In today’s society there are many health issues women live with everyday, learning about the potential health problems and symptoms can help women identify possible health problems. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, according to the National Women’s Health Information Center coordinated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Heart disease includes a number of abnormal conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels in the heart, according to the NWHIC. Types of heart disease include: coronary artery disease, the most common type and the leading cause of heart attacks; heart failure, which occurs when the heart is not able to pump blood through the body as well as it should; and heart arrhythmia, changes in the beat of the heart, according to the NWHIC.
Understanding the early signs of heart disease can help women recognize their body’s call for help, Kim Webre, a registered nurse at the University Health Center, said.
“Signals include blood pressure increase, shortness of breath and increased pulse,” Webre said.
Obesity is another big problem, especially in southern Louisiana, Webre said. Obesity happens when there is too much body fat, and it is not a sign of someone out of control, but a serious medical disease, according to the American Obesity Association.
Webre said she thinks obesity is caused by lifestyle, and female students tend to eat a lot of fast food.
“Students are too busy to take the time for exercise or healthy eating,” Webre said.
The bathroom scale may give a measure of weight, but it is not the best way to determine if someone is obese. The Body Mass Index chart gives a number based on both height and weight and the BMI number helps determine if subjects are at a healthy weight, according to the American Obesity Association.
Students who want to change their bad habits to healthier habits should set small goals like exercising for at least 20 minutes two days a week, Webre said.
According to the American Obesity Association, causes for obesity are genetics, environment and behavior.
According to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted viral infection. Most people who have HPV do not know they are infected, according to the CDC.
HPV is one of the most common viral STDs. The HPV infection is usually diagnosed based on results from an abnormal Pap smear, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The virus is in the skin or mucous membranes and usually causes no symptoms, but some people get visible genital warts or have pre-cancerous changes in the genital region, according to the CDC.
According to the CDC, HPV can lead to the development of cervical cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates about 10,520 women will develop invasive cervical cancer and about 3,900 women will die from this disease.
In June 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil, the first vaccine to prevent developments from HPV, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
In the United States, as many as 10 million females are fighting an eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Eating disorders are illnesses with a biological basis modified and influenced by emotional and cultural factors, according to the NEDA.
Most women hide the disease until they have the medical problems that follow, but since students are in college they have no one to watch over them, Webre said.
“Students with eating disorders are on this campus more abundantly than we know,” Webre said.
The eating disorder anorexia nervosa is a condition characterized by the refusal to maintain the expected weight for the person’s age and height, the intense fear of weight gain, distorted body perception and self-induced starvation, according to NEDA.
The health consequences of anorexia include abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart failure; osteoporosis, which results in brittle bones; muscle loss; severe dehydration, which can cause kidney failure; fainting; fatigue and overall weakness, according to NEDA.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder defined as recurrent episodes of binge eating and self-induced purging, according to NEDA. Regular intake of large amounts of food accompanied by a loss of control over eating; extreme concern with body weight and regular use of inappropriate behaviors such as self-induced vomiting, using laxatives, fasting and obsessive exercise, according to NEDA.
According to NEDA, the health consequences include electrolyte imbalances, inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus, tooth decay and staining from the stomach acids released during purging, chronic irregular bowel movements and gastric rupture.
Binge Eating Disorder is a type of eating disorder described as recurrent binge eating without purging, according to NEDA. NEDA characterizes the symptoms of the binge eating disorder by frequent episodes of eating large quantities of food in short periods of time, out of control eating behavior, eating when not hungry and eating in secret.
According to NEDA, the health consequences of the binge eating disorder include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and gallbladder disease.
“Eating disorders are problems that are increasing more and more,” Webre said.
Breast Cancer is the most common cancerous growth in women and the second leading cause of cancer death, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The American Cancer Society estimates 211,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year and 43,300 patients will die from the disease.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, women have different types of breast cancer, meaning different cell populations within the tumor itself. Symptoms of breast cancer include one breast larger than the other, red or pink skin, swelling, a rash on the breast, pain, itchiness, thickened areas of the breast, nipple discharge and swollen lymph nodes under the armpit and nipples that appear inverted or flattened, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
“There are suggested ages to get checked for breast cancer, but the women with bigger breasts should get checked earlier,” Webre said.
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the risk factors of breast cancer are diets high in saturated fat, family history of breast cancer, moderate alcohol intake, history of prior breast cancer, and moderate obesity.
