Women's Health - Top Five Killers

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women. In women, the condition is responsible for about 29% of deaths. Yet death in itself isn't the biggest problem for women with heart disease. The real trouble is in premature death and disability. There are far too many women dying of heart disease in their 60s. There are (also) women, who, for many years, are really ill with heart disease - being out of breath, not being able to walk up one glight of stairs ... because heart disease impairs their ability. The symptoms for heart disease are often typical for women.

Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is the most cancer in women. It is second to lung cancer as the leading cause of death for women. Experts say the fear of breast cancer can sometimes be exaggerated, stopping women from going to their doctors for screening, or pushing women to make rash decision about mastectomy, when it may not be necessary. There's a lot of treatment for breast cancer. Women should educate themselves.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis threatens a lot of people, of which 68% are women. Osteoporosis is largely preventable. The behaviours that women develop in their childhood, in their adolescence, and in their early adult years really play a significant role in the development of the disease. That's because bodies build up most of the bone mass until age 30. Then new bone stops forming and the focus is on maintenance of old bone. It is never too late to keep bones strong and avoid fractures.

Depression

Depression appears to affect more women than men. About 12 million women are affected by a depressive disorder each year. Women need that sustenance, and if they don't have it, they tend to get depressed. Sometimes, hormonal changes can also trigger the condition. Statistically the healthiest adults are people in significant relationships. Adults not in nurturing relationships can reduce theri risk of depression by making efforts to reach out into the community.

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which immune system attacks the body and destroys or alter tissues. There are more than 80 serious chronic illnesses in this category, including lupus, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes.

It is beleived that 75% of autoimmune diseases occur in women. By themselves, each disease appears to be uncommon - except for diabetes, thyroid disease, and lupus, but as a group, the disorders make up the fourth-largest cause of disability among women. It is not known what causes the body to turn on itself, but genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors are suspects.

Since autoimmune diseases are not very well understood, pinpointing specific risk factors is difficult. Symptoms can also be non specific, hampering proper diagnosis. However, if you know something is wrong with you or a loved one, it's important to becomean active health advocate. It's very common for women to make multiple visits to multiple doctors to finally get a diagnosis, but someone should take their symptoms seriously.

See also:
- Womens Health Issues
- Women's Health medications

Years ago, the word "anti aging" seemed to come only from science fiction movies. People joked about the Fountain of Youth and miracle medicines that were supposed to reverse the aging process to make one look 10 or 20 years younger. But today, anti-aging is more than a myth. Through scientific studies and the new cutting edge science in genomics, women are discovering that, by taking just a few steps, skin beauty and bodily cell health can indeed be encouraged. Here are five powerful anti aging tips for good women's health.

1. Check Your Lifestyle

A lifestyle filled with health-threatening habits can be detrimental to your skin's health and beauty. Smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages in excess, eating poorly or overeating, sunbathing, etc. all can speed up the aging process. Even taking anti-aging supplements may not help if you continue to do these things regularly. Remember, just as your bodily organs are affected by everything you eat or drink, so are your skin cells.

2. Eat for Good Skin Health

Good women's health starts with eating healthy foods. Be sure to eat balanced meals with an abundance of leafy green vegetables and fruits. Eat protein-rich foods such as nuts or eggs to maintain good bone and joint health. Healthy eating and weight loss are both major contributors to good women's health as well as beauty for the skin. The anti-aging process is much easier when you provide your body with the nutrients and vitamins it needs to repair cell damage and build healthy new cells on a daily basis.

3. Drink Water

The diet programs always cry aloud, "Drink water!" That's because there are so many benefits to drinking water. Water is needed to help the body function properly, inside and out. Water brings life to all your body parts - and your skin as well. It brightens your complexion, helps rejuvenate skin cells to promote anti aging, and adds moisture to your body. You'll be a well-oiled machine if you can commit to drinking plenty of water daily. Water is probably the most readily available anti-aging product you can get your hands on! So, replace those sodas (and diet sodas) with a healthy dose of water.

4. Stay in Shape

Staying in shape with exercise will also help with the anti-aging battle. Exercise encourages good bone and joint health and helps with the flow of blood through your body. That's why many people say that exercise "gets your blood pumping!" The blood carries oxygen with it through your body, which is necessary for good overall health.

5. Use Anti-aging Supplements and Creams

Through the cutting edge science of genomics, anti-aging products are now being developed to aid in cell rejuvenation, which is needed for slowing down the aging process.

Genomics is the study of the complete DNA makeup of organisms. The recent discovery that is crucial to those interested in anti-aging products is that the repair of cells and the creation of healthy, strong cells is a major key to slowing the aging process. The new anti-aging products are all-natural and come in pills, creams or patches. Anti-aging products based on genomics help to provide the right amount of ingredients (vitamins and nutrients) needed by the body to repair cells and build new, healthy cells.

These five tips combined can help maximize the results for your anti-aging efforts. You'll feel and look better than ever as you pass through the stages of life.

Health Tips For Women

If you think men are more vulnerable to coronary disease than women, think again. Don't wait for a warning sign - start looking after your heart today.

Statistics show one in three Australian women is at risk of heart attack, angina, stroke and peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Worse still, two thirds of women who die from a sudden heart attack have had no previous symptoms, according to The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health. Age, smoking, a lack of exercise, weight gain, diabetes and a poor diet all increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, as can family history.

The good news is that simple lifestyle changes can lower your chances of having a stroke or heart attack, says Professor Susan Davis, chair of Women's Health at Monash University in Melbourne.

Regular exercise
Regular exercise is an extremely important factor in women's health. Daily exercise can help control your weight and sugar levels, strengthen your heart, lower blood pressure, raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. "Women need to do moderate, endurance-type exercise for at least 40 minutes, three times a week, and include more activity in their everyday lives," says Professor Davis.

Healthy heart diet
Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables that are high in antioxidants and vitamins such as folate is also crucial for heart health. There is evidence that replacing unhealthy fats with polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oily fish, leafy plants, canola and linseed oil can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Give Up Smoking
Giving up smoking will also improve your heart health. Nearly 40 per cent of smoking related deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease, according to NSW Health. This is because smoking increases an artery-clogging process called atherosclerosis.

Women's Health Information