Women's Health

Introduction

Women and men share many health problems but women also have their own health issues which deserve special consideration.

Today women's health is coming to be viewed as a distinctive area. Why should it be separate from the rest of health? The answer is twofold. An area devoted to women's health

1. Makes finding information about women's health matters faster; and it
2. Focuses directly on topics that are major health concerns for women.

Women's lives have changed over the centuries. Historically, life was particularly difficult for most women. Aside from the numerous dangers and diseases, women became wives and mothers often when they were just emerging from their own childhood. Many women had a multitude of pregnancies which may or may not have been wanted. In the past, childbirth itself was risky and not infrequently led to the death of the mother. Most women in the past did not live long enough to be concerned about their menopause or old age.

In 1900, a woman's life span was about 50 years. Now, at the new millennium, life expectancy for American women is 82 years and continuing to rise. Not only are women living longer, but they also have the possibility of enjoying a better quality of life throughout their span of years. But to do this, it is essential that women take charge of their own bodies and comprehend how they can maximize their health. It is also helpful that men understand and are supportive of the health concerns of the women.

Gynecology is the primary branch of medical science concerned with women's health. The word "gynecology" is a word consisting of "gyneco," meaning "woman," and "logic," meaning "knowledge." Taken together, it is "woman knowledge."

It is important that every woman has access to knowledge related to the spectrum of women's health issues, not only about her reproductive system, but about all aspects of her body (as below):

• General Health and Wellness
• Female Anatomy
• The Female Reproductive System
• Female Hormones
• Diseases More Common In Women
• Cancer In Women
• Women's Cosmetic Concerns
• Menstruation
• Sexuality
• Fertility, Birth Control and Infertility
• Pregnancy
• Motherhood
• Menopause
• The Mature Woman - Post Menopause
• Related women's health articles:
  Women's health - on WebMD

General Health and Wellness

There is credible information available to women not only on such problems as eating disorders, stress, alcoholism, addictions, and depression, but also on basic topics such as good nutrition and exercise. For example, it is beneficial that a woman maintain her optimum weight. If a woman's waist size measures more than 35 inches (89 cm), she is more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Eating sensible meals, eliminating after- dinner snacks, and making physical activity a part of daily life are significant ways to help control weight and lower the risk of a long list of health problems. Smoking is detrimental to a woman's health (or to anyone else's). Unfortunately, women are smoking more than ever. According to the American Lung Association, about 22 million American women smoked in 2002, representing 20% of all women. Women are smoking in spite of the well-publicized dangers of lung disease including cancer, heart disease, and innumerable other health problems now linked to smoking. Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol is also harmful to health. Although women typically begin drinking at a later age than men and tend to drink somewhat less, women need lower doses of alcohol before developing alcohol-related medical problems such as cirrhosis and hepatitis. Women should be aware that they metabolize a number of drugs differently than men. In some cases and for some medications, the rate may be slower, and in other cases, faster. It is, therefore, essential that women are well informed about the kinds and correct dosages of drugs they are taking.

From the Doctors at MedicineNet.com

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