Usually, women tend to neglect their health because of their busy working schedule or they are too busy taking care of their family. This sheer negligence on their part costs them in future and put them in serious health risk. However, including some simple habits in their daily life can help them to stay healthy, decrease the risk of diseases, and may increase longevity. Here are some of the simple and easy tips:
Genetic Testing: Doctors recommend going for genetic testing. It helps women in being aware of history of diseases that runs in the family.
Women with a family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and other chronic diseases are susceptible to get these diseases in the future. Screening women beforehand help them to take precise preventive measure to avoid the occurrence of the disease.
Consult the doctor on regular basis: Regular doctor consultation and thorough checkup of the body is advised to check if everything is normal. Sometimes, the diseases are in a dormant stage and show no symptoms while in other cases; the symptoms are just ignored assuming them as climatic change. Meeting a doctor on regular basis can help find the disease at its early stage.
Diagnosis of disease at an early stage increases the chances of recovery. In certain metastatic diseases such as cancer and tumor, the spread of disease from one organ of the body to the other can be avoided.
If the woman is more than 21 years of age, it is recommended to get a Pap test done for cervical cancer every 3 years. For women in the age group of 30-65 years, a Pap test along with the HPV test is recommended every 5 years. After this age, the frequency of test can be reduced as the doctor says the risk becomes quite low.
If a woman is sexually active, it is recommended to get tested for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) on yearly basis. Test for gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia help in the diagnosis of STDs.
It is advisable to get tested for HIV at least once and more frequently if there is a risk of the infection.
The yearly checkup should not be missed as the doctor needs to asses annually many other issues including infections, sexual concerns, contraception, etc. which can pose a potential risk in the future.
Have fulfilling sex: According to studies, sex helps in the reduction of the stress and lowers the risk of chronic diseases, but only if the woman enjoys it. If anything that is creating issues in receiving sexual fulfillment such as pain or dryness, a gynecologist should be consulted. This might indicate some serious issue or simply hormonal change. However, it is a good idea to discuss it with the gynecologist.
Get good sleep: Getting regular sleep helps regulate the normal functioning of the body and brain. However, if there is a problem in getting sleep, trouble getting out of the bed, easily fatigued, trouble in concentrating on a regular basis then the body is indicating some serious health concerns.
These symptoms should not be ignored as these can pose a serious risk to health such as heart disease, diabetes, psychological problems, etc. A doctor should be consulted and proper diagnosis should be done.
Dieting should not interfere with health: Dieting is very much in trend but that is nowhere related to starving. Dieting is all about having a balanced diet and junk foods should be avoided.
Again eating healthy doesn’t mean to forgo a piece of chocolates, cakes, or wines now and then. Before dieting, one should keep in mind that dieting includes a mixture of healthy fats, lean proteins, smart carbs and fiber.
Fertility: If a woman is planning pregnancy, everything else should be planned accordingly. There are cases of women getting pregnant in the late 30s and early 40s, however, according to reports a woman’s fertility may decline at 32 even.
So, if a woman is planning to get pregnant so she should plan in early or else she should talk to a doctor to freeze her egg for future or other options.
Birth Control Plan: A woman should plan on getting pregnant and should not conceive before she is ready. Conceiving before the age can cause multiple complications and increase the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer.
Birth control plan should always be in the list of women who are sexually active. It also helps in regulating the menstrual cycle.
Exercise regularly: Exercise should be included in the daily routine of an individual, regardless of gender. It helps a person to live life in a disciplined way and also reduces the risk of several diseases.
Women are advised to do weight-bearing exercise, keeping in mind the present status of her body, along with cardio. If it can’t be indulged-in on daily basis, women should indulge in exercises at least 3 times a day.
According to reports, exercise prevents heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis. It also promotes good mental health which contributes to self-confidence.
Calcium Control: Adequate amount of calcium is required for proper functioning of bones. However, an excess of calcium increases the risk of heart diseases and kidney stones. The calcium should be taken in proper proportion with respect to age. A dietician will help to decide the exact amount of calcium required by the body e.g. for women under 50 years should have 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day and for women over 50 years should include 1,200 milligrams in the diet.
Calcium is present in a rich amount in salmon, milk and almonds. Hence, it is advisable to include these food items rather than going for a calcium supplement.
Improvement in health doesn’t mean visiting a doctor on daily basis or taking a high dose of vitamin and protein tablets. Staying healthy is a combination of easy step procedures, which should be included in the daily routine. The daily diet should contain an adequate amount of vitamins, fats, calcium and proteins.