Heart Attack To Cervical Cancer: 5 Most Common Diseases In Women

Take a look at the 5 most prevalent health concerns impacting women, and what you can do to manage your risk.

When we talk about women's health, the focus inadvertently goes to their reproductive health. Otherwise, the reason why the focus goes on women's health is that she is responsible for the working and overall health of the family. It is now time, that women are given emphasis in healthcare as their own individuals who deserve to be healthy and happy for their own sake. Today, we have Dr Jyoti Sharma, Sr. Consultant Obstetrics and Gynecology, Manipal Hospitals, Gurugram, with us to help understand what are the 5 most common silent killers for women.

Common Diseases In Women

According to Hologic Global Women's Health Index, only 12% of women globally stated that they were tested for cancer within the last 12 months. Cancer kills 10 million people globally on average still testing is not being done. This reinforces the need for women to take their health more seriously. With that, here are the top 5 diseases that impact women in India each year and how often they should be tested for:

Breast Cancer

One of the most common cancers affecting women is breast cancer. Breast cancer impacts over 2 million women in one year with a survival rate of only 66% for Indian women after being diagnosed. The test done for breast cancer screening is a mammogram which is an x-ray of the breast and is recommended to be done once every two years.

Cervical Cancer

More than 1 lakh women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in India and close to 70 thousand lose their life to the disease. For cervical cancer, a Pap smear test is recommended every three years for women after 21 years of age.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Over 1 million new cases of STDs are recorded every day worldwide. Common STDs in women are HPV, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and herpes. STDs are tested with the help of blood samples, urine tests, and fluid samples. Women must get tested for these diseases as soon as they experience symptoms like a rash, itchiness, pain or lumps, unusual discharge, irregular bleeding, and more.

Heart Diseases

Heart attacks and strokes are the leading causes of death in women in India. Due to unawareness of symptoms, lack of timely diagnosis, and hesitancy in seeking treatment, many women lose their life due to heart disease. India is expected to record close to 5 million cases of cardiovascular diseases each year.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

PCOS is a prevalent endocrine disorder that affects menstruating women. PCOS causes irregular periods, cysts in the ovaries, sudden weight gain, acne, and excessive hair growth on the body and face. If left untreated, PCOS leads to severe complications such as infertility, diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, and uterine cancers. A diagnosis for PCOS is done through a pelvic exam, blood tests to measure hormone levels, and ultrasound. If a person is experiencing missed periods, hair loss, weight gain, and other symptoms then they should ensure to get tested for PCOS.