Our health is an important concern for all people, but did you know that there are various things we have to look at based on our gender? Men and women are not created equally from a biological standpoint, so learning the differences between the genders and knowing how to keep healthy is essential. Below are some things you may not have known about women’s health.
Don’t Forget Your Heart!
While women tend to focus more on cancer (especially breast cancer), there is actually a higher chance of death from heart disease. One out of every three deaths is because of heart disease, while breast cancer is one in every 31 American women. It is also important to note that signs of a heart attack differ between men and women.
Women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain before a heart attack. Other signs that women might be experiencing a heart attack are dizziness, lightheaded or fainting, and pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen. Understanding the signs of heart issues is half the battle, and the early you catch these, the earlier you can treat them.
Your Immune System
Ever wonder why it seems like men suffer from illnesses seemingly worse than women do? That is all thanks to female immune systems generally being better. Studies have begun to find that women have stronger immune systems than men do. There are several theories as to why this is, but research is still ongoing. Research shows that women respond better to vaccines, and are less likely to suffer from bacterial, viral, fungal, and other types of infections.
Women are also more likely to survive injury and trauma. Research suggests some of this has to do with the amount of testosterone in a female’s system, as the more testosterone, the lower the antibody response. Other researchers are looking at the genetic aspect of it as well. That little bit extra women have on their sex chromosomes might have something to do with better immune system responses.
Greater Flexibility
Women have been found to have better flexibility and more muscle endurance. This is partly due to what women’s bodies are expected to go through during pregnancy. Women have more elastin in their muscles and tendons. Elastin is a protein that allows females to stretch and grant greater flexibility. More than that, because women have to accommodate a person growing inside them for nine months, their spine flexibility is also greater, specifically having the curve of the lower spine span across three vertebrae instead of the two vertebrae in men.
Our bodies are great, regardless of gender. Women have interesting differences from men biologically, but both genders can do amazing physical feats and require different care for the body.
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