Women's Health ? Holistic Health, Beauty & Fitness Tips ? Health ...

Health-Your Right as a Woman?

As a woman and a nurse I try to live in a way that will keep me healthy and prolong my life and my ability to function at an elderly age. I, like many other women try to eat right, exercise, have gratitude, compassion and optimism and I keep my mind active. But I think we need to consider more??

Alarmingly I am concerned and questioning why some medical illnesses are going up in numbers for women and there seems to be a lack of scientific research to improve these occurrences. According to the American Cancer Society, in the U.S. it is estimated that approximately 740,000 women are diagnosed with cancer per year as of 2010 and of that somewhere around 270,000 will die. The leading cause of cancer deaths for women is lung cancer (approximately 72,000).?

??As women we need to focus on preventing disease for ourselves, our sisters and daughters. This concept is equally important as eating the right foods, exercising, getting enough sleep and nurturing our bodies and minds. Why is lung cancer one of the primary cancers killing women? Why does heart disease contribute to 50% of the deaths of women? Are we not taking care of ourselves or is something happening in our environment to cause changes in our health??

According to an article written by Ellie McGrath in Good Housekeeping, ?Lung cancer is catching up with more and more women. The disease, which is fatal for 86 percent of its victims within five years of a diagnosis, is now the leading cause of cancer death among women. Yet the disease is as preventable as it is deadly: Nearly 90 percent of lung cancer cases are smoking-related?.?

Do we not comprehend what we have been told and shown over and over again by research that smoking is bad for us?

There are approximately 25 million women smokers in the U.S. that number is doubled from 10 years ago. It appears that there may be a gene that women have that may actually accelerate lung cancer. Teen girls start smoking because their mothers and peers are smoking. It is a difficult habit to stop for some and as mothers we need to start setting examples for teen girls. Women need to quit smoking!

Once a woman stops smoking there are very specific benefits for her health:?

1. Upon cessation of smoking a woman can have a greater sense of taste, smell and have more oxygen getting to the lungs which can cause increased energy.
2. Heart rates and blood pressure go back down to a normal level once smoking is stopped.
3. Within one year of quitting, coughing, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease.
4. After five years of quitting, there is a decrease in bronchitis, pneumonia and other lung problems.
5. At 10-15 years out from quitting the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease or stroke is about the same for a woman who has never smoked.?

Heart disease is responsible for 50% of women?s deaths (DHHS stats) and is misunderstood by a lot of women. We are used to thinking it is a man?s disease but heart disease is the # 1 cause of death for women! We can?t put our heads in the sand and ignore this. Many times women will have different or no symptoms than the typical chest pain that men get. There have been numerous times a woman will go into the Emergency Room with heart problems and they are sent home with anti-anxiety medications. As women we have to have the knowledge about ourselves and take action.?

I urge you to gather knowledge, put healthy practices in place, see a medical provider you can talk to and have trust in, get a second opinion if your ?gut? tells you so and stand up for your health!

?

Source: http://healthsiteforwomen.com/healthywomen/?p=340

scrabble dictionary tori spelling bermuda office furniture apollo 13 owl city betty white