Men and women differ in many ways, from their physical structure to the types of hormones secreted and their tendencies to lifestyle habits. This leads to differences in susceptibility to certain diseases. As the era of centenarians dawns, living healthily has become more important than simply living long. To maintain our health, it’s crucial to prevent diseases in advance and take care of our bodies. So, what diseases are women more prone to than men? Let’s explore ten surprising diseases that women are more susceptible to.
Vocal Cord Nodules
Vocal cord nodules are commonly known to appear in women in their early 30s. This is a typical occupational disease suffered by people who use their voices often in their jobs, such as singers and teachers. The vocal cord mucosa gets stimulated when the voice is used without rest, causing the mucosa to swell and harden, forming nodules. Since vocal cord nodules occur due to misuse and overuse of the vocal cords, 80% of cases can improve through voice therapy that involves not using the voice or correcting the way of vocalization.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common compressive peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities. The main symptoms include numbness of the hand, burning pain in the palm and fingers, or decreased sensation. It mainly occurs in women over the age of 40 and is known to occur 3 to 4 times more frequently in women than in men. Although the cause of carpal tunnel syndrome is often unknown, frequent use of smartphones can exacerbate symptoms.
Lupus
Lupus is a disease that attacks various parts of our body, including the skin, joints, brain, kidneys, heart, and lungs, causing multiple symptoms. It can appear as mild as a common cold, but if neglected, it can lead to death. A typical symptom of lupus is a skin rash that resembles a wolf’s bite. Women are more susceptible to lupus because female sex hormones are one of the factors that exacerbate lupus.
Cystitis
Cystitis is an inflammation that occurs when bacteria enter the bladder, and women are generally more prone to cystitis than men. The reason is due to the anatomical structure. Women have a shorter urethra than men, and the entrance to the urethra is close to the anus. Therefore, it is easy for bacteria to reflux from the urethra to the bladder. On the other hand, men have the prostate as a protective organ, so they are relatively less likely to get cystitis.
Migraine
Everyone has experienced headaches at least once. However, migraines are known to occur about three times more frequently in women than in men. A migraine is a characteristic headache where the pain lasts for a certain period and is accompanied by nausea or vomiting. It occurs frequently in young adult women, and while the exact cause of migraines is uncertain, factors such as hormonal changes, stress, anxiety, and depression are thought to contribute.
Dementia
According to an investigation conducted by the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of female dementia patients was found to be 2.5 times higher than male patients. Dementia mainly occurs in postmenopausal women, and it is known that there is a high correlation between the decrease in female sex hormones and dementