The woman’s body is wonderfully complex and delicate. However, multiple roles as the mother, daughter, wife, homemaker, wage earner can be physically and mentally quite taxing. As a woman, you might share some common health risks with men, such as heart disease, but because of your special reproductive role, you are also at risk of some distinctly female disorders.

With regards to women health care there are many tips that will help ensure you to take proper care of yourself and leave yourself as healthy and happy as possible. One of the best things that you can do is, start to put yourself first, leaving all the priorities at back. And for proper health and wellness you need to look good to feel good.

It only takes a little more than 10 minutes of physical activity a day to start seeing and feeling the improvements, and to live longer. Any additional activity on top of that is just going to help boost your overall health and maximize your life span.

Drinking a cup of tea a day is one of the best ways of maximizing your life span and to maintain good health. Green tea as well as black tea contain great amounts of caffeines which are responsible for the risk of cancer as well as many forms of heart diseases.

Strong legs are important for women’s well-being
Most women in their 70’s and 80’s tend to decline in their health rapidly because of hip fracture mostly caused when they fall down. Once that happens, the immobilization prevents them from getting their much needed exercise to ensure a healthy lifestyle. This problem can easily be prevented by doing some simple thigh and leg exercises on a daily basis.

It is a well-known fact that clean water is absolutely essential for healthy living. Adequate supply of fresh and clean drinking water is a basic need for all human beings on the earth, yet it has been observed that millions of people worldwide are deprived of this.

Freshwater resources all over the world are threatened not only by over exploitation and poor management but also by ecological degradation. The main source of freshwater pollution can be attributed to discharge of untreated waste, dumping of industrial effluent, and run-off from agricultural fields. Industrial growth, urbanization and the increasing use of synthetic organic substances have serious and adverse impacts on freshwater bodies. It is a generally accepted fact that the developed countries suffer from problems of chemical discharge into the water sources mainly groundwater, while developing countries face problems of agricultural run-off in water sources. Polluted water like chemicals in drinking water causes problem to health and leads to water-borne diseases which can be prevented by taking measures can be taken even at the household level.

Groundwater and its contamination
In the urban areas water gets contaminated in many different ways, some of the most common reasons being leaky water pipe joints in areas where the water pipe and sewage line pass close together. Sometimes the water gets polluted at source due to various reasons and mainly due to inflow of sewage into the source.

Ground water can be contaminated through various sources and some of these are mentioned below.

Pesticides. Run-off from farms, backyards, and golf courses contain pesticides such as DDT that in turn contaminate the water. Leechate from landfill sites is another major contaminating source. Its effects on the ecosystems and health are endocrine and reproductive damage in wildlife. Groundwater is susceptible to contamination, as pesticides are mobile in the soil. It is a matter of concern as these chemicals are persistent in the soil and water.

Sewage. Untreated or inadequately treated municipal sewage is a major source of groundwater and surface water pollution in the developing countries. The organic material that is discharged with municipal waste into the watercourses uses substantial oxygen for biological degradation thereby upsetting the ecological balance of rivers and lakes. Sewage also carries microbial pathogens that are the cause of the spread of disease.

Nutrients. Domestic waste water, agricultural run-off, and industrial effluents contain phosphorus and nitrogen, fertilizer run-off, manure from livestock operations, which increase the level of nutrients in water bodies and can cause eutrophication in the lakes and rivers and continue on to the coastal areas. The nitrates come mainly from the fertilizer that is added to the fields. Excessive use of fertilizers cause nitrate contamination of groundwater, with the result that nitrate levels in drinking water is far above the safety levels recommended. Good agricultural practices can help in reducing the amount of nitrates in the soil and thereby lower its content in the water.

ENCEPHALITIS

Encephalitis in various forms such as St. Louis, Western Equine, La Crosse, Eastern Equine, and West Nile, which was recently discovered in the Northeast is endemic to the United States and increasing in incidence. Although extremely rare, Eastern Equine Encephalitis has a 30% – 60% mortality rate once contracted. Severe damage to the central nervous system occurs in those that survive the illness.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is maintained in nature through a cycle between the Culiseta melanura mosquito and birds that live in freshwater swamps. Although Culiseta melanura do not bite humans, some mosquitoes will “cross bite”; i.e., bite an infected bird and then bite a human or animal (horse, emu, and other exotic birds), thereby spreading the disease. These mosquitoes are also known as “bridge vectors”. A vector is a species that transmits a disease from one host to another. These bridge vectors may take a meal from a bird and later take another meal from a mammal.

Symptoms usually occur within two to ten days after being bitten by an infected mosquito. These symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, headache, confusion, and lethargy. Encephalitis, swelling of the brain, is the most dangerous symptom. Rhode Island has confirmed five cases of EEE with two deaths in the last thirteen years.

WEST NILE FEVER

West Nile Virus symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and rash, which are mild symptoms to severe symptoms that include neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremor, coma, vision loss, and paralysis. These severe symptoms could last weeks or could be permanent. The onset of symptoms usually begins three to 14 days after a mosquito bite. Unlike Eastern Equine Encephalitis, 80% of the people who are infected with WNV will show no symptoms at all. 20% will show mild to serious symptoms. People who are mostly likely to show symptoms if bitten by an infected mosquito are infants, the elderly and people with auto-immune difficiencies.

