Women Affected Differently by Common Health Problems, says Marla Ahlgrimm

Marla AhlgrimmMen’s and women’s bodies are not the same, says women’s health advocate, Marla Ahlgrimm. For this reason, many health issues common in both sexes affect women differently. Even when symptoms are the same, women may require significantly different care than their husbands, brothers, and sons.

Below, Marla Ahlgrimm lists a few health conditions and how they affect women.

Alcohol abuse

More than 5 million US women put their health and safety at risk by over-consuming alcohol. And though men are much more likely to become alcoholics, the effects of alcohol abuse are more pronounced in women. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, women who abuse alcohol are at a greater risk of heart disease and breast cancer as well as fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause brain damage to their unborn babies.

Heart disease

Heart disease is equally prevalent in men and women, says Marla Ahlgrimm. However, women experience fatal  heart attacks more often than men. Women are less likely to receive expedient emergency care and may not take proper preventative measures to control their bad cholesterol levels.

Mental health and stress

A recent study by the American Psychological Association found that 50% of women experience high levels of stress as opposed to just 39% of men. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that stress can reduce a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant. Depression is also more common in women than men and is the most widespread mental health issue in women.

Sexually-transmitted diseases and infections

Marla Ahlgrimm reports that no less than 24,000 US women suffer infertility every year due to untreated venereal diseases or sexually transmitted infections. STDs/STIs in women go untreated more often than those in men since symptoms are not as obvious or mimic benign conditions, such as yeast infections.

Stroke

Women and men have similar risk factors for stroke though women are more often exposed to contributors such as pregnancy, chronic migraine headaches, and birth control pills.

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