Numerous feminists, governments, national and international organizations, and non-governmental organizations have taken up the cause of women’s health. Advocates for health and medical research, most notably the Society for Women’s Health Research in the United States, define women’s health to encompass areas where biological sex differences exist between men and women, rather than just issues pertaining to human anatomy. In addition to biological factors, women’s health is influenced by social factors like work, family responsibilities, and poverty.
Numerous prevalent health problems among women impact their physical and mental well-being. It appears that diseases affect men and women equally, though some diseases affect women differently. Likewise, these female problems are undiagnosed, whereas most of the drug trials are only a part of the male body.
What then are the factors influencing the health of Indian women?
In India, a woman’s social and cultural background have a direct impact on her health. A woman’s education, tolerance, domestic violence, and other factors are among them. These are a few of the factors that weaken women and cause them to have inferior health.
Some of the other causes of women’s poor health are:
Regular pregnancies
Inadequate dietary intake
Menopause
Unbalanced ratio of men to women
Physical abuse
Discrimination in the community
Breakdown of a relationship
The aforementioned variables may have a negative impact on women, resulting in various health problems for them. The issues that affect women may even last a lifetime if they worsen. These are emotional issues that affect the female individually as well as the entire family.
Let’s look at the list of typical issues faced by women below and see how you or a loved one can resolve them:
Some Common Women’s Health Issues in India:
1. Anxiety and Depression:
In India, more people are coming out to discuss their issues, and depression is gradually being acknowledged as a legitimate illness with symptoms and a treatment plan. This is encouraging the disease’s treatment. Indian women experience severe physical and psychological trauma because they are more deeply involved in family matters. When compared to men, the condition’s burden is measured to be 50% higher. It’s no less than a disability that women endure this daily anxiety for extended periods of time, sometimes even a lifetime.
Women’s moods and mental health are significant in many facets of their lives. Relationships, self-worth, productivity at work, and even physical health may be impacted. Studies have indicated potential associations between specific mental health disorders and medical conditions like heart disease and gastrointestinal problems.
Understand why? It is a natural reaction to the heavy weight of ongoing concern for family matters or life’s problems. One of the main causes of the imbalance in the chemistry of your brain may be stress. Hormonal imbalances, any traumatic experience, and physical tension are additional causes. Your condition will improve with exercise, yoga, meditation, or talking to your loved ones about your problems. A mentor may also be beneficial.
2. Breast and Cervical cancers:
Cervical and breast cancers are two of the most prevalent cancers that strike women. Early detection of these two cancers is essential to maintaining women’s health and longevity. According to the most recent statistics available worldwide, approximately 500,000 women lose their lives to breast cancer and 500,000 to cervical cancer annually. In low- and middle-income nations, where screening, prevention, and treatment are essentially nonexistent, vaccination against the human papilloma virus is necessary and accounts for the great majority of these deaths.
The most common cancer among Indian women is breast cancer. According to data, one Indian woman receives a cancer diagnosis every four minutes; cases can be found in both rural and urban areas. While 50% of cases struggle in the third or fourth stage, it is typically nearly impossible to cure in the later stages. Moreover, about 60% of Indian women who develop breast cancer go on to survive the disease.
Understand why? The disease is caused by harm to a cell’s DNA, and it is most likely inherited from the mother. Medical professionals can use mammograms (breast X-rays) and MRIs to find cancer. Doctors use the lumpectomy technique to remove the tumor in cases of breast cancer. Sometimes it is necessary to remove the breast completely—a procedure known as a “complete mastectomy.”
Women are recommended to exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight as a precaution. The risk rises for women who turn thirty.
3. Maternity Care:
In India, where maternal care is still in its infancy, there is a high risk of infection and pregnancy-related complications. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle for the full nine months of pregnancy is part of maternal care. Huge advancements in prenatal and postpartum care over the past century are now helping a lot of women. However, not everyone benefits from them, and in 2013, pregnancy and childbirth-related complications claimed the lives of nearly 300,000 women. If family planning and other relatively basic services had been available, the majority of these deaths would have been avoidable.
Future income gaps for mothers and their offspring are a result of poor maternal health. In addition to having a negative impact on a child’s health, poor maternal health also makes it more difficult for a woman to engage in economic activities.
4. Overweightness:
Overweight and obesity are conditions that are influenced by lifestyle choices and diet. Among the most popular ones are eating a lot of fast food or processed food, which is heavy in sugar and fat. consuming excessive amounts of alcohol—alcohol is high in calories.
It’s interesting to note that 23% of Indian women, spanning all income brackets, are either obese or overweight. Obese women are more likely to develop diabetes and heart problems. The situation affects both developed and developing countries worldwide and is not just confined to India.
Know Why?: It affects women primarily because of polycystic ovarian syndrome, but it can also occur for a variety of other reasons, including genetics, drugs, illnesses, diet, etc.
A person’s height to weight ratio is usually calculated to determine their Body Mass Index, which is used to screen for obesity. You can certainly lose weight if you are obese. Try doing aerobic workouts and eating a balanced diet. Join a fitness facility as well to maintain your motivation for your well-being.
5. Diabetes:
According to recently released data, middle-aged women with diabetes are found in over 250 districts in India. Diabetes was never considered a given in the context of women’s health, and as a result, the risk keeps rising. The living body is aware of the condition, but it does not take the appropriate precautionary measures.
Know Why? It’s generally a metabolic disorder that develops as you age and is brought on by your body’s inability to produce enough insulin. There are several tests available to determine a person’s level of diabetes, including the A1c test and the fasting plasma glucose test. The two main lifestyle changes you can make to take control of your health are changing your eating and exercise habits.
6. Bone loss:
Women who have this condition run the risk of having easily fractured bones because they become weak and fragile. The mismatch between the old and new bones is the main factor. Like heart disease, it primarily affects the elderly and is more common in women than in men.
Understand why? The hormone estrogen plays a major role in determining bone density, which decreases significantly following menopause in women and causes bone weakening. The condition is frequently caused by aging, genetics, vitamin deficiencies, calcium deficiencies, and other factors. Physicians can advise you to exercise and prescribe vitamins and calcium supplements to help improve your health.
Every woman must pay close attention to the symptoms of women’s health issues; an active self-evaluation will help them lower their risk of illness. More significantly, getting a physical examination at least once a year is strongly recommended. The inventiveness will aid in the early detection of any disease and the removal of any significant risk.
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