Women life Stages and Health

A woman’s life stages are based on the reproductive cycle, beginning with menstruation and ending with menopause. Her life stages are marked by specific signs and symptoms, such as menstrual cramps, mood swings, hot flashes and weight gain.A woman’s life stages can also be divided into adolescence, reproductive years, midlife and postmenopausal. At each of the stages, women need special health care that relates to where they are in life.

Woman Life Stage – Teenage:

The teen years or adolescence includes hair specific problems, irregular periods, polycystic ovary, sexual health issues, nutritional health problems like anorexia nervosa, etc.At this stage in life, girls should take a balanced diet, drink plenty of milk, eat fruits and opt for a diet rich in calcium. At least 1200 mg consumption a day is recommended. This is the time bones are gaining their greatest strength for the rest of your life.

Woman Life Stage – Reproductive Age:

During the reproductive years, a woman has to go through pregnancy and all its complications. Programs of contraception’s and its failure, abnormal uterine bleeding and sexually transmitted diseases are few health problems. Regular PAP smear and preventive health check- up can detect few diseases at its earliest

Woman Life Stage – Menopause & middle age:

In midlife as mature adults, maintaining cardiovascular heath with aerobic activity, and maintaining flexibility and posture are important exercise related goals for health at this stage.For many women, breast health includes concerns about breast lumps, breast pain or nipple discharge. To promote breast health, consider doing breast self exams. It’s also important to understand common screening and diagnostic tests for breast health –such as clinical breast exams and breast ultrasound. Mammography is recommended for all women above 40 yrs. Every two years.

As you go through menopause, your symptoms of night sweets, hot flashes, irritability, and moodiness will be reduced by regular exercise and hormone replacement therapy. If you are taking latter, then it should be on the lowest dose, and not to be taken for more than five year. At this stage, urinary inconvenience can be troublesome and Kegel and Pelvic exercises can be a great help. Osteoporosis or brittle bone is another crippling problem which can be alleviated by doing regular exercise and calcium containing diet along with supplements.

All these challenges at different stages of a women’s life can be dealt by a healthy lifestyle and it is important to consult the doctor at the slighted abnormal symptoms.