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Diversity in Women’s Health Issues

Throughout the course of a lifetime, women are faced with a vast amount of various health issues. From infertility to ovarian cysts and weight control, woman must tackle health problems with bravery and grace.

PMS
Possibly the most common of all health issues is a woman’s monthly struggle with PMS, or pre-menstrual syndrome.

More than 150 symptoms have been associated with PMS. Women may experience mood swings, anxiety and tension, crying spells, water retention, breast tenderness and migraines, to name a few. Some women experience the syndrome in its mild form, occasionally become lethargic and moody. Others are not as fortunate and may suffer from severe symptoms monthly, even as drastic as feeling like a different person.
Although there are medications that can take the edge off, for most women it is an emotionally draining and painful monthly battle.  

Osteoporosis
Another unfortunately not uncommon health issue women are faced with is osteoporosis. It is often called a silent sickness because the first signs and symptoms may come in the form of fractured bones from minor accidents.
The word osteoporosis literally means “porous bones.” In other words, the bones are filled with holes rendering them weak and brittle. Heredity, weight, digestive problems, smoking and lack of exercise are just a few of the factors that may play a role in ultimately succumbing to the disease.
There is preventive medicine however. One of the easiest actions a woman can take to help prevent the disease is to take calcium supplements daily. She can cut back on excessive soda drinking and regulate alcohol intake.

Cystitis
Another painful illness some woman must endure is cystitis. The sickness is  and inflammation of the bladder caused by an infection, irritation or bruising. In some cases all three contribute to the illness. Symptoms of cystitis include an overwhelming urge to urinate every few minutes, burning pain during urination, nausea and vomiting and lower back pain.

Cystitis is more commonly known as a bladder infection and may lead to a more severe and painful infection in the kidneys.

Endometriosis
Half of all women who suffer from this illness will become sterile. Endometriosis is a frequent gynecological condition that up to 15 percent of all women succumb to. It is one of the most common gynecological illnesses, second only to fibrosis. Nearly 5 million women in the United States today suffer from the disease. It is most common in childless women over the age of 30.
The medical explanation of endometriosis is quite troubling. The disease causes the lining of a woman’s womb to implant and grow outside the womb itself. The implants can grow in the fallopian tubes, ovaries, bowel, bladder and pelvis. More rarely they can implant themselves in the armpit, eye, heart, lung or knee.

Wherever the lining grows, it responds to a woman’s natural hormone cycle, bleeding monthly as if it were at home in her womb. The blood becomes trapped in the tissue causing inflammation, scarring, cysts and pain. Symptoms may include painful sex, back pain, nausea, fatigue, infertility and heavy or irregular periods.
However, there is hope. There are numerous vitamin supplements readily available to a woman who may suffer from this disorder.  The supplements can also help to prevent the disease.

B vitamins are a top contender in battling the illness. Vitamins C and E can also help fight the disease.

Fibroids
Non-cancerous growths in or on the muscular wall of the womb are called fibroids. Some can be as small as a pea while others grow to the size of and eight-month fetus. These growths are common and can affect 20 percent of women 30 years and older.

The main symptom fibroids cause is heavy periods. Some women also experience pain. Others encounter periods that seem to go on for weeks, often with little or no breaks between cycles. Even so, many women will never realize they have fibroids as symptoms are often not present at all.

As undoubtedly shown, womanhood can be a painful, demanding job that takes no prisoners and shows no mercy. Women today continue to pursue fulfilling careers coupled with the rewards of motherhood despite the adversity and illnesses they may face.