International Women’s Day: Empowering Women To Be Healthy And Happy

International Women’s Day (IWD), which took place March 8, celebrates the incredible economic, political, and social achievements made by women and draws attention to the issues that disproportionately impact women. Women’s health is a huge topic that deserves serious attention and action.

Empower yourself and the women in your life with information aboutthree issues that mainly or exclusively impact women.

BREAST CANCER

Breast cancer occurs primarily in women. Men are 100 times less likely to develop breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society reports that, with the exception of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women. According to the SEER Cancer Statistics Review, about 1 in 8 women (12%) of American women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their lives. This risk increases with age. Other risk factors include, but are not limited to:

1.       Family history

2.       Breast density

3.       Long-term use of hormone replacement therapy

4.       Body weight

5.       Ethnicity

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help prevent breast cancer. Receiving regular mammograms after the age of 50 are important steps for early detection.  After the age of 50, for example, get regular mammograms because they are important to detect cancer at an early stage when it is easier to treat.

UTERINE FIBROIDS

Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths on the uterus that can result in pain, bladder or bowel pressure, or heavy bleeding. At some point in their lives, 3 out of 4 women will develop uterine fibroids. Many never realize they have fibroids since the fibroids vary widely in size. Fibroids can range from so small they are undetectable to the human eye to so large they distort the uterus. During pregnancy, the uterine fibroids may change size or even disappear.

ENDOMETRIOSIS

Endometriosis occurs when the tissue lining the uterus (endometrium) is found outside the uterus. The misplaced tissue becomes growths or lesions, which react to the menstrual cycle as if it were still inside the uterus. Each month, the built-up tissue breaks down and sheds. Unfortunately, since it is not in the uterus, the tissue has no way to escape the body, leading to internal bleeding, inflammation, gastrointestinal issues, and pain.

While the cause of endometriosis is unknown, as many as 6.3 million American women and girls suffer from endometriosis.

TREATMENT

A wide variety of breast cancer treatments are available depending on what the cancer’s stage.

Both uterine fibroids and endometriosis can be treated with a hysterectomy. While hysterectomies are the only option in cases of cervical, uterine or ovarian cancer, they are also used to treat uncontrolled uterine hemorrhage or infection. Of the 600,000 American women who receive a hysterectomy every year, only 10% are for life-threatening conditions. Instead, hysterectomies are used to treat uterine fibroids, endometriosis, uterine prolapse, and abnormal uterine bleeding.

Early detection and treatment is important for all of these issues. Encourage the women in your life to seek the support they deserve this year. The Institute for Women’s Health is available at multiple locations across San Antonio. Call 210-349-6626 today to contact women’s health doctors in your area.