Health risks women face

KANISA GEORGE

The differences between men and women, simply put, are astonishing. Beyond the obvious dissimilarities in genitalia and our pursuits and interests, men and women are creatures with distinct features. Sometimes, those differences are so alarming they further add to the narrative that women are the weaker more vulnerable sex.

Health issues are common to both men and women, yet they can affect women differently. Although the symptoms may be similar, the effects of some conditions and the care required can differ significantly for women.

In moderate doses, stress can act as a challenger that keeps us alert, motivated and on top of our game. As women, we battle with what can only be described as relentless stressors. Miscarriages, body image issues, single-parenthood and unstable romantic relations infiltrate our lives and create toxic stress levels. When stress levels are high, they can make us sick and worsen disease and lifestyle illnesses.

Have you ever heard of the “stress gap?”

Between domestic duties and emotional labour, women are more stressed than men are, according to one study referenced in the New York Times. It follows that women are twice as likely to suffer from severe stress and anxiety.

A survey done by The Journal of the American Psychological Association reports a gender gap year after year, showing that women consistently report higher stress levels. The result, chronic stress, which sometimes triggers mental health issues, stroke and heart attack. Further results confirm that as a result, women are more likely to experience disturbed sleep, anxiety and unusual fatigue before a heart attack.

Our unique anatomy also plays a crucial role in creating more significant risks for us than men of the same age and ethnic background. Statistically, more women than men suffer a stroke each year. Oddly enough, many of the risk factors for stroke are the same for men and women, including a family history of stroke, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Women, however, have additional risk factors unique to us, simply on account of being female.

Women taking birth control, undergoing hormone replacement therapy, or using fertility drugs are at a greater risk for stroke because of shifting oestrogen levels. Changing oestrogen levels vastly impact the substances in the blood that causes clots, which increases our risk for stroke. Also, women who are pregnant or have a thick waist larger than 35.2 inches, particularly post-menopausal women, are at risk for stroke. Though rare in pregnant women, pregnancy and childbirth do slightly increase our stroke risks due to blood becoming more ‘sticky’, making it likely to form clots.

Osteoporosis or “brittle bones” can affect both men and women, but women are often at higher risk for osteoporosis than men due to our genetic makeup. In 2019, the International Osteoporosis Foundation reported that over 200 million women worldwide were affected by this disease.

As we age we lose bones density. And because women reach peak bone mass around age 18, compared to men who reach their peak bone mass around 20, women start to lose bone density at earlier ages than men.

One article explained that in women, the reproductive hormone oestrogen is partly responsible for regulating and maintaining healthy bones. As menopause approaches, a woman’s risk for osteoporosis will increase as oestrogen hormone levels start to fluctuate or deplete.

The covid19 vaccination is a subject matter of strong concern, so too is the risk of blood clots associated with it. Expert data suggest that three in every one million individuals would be at risk of developing a fatal blood clot. What’s far more alarming is the added risk associated with women. For women who take combined oral contraception, the risk is five to 12 women in every 10,000 and one to two women in every 1,000 for pregnant women and women six weeks postnatal.

And it doesn’t stop there. A handful of studies seem to suggest that women are more likely to be misdiagnosed, undiagnosed or receive inadequate medical attention. This is sadly linked to gender bias views that label men as silent stoics and women as hysterical hypochondriacs. One ground-breaking study titled The girl who cried pain, analysed how gender bias affects clinical pain management. They examined several previous studies, including one that indicated women are more likely to be given sedatives for their pain and men given pain medication and concluded that women were more likely to be inadequately treated by healthcare providers.

In a world where differences are welcomed, it may come as a surprise when they work against us. To ward off these risks, we must remain mindful of what they are, how they affect us and work hard to keep them at bay.