Women's Health Conditions You're Not Taking Seriously Enough

1. Heart disease

Heart disease accounts for 25% of women’s deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And if you’re a woman under age 50, you’re twice as likely as a man to die from a heart attack.  Many women condiser heart disease a man’s problem, so common health conditions such as heart attacks and strokes are off their radar. Moreover, because women with heart disease may exhibit different symptoms than men, the signs of heart disease are more likely to be overlooked. Here are important ways to reduce your risk:

*Identify your risk factors. You can’t change your family history or your gender and age, but you can correct modifiable risks –such as obesity, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, physical activity and smoking.

*Reduce your risk: Quit smoking, lose weight,manage high cholesterol and blood pressure, exercise and limit alcohol and stress.

*Know your body. If you start to feel symptoms that aren’t typical, don’t ignore them. They include: tightness in your chest; nausea; discomfort in your back, arm or jaw; discomfort between your shoulder blades; and shortness of breath.

*Calcium supplements may increase your risk for heart disease, according to some studies. If you take them, do it for a good reason, like lowering your risk of osteoporos.

*Get an electrocardiogram (EKG) – a test that checks your heart’s electrical activity – as part of your annual physical exam.

2. Skin cancer

It’s the most common form of cancer in the U.S., according to the nonprofit Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF). More new cases are diagnosed every year than breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. 

Basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, rarely is fatal, according to the foundation. Squamous cell carcinoma is the second-most common form,with 700,000 cases diagnosed each year, resulting in 2,500 deaths. Melanoma is the deadliest, usually caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun or tanning beds. The survival rate is 99% if melanoma is caught before the tumor penetrates the skin, but falls to 15% if the disease is advanced. Skin  cancer primarily is a lifestyle disease, so it’s highly preventable. Try these prevention tips from the National Cancer Institute and Skin Cancer Foundation:

*Use a broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Apply it 20-30 minutes before going outdoors. Reapply every two hours or right after swimming.

*Avoid staying in thebsun for long periods, especially when it’s at its strongest at midday.

*Prevent sunburns.

*Steer clear of tanning booths.

*Wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants, sun hats and sunglasses outdoors.

*Everyone should have a yearly skin check, but if you have a history of pre-cancer or skin cancer, you should be examined by a dermatologist every 3-6 months.

*Do a monthly self-exam of your skin, from head to toe, to check for new or changing moles. Skin cancers found and removed early are almost always curable.

*Have any new or unusual moles checked promptly by your doctor.

3. Breast cancer

After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, according to the American Cancer Society.  Here are the exams you should get and when:

* Mammogram: Get one annually, starting at age 40. Recommended to get digital mammography, which is 15%-28% more effective than standard film mammograms in detecting tumors in women under 50.

* Ultrasound: This painless procedure, in which high-frequency sound waves produce pictures of your breasts, is recommended for women with dense breast tissue. A dense breast has less fat in proportion to the glandular and connective tissue, and it is a risk factor for breast cancer. A mammogram can determine your breast density. Ultrasound can detect small breast cancers that mammograms don’t pick up. Have the screening once or twice yearly.

* Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Have an MRI once or twice annually, in addition to a mammogram,if you’re at high risk for breast cancer. Those risks includegene mutations (defects) inherited from a parent, such as BRCA 1 and BRCA 2; a strong family history of breast cancer; your having had breast cancer; or you had radiation treatments as a teenager.

* Molecular biological testing: Not readily available yet, these tests will help determine how quickly tumors are growing and whether the cells’ genetic material makes them resistant to chemotherapy.

4. Depression

Depression – a mental health condition marked by difficulty sleeping and eating, lack of enthusiasm for work and simply not enjoying life – is on the rise. Depression strikes women more frequently than men too. In 2008, 8.1% of U.S. women were depressed, compared with 4.6% of men, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. The gender gap is greatest between puberty and menopause. Depression can’t be prevented, but it can be treated. Here’s how:

*Meditation helps depressed people who focus on racing negative thoughts. Instead of playing the same negative mental tape repeatedly in your head, meditation helps you focus on the present and move into active problem-solving.

* Medications: Newer antidepressants, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs (including brand names Prozac, Zoloft and Lexapro), often help. So do serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, or SNRIs (including brand names Effexor and Cymbalta). Older antidepressant medications, such as tricyclics and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), are prescribed occasionally. Also recommended is short-term, intensive talk therapy in conjunction with medication.

5. Thyroid diseases

The butterfly-shaped thyroid gland, which sits below the Adam’s apple in your neck, does some heavy lifting. It regulates your body temperature and metabolism, which determines how fast you burn calories. About 20 million Americans have some form of thyroid disease, and women are 5-8 times more likely than men to get them, according to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Two common health conditions are associated with your thyroid:

*Hypothyroidism, which occurs when the gland produces too little hormone (you feel cold and tired). It’s often caused by an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto’s disease.