The human body cannot survive for more than a very few minutes in an environment that lacks oxygen. Oxygen is required for the normal functioning of all living body cells. This vital gas reaches the body cells via the bloodstream; each red blood cell transports oxygen molecules to the body tissues. The oxygen comes from the atmosphere one breathes, and it enters the bloodstream through the very thin membrane walls of the lung tissue, a fresh supply of oxygen entering the bloodstream each time a person inhales. As the red blood cells circulating through the walls of the lung tissue pick up their fresh supply of oxygen, they release molecules of carbon dioxide given off by the body cells as a waste product of metabolism. When a person exhales, the lungs are squeezed somewhat like a bellows, and the carbon dioxide is expelled from the lungs.

The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Infections of the urinary tract (UTIs) are the second most common type of infection in the body. You may have a UTI if you notice

• Pain or burning when you use the bathroom
• Fever, tiredness or shakiness
• An urge to use the bathroom often
• Pressure in your lower belly
• Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy or reddish
• Less frequently, nausea or back pain

If you think you have a UTI, it is important to see your doctor. Your doctor can tell if you have a UTI by testing a sample of your urine. Treatment with medicines to kill the infection will make it better, often in one or two days.

Sometimes treating diseases of the digestive or urinary systems involves removing all or part of your small intestine, colon, rectum or bladder. In these cases, there must be a new way for wastes to leave the body. The surgery to create the new opening in the abdomen is called ostomy. The opening is called a stoma.

There are many different types of ostomy. Some examples are

• Ileostomy: The surgeon removes the colon and rectum and attaches the bottom of the small intestine (ileum) to the stoma.
• Colostomy: The surgeon removes the rectum and attaches the colon to the stoma.
• Urostomy: The surgeon attaches the ureters – the tubes that carry urine to the bladder – to either the small intestine or to the abdominal wall.

Women tend to get urinary tract infections more often than men because bacteria can reach the bladder more easily in women. The urethra is shorter in women than in men, so bacteria have a shorter distance to travel.

The urethra is also located near the rectum in women. Bacteria from the rectum can easily travel up the urethra and cause infections.

Having sex may also cause urinary tract infections in women because bacteria can be pushed into the urethra. Using a diaphragm can lead to infections because diaphragms push against the urethra and make it harder to completely empty the bladder. The urine that stays in the bladder is more likely to grow bacteria and cause infections.

This information sheet has been produced by the Health and Safety in Catering Industry Liaison Committee consisting of trade and professional associations, unions and enforcement authorities. It is intended that it will be reproduced through member associations and other avenues to reach catering establishments.

Sheet uses analysis of accidents reported to HSE and local authorities and HSE investigations to point employers, employees and inspectors to the situations and equipment in catering activities to concentrate on. Past experience shows that these give the most significant risks in catering in practice. These situations in particular should be carefully assessed to ensure appropriate precautions are, and remain, in place.

The analysis was confined to injuries reported while the person was engaged in catering activities, ie preparation of meals etc. It therefore excludes other activities that can take place in establishments where catering is done, but it captures catering activities in premises where the main activity is other than meal preparation.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in western civilization. It affects more women than men, and the clinical course generally lasts approximately five years.  The younger the individual is at the onset of the disease, the more severe the deficits for the patient.  One famous contemporary who suffers from the disease is former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

The cerebral cortex and some other forebrain regions atrophy so severely that the brain may weigh less than 1000g at death. Shrinkage is most pronounced in the frontal and temporal lobes.  The insula and the medial part of the temporal lobe tend to demonstrate the highest  number of neuritic plaques.  The greater the number of plaques the higher the degree of dementia.  The disease often causes vacuolization of the subpial layers of the temporal and parietal lobes.  The spongy state is associated with neuronal loss and is similar to the effects of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Researchers continue to search for causes and cures for AD.  The gene that codes for the B-amyloid protein located on chromosome 21 is implicated in the 20% of  patients for whom there is a family history of AD.  Head injury has been implicated in 3 to 5 % of AD cases.  There is a 70 to 90% decrease in the production of the enzyme that makes acetylcholine.  Other neurotransmitter abnormalities have also been implicated.

Almost all eye itching is caused by some sort of allergy. Very often, mild itching can be helped with over-the-counter lubricating eye drops. I’d avoid the ones that take away redness (decongestants), as they can be addictive. You can also use cold compresses or ice packs to help with itchy eyes.

More severe itching may need extra help, such as oral antihistamines or prescription eye drops. Although itchy eyes are not an emergency, you still may need to consult your eye doctor for advice or a prescription.

If your eyelids are red and inflamed, you could have blepharitis. Make sure you visit your eye doctor to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

Quick Tip: Try to avoid rubbing your eyes! Rubbing releases chemicals called histamines that actually make the itching worse.

About one-third of Americans sleep 6.5 hours or less a night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. While these Americans may be putting their health at risk, people shouldn’t spend all of their time sleeping, either; research shows that sleeping more than nine hours may also have deleterious effects, although the reasons for this are less clear.

I think there are two or three things that may be important. Short-term studies show that with sleep deprivation, the sympathatic nervous system becomes activated. As a result, your blood vessels constrict and your blood pressure tends to go up. And we think that may play a role in heart disease. Sleep deprivation probably also affects the regulation of blood sugar. If you’re sleep deprived, it requires more insulin to keep your blood sugar where it should be than it does if you’re not sleep deprived.

There have been at least three major studies of huge groups of people to look at the relationship between sleep duration and some of these outcomes, and they’ve all shown that if you sleep too long, you tend to get adverse outcomes. In some cases, the outcome was heart disease.