How hormones can get in your way

Research shows that fluctuations in your hormones can actually affect your health all month long. Here’s how:

Week ONE and TWO. During week one and two, your cholesterol spikes. According to research, your total cholesterol levels rise by almost 20 percent during the follicular phase. Make sure to visit your doctor around the same time of the month for consistent comparisons.

Week THREE. During week three, multitasking becomes more difficult. This is because you have higher levels of estrogen during ovulation which may affect your ability to concentrate. Make sure to take extra time to concentrate or focus in things you need to get done. Additionally, you feel sexier. During the third week of the month, women are most fertile, which also means they are often in the mood.

Week FOUR. Your symptoms intensify. If you have a certain health condition such as asthma, depression or chronic headaches, your symptoms may feel worse right before your period. During week four, it is likely that your gums are sensitive. This is because your progesterone increases before menstruation which can increase gum inflammation and discomfort. Make sure to visit your dentist at the start of your cycle, or take a pain reliever first. Lastly, during week four, your cravings peak. This is because the decrease in estrogen causes a reduction in your brain's feel-good chemicals. This makes you crave sugar and starch. 

Top Chronic Diseases in Women

While women generally live longer than men do, they also tend to be more affected by chronic illness and long-term disease. Chronic disease can affect quality of life, increase the risk of other health problems, incur costly medical care, decrease longevity and increase the risk of death.

1.     Current Depression: severe symptoms that interfere with your daily life. This means it interferes with work, sleep, studying, eating, and general daily activities. Caused by a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors.

2.     Hypertension: high blood pressure is a condition that forces more than normal amount of blood against artery walls.  This long term force can lead to heart disease and other health problems.  This can also increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

 3.     Diabetes: this is a metabolic disease and chronic condition that affects the way your body metabolizes sugar, an important source of fuel for your body. In type 2 diabetes, the body either resists the effect of insulin or doesn’t produce enough, thereby affecting the levels of glucose in the blood. For some, diet, exercise and maintaining a heathy weight are enough to manage the chronic disease.

 4.     Serious psychological distress: This chronic mental disorder, can seriously interfere with social, work and study situations. Women suffering from this are more likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, and diabetes. 

The biggest risk factors for chronic disease in women are the following:

1.     Insufficient physical activity

2.     Obesity

3.     Smoking

4.     High cholesterol

Just about half of all women are not getting enough exercise and a little more than 30% suffer from obesity.  To add to that among women of reproductive age, more than 18% are smokers and almost 8% suffer from high cholesterol.  All of these factors increase the risk of the top chronic diseases affecting women mentioned above.