9 Health Issues Women Usually Neglect

While annual physical exams are an important part of a healthy lifestyle, proper self-care is just as important. If you have noticed some strange symptoms, you shouldn’t ignore them and wait until your next scheduled visit to the doctor. But women often neglect this and seek medical help when the disease causes serious side effects. 

Don’t miss these 9 health issues that women shouldn’t ignore to ensure overall health.

1. Abdominal pressure and bloating

Bloating can occur as a result of something you ate or as a side effect of PMS. But sometimes bloating can indicate underlying health issues. When accompanied by abdominal pressure or persistent pain in the abdominal area, this could be a sign of ovarian cancer. The tumor increases the mass of ovaries and presses the abdominal organs. 

Women often neglect this symptom and this is the biggest problem because cancer continues spreading further. If you experience persistent bloating that isn’t associated with foods you ate or PMS, visit your doctor to check it. 

2. Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath is one of little and often ignored by women symptoms of heart disease. Women often perceive the shortness of breath as a mild symptom of flu, but this actually can be something more serious. In the case of heart disease, breathing difficulties can be accompanied by headaches and dizziness. If you experience these symptoms, it is crucial to get immediate and potentially life-saving treatment.

Of course, these symptoms don’t necessarily indicate life-threatening health conditions. However, if you regularly experience them you need to check it with your doctor. 

3. Fatigue

If you have trouble sleeping, then it is clear why you experience fatigue. But if you regularly feel restless after 7 hours of continuous night’s sleep, you may have an underlying condition that depletes your body of energy. Liver failure, chronic infections, kidney disease, and cancer are just a small part of the disease that can be responsible for fatigue. Another disease that can cause fatigue is sleep apnea. It causes breathing difficulties during the night’s sleep.

However, the most common cause of fatigue is poor sleeping hygiene. Using electronic devices before the bed or sleeping in uncomfortable clothes often disrupts the night’s sleep and leaves you restless.  

4. Pain during sex

Occasionally, you may feel some discomfort during sex because of an uncomfortable position or poor lubrication. But if you regularly experience debilitating pain during sex, this is something you need to discuss with your gynecologist. Painful intercourse can be caused by health conditions like endometriosis, vaginal infections, vaginismus, vulvodynia, or physiological features. 

Another common cause of pain during sex is uterine fibroids. They may also cause heavy periods, spotting between periods, or pelvic pressure. If you suspect you have fibroids, visit a fibroid treatment clinic to get a diagnosis and treatment. 

5. Changes in bowel movements

It is normal to experience changes in bowel movements if you have changed your diet or ate something unusual. If one morning your stool suddenly becomes different, don’t worry yourself. But if changes in bowel movements are accompanied by blood in your stool or sudden weight loss, this can be a symptom of colon cancer.

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death for women. This happens because the early stages of colon cancer often go overlooked. The changes in bowel movements don’t always indicate cancer, but this is a reason to become more mindful about your health. 

6. Itching down there

While itching can indicate serious vaginal infections, women often ignore this symptom. Itching is a common symptom of bacterial vaginosis. This condition can cause other symptoms that include burning urination, discharges, fishy odor, and itching. This condition needs to be treated otherwise you become more vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases. Over time, bacterial vaginosis may progress and turn into pelvic inflammatory disease. 

If you suspect you have bacterial vaginosis, visit your gynecologist to get tested. You may consider over-the-counter remedies to treat an infection, but they often aren't effective against gynecological infections. For this reason, contacting your gynecologist at the first sign of this health issue is the best way to ensure your health. 

7. Bleeding gums

Gums bleeding is a symptom of inflammatory gum disease. Women often ignore this symptom because it doesn’t cause symptoms except for blood in the sink when you split the toothpaste. Over half of the adult population has a certain degree of gum disease. This condition is caused by bacteria accumulation in your mouth. It weakens your gums and over time may lead to the loss of jaw bone, soft tissues, and tooth loss.

Gum disease may also take a toll on your overall health. If bacteria spread from your mouth to other parts of your body, this can cause overall body inflammation. Inflammation increases your risk of serious health conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and heart disease. 

8. Frequent urination

Frequent urination can indicate something mild like a urinary tract infection. But if you have noticed blood in the urine or experience pain above the bladder, it can be a sign of bladder cancer. This condition is often overlooked by women because it is more likely to affect men than women. But this doesn’t mean that you cannot get this type of cancer.

This is important to diagnose cancer in the early stages because this increases the effectiveness of treatment and prevents serious side effects. If you have the symptoms mentioned above, visit your doctor for an examination. 

9. Skin dryness

There are a lot of things that can trigger skin dryness from time to time. For this reason, women tend to neglect this symptom. Your skin may become dry because you are always taking a hot shower or not using cream in the cold weather. But if your skin is persistently dry despite moisturizing it, this can be a precursor to diabetes. Other symptoms of diabetes include scaly patches of skin on your eyelids, ulcers on the feet, and skin irritation. 

If you notice these symptoms, it is recommended to talk with your doctor about them. The healthcare provider may suggest a test to check your blood sugar levels.