2017 has highlighted women’s health more than ever before, from attacks on reproductive rights to media stereotypes that perpetuate them. Female wellness has never been more crucial.
Prioritizing regular breast and pap smear exams, healthy eating habits, and exercise is essential to overall wellness, but addressing structural inequity must also be tackled head on.
Reproductive System
The reproductive system consists of both external and internal organs responsible for sexual activity, menstruation and fertility. Women need to ensure they maintain optimal reproductive health to avoid problems like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.
Women must also take steps to safeguard their sexual health and avoid sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Screening regularly should be undertaken, while any infections should be promptly treated as soon as they arise.
There are also various environmental factors that can compromise female reproductive health, such as heavy physical work. Studies show this activity may lead to pregnancy complications like preterm birth and low birth weight; NIEHS supports research that further explores these influences, such as studying links between arsenic exposure and birth outcomes and uterine fibroids; as well as whether certain chemicals (known as Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – EDCs) cause cyst formation or other abnormalities in women’s ovaries and reproductive systems.
Hormonal Balance
At each point in their female life cycle, hormones fluctuate daily in predictable patterns. But this delicate equilibrium can easily be disrupted by stress, diet or environmental toxins – leading to weight gain, fatigue, mood changes, irritability, sleep problems hot flashes or loss of hair as symptoms of hormonal imbalance.
Hormonal imbalances are most frequently associated with menstruation, pregnancy and perimenopause; however, they can also occur as part of polycystic ovary syndrome and amenorrhea. Other signs that could indicate hormonal disruption include irregular periods, bloating, pain during sex encounters and reduced energy.
Women’s wellness practitioners can offer invaluable assistance for restoring balance and relieving symptoms, using herbal phytotherapy and nutritional supplements such as ashwagandha, magnesium, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids to provide support. A holistic approach will allow you to feel like yourself again!
Cardiovascular Health
Women face unique health challenges that compromise their heart wellness. Heart disease is the number-one cause of death among both men and women in America; yet many underestimate its dangers or fail to recognize symptoms as early as they should.
Female-specific factors can increase heart disease risk, such as early menstruation or menopause; hormone replacement therapy; gestational diabetes or preeclampsia during gestation; as well as gestational diabetes gestational diabetes gestational diabetes preeclampsia gestational diabetes gestational diabetes or preeclampsia gestation. Furthermore, autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus are more likely to occur among women and can increase plaque buildup within arterial walls more rapidly.
According to the Nurses’ Health Study, women can improve their cardiovascular health with lifestyle practices that promote improved heart health. Not smoking, maintaining normal weight and staying physically active are proven methods for decreasing chances of coronary events by up to 80%; practicing these healthy habits and participating in heart-healthy programs offered by healthcare professionals may further lower this number.
Mental Health
Women, like men, can experience mental health issues; however they are often ignored or denied treatment for them. Women’s mental health may be negatively impacted by stressors like finances, personal relationships, employment or being under an excessive amount of stress.
Many of these factors can contribute to increased anxiety and depression among women, leading to symptoms that differ from what men typically experience. When seeking support for mental health in women it’s essential that these differences be considered when seeking assistance for mental wellbeing.
NIH provides resources to aid both patients and providers in diagnosing and treating female-specific mental health conditions, such as perinatal depression, the impact of ovarian hormones on mood disorders, menopause-associated symptoms and more. Women may benefit from products which provide mood boosting effects while helping reduce daily stresses; holistic wellness requires taking this into consideration.
