Researchers have since discovered that symptoms of a heart attack are different for men and women, and can be much more serious for women. Sixty-two percent of women who survive a heart attack suffer some form of disability.
Eating a well-balanced, low-fat diet, exercising, and not smoking can prevent heart disease. Smoking is the leading cause of coronary heart disease and lung cancer. After menopause, women have an increased risk for a heart attacks and a lower survival rate. One in five women have some form of cardiovascular disease.
Although breast cancer is the primary cause of cancer deaths for women who are 40 to 55 years old, it is highly treatable if detected early. The risk of breast cancer increases significantly after age 40, making the early detection methods – clinical breast exam, self-breast exam, and the mammogram – essential for breast cancer prevention. It is estimated that if every woman age 50 and older had an annual mammogram, deaths from breast cancer would be down 30 percent. Women over 40 should have an annual screening mammogram and a clinical breast examination done by a health care professional and do a breast examination every month.
Women ages 20 to 39 should have a clinical breast examination done by a health care professional every three years and also do a breast examination every month. Most lumps in the breasts are found by self-examination. Self-examination also aids a woman’s understanding of her body and encourages recognition of any changes from the normal condition of her breasts. Lumps or thickness in the breasts are not necessarily signs of cancer. Women should always check with a doctor if they are unsure.
Heavy drinking increases the risk of breast cancer. Women should limit alcoholic beverages to one drink a day. The Pap test detects 90 percent to 95 percent of cervical cancers. Early detection by a Pap smear can reduce chance of death by up to 75 percent. Research shows that women need to consume more calcium, soy, and folic acid in their diets than men do to sustain a healthy pregnancy and to combat osteoporosis and menopause. Women begin to lose bone mass in their twenties, and menopausal women lose bone mass at a faster rate. Without enough calcium, menopausal women are at risk of osteoporosis. Dairy products are the best sources of calcium.
Luna, a top selling low-calorie energy bar that says on its label, “made for women,” is just one of the nutritional products being marketed to women. Jamba Juice offers a “Femme Boost,” a supplement designed for women that provides 100 percent of RDI of vitamin A and D, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, botanicals, and herbs. “Trends indicate that women today are interested in meeting their unique nutritional needs, and want products that are delicious and easily meet those needs,” said Cathy Kapica, Nutritional Education Director for Quaker Oats.
However, doctors advise that getting nutrients from real foods is always best. Too much calcium can cause kidney stones and menopausal women who take too much iron may increase chances of heart disease. To stay on track with a healthy lifestyle, be happy, exercise, eat well, don’t smoke, and see a doctor for regular annual check-ups, preventive exams, and immunizations. Its never too late in life to practice better health, and never too early to begin. For more up to date information on womenOs health, visit the Web site of The National Women’s Health Information Center at: http://www.4women.org/.
Jennifer Burke, Ka Leo O Hawaii (U. Hawaii)