*Hyperthyroidism, in which the thyroid produces too much hormone (heart rate increases, and you sweat and gain weight). It’s usually caused by an autoimmune disorder called Graves’ disease.

Diagnosed cases of thyroid cancer are up about 6.5% in recent years, according to the National Cancer Institute, partly because advances in ultrasound technology have allowed doctors to detect smaller tumors. Although not life-threatening, hypothyroidism or hypothyroidism can affect your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Thyroid diseases are lifelong, but treatable:

*Hypothyroidism is treated with a drug called levothyroxine, a synthetic hormone tablet.

*Hyperthyroidism usually is treated with drugs that block hormone production; radioactive iodine, which disables the gland; or surgery, which removes part or all of the gland, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

11 Hidden Headache Triggers

When your head hurts, nothing seems right with the world. But the reasons you get that throbbing pain may surprise you. Read on for 11 little-known headache triggers and how to avoid them. Plus, figuring out the symptoms is an important part of finding the right relief...

1. Don’t be a hothead.

A 2009 study published in the medical journal Neurology found that the risk for severe headache increased about 7.5% for every 9˚F the temperature rose.  Stay in an air-conditioned environment on hotdays,and keep well-hydrated when outdoors or exercising.

2. Put down the pills.

When taken too frequently, prescription narcotics or medicines containing caffeine and antihistamines can interfere with the brain’s pain-regulation system.  Limit pain meds to two days a week, and never take more than the label allows.

3. Eat something.

Your brain runs on two things: glucose, which comes from the food you eat, and oxygen. When it doesn't get enough of either, the brain tells you its needs aren't getting met by firing up pain-sensitive neurons.  Make sure you eat at least every 4-6 hours.

4. Don’t choose Cheddar.

Fermented or aged products –including cider vinegar; soy sauce; sauerkraut; and cheeses such as Cheddar, blue and Swiss – contain tyramine, an amino acid that can trigger headaches by constrictingand expanding blood vessels. Keep track of what you eat and when your headaches strike. If you find that certain foods are triggers, try cutting them out for a while and see if it helps.

5. Maximize magnesium.

If you’re not getting enough of this important element, you may have headaches. Up to 50% of people who suffer from acute migraine attacks have low levels of magnesium in their blood.  Add more magnesium-rich foods to your diet, including green veggies such as spinach, wholegrains, fish,seeds and nuts.

6. Don’t save relaxation for vacation

Look for ways to decompress everyday. That way, when you do relax on vacation, it won’t be such a shock to your body. One of the best ways is to practice stress-reduction techniques such as yoga or meditation.

7. Stay hydrated.

Dehydration causes blood to becomes thicker, resulting in a reduced flow of oxygen to the brain and an increase in the migraine-triggering brain-chemical serotonin. 
Down at least eight to ten 8-ounce glasses of water and other healthful beverages each day. If you feel a headache coming on, drink water or a sports drink and see if that helps.

8. Overcome period pain.

As many as 60% of women who are prone to migraines suffer from headache pain either right before or during their periods, usually due to a drop in estrogen, according to the National Headache Foundation.  Magnesium supplements can be effective for menstrual headaches. So can taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication (such as ibuprofen) before the headache strikes.

9. Outsmart your computer.

Practice good ergonomics to prevent computer eyestrain and the headaches that come with it. Set your monitor so the top of the screen is slightly below eye level. Take a computer time-out as often as you can (every 15 minutes). Get in the habit of blinking more frequently, and use lubricating eye drops when you know you’re going to be in front of the screen for extended lengths of time. Also, sit up straight and make sure your chair supports your neck and back.

10. Change the Chanel.

Nerve pathways in the nose lead directly to the center of the brain, and strong scents can set off a cascade of chemicals that bring on a headache. Make sure your office is well-ventilated withan open window or fan that blows the scent away from you.

11. Stop the nightly grind.

If you often have a headache when you wake in the morning, your doctor should check you for serious issues such as sleep apnea, in which you occasionally stop breathing in your sleep. But a lesser-known reason is clenching or grinding your teeth at night. Known as bruxism, this problem can be exacerbated by stress, medications or poor tooth alignment, but there isn’t always an obvious reason.  Ask your dentist to check for signs of tooth-grinding, including cracked or worn-down teeth. You may be fitted with a custom night guard, which keeps your teeth from touching and helps realign your bite while you sleep. Some people find that relaxing before bed with a warm bath, meditation or deep-breathing exercises also helps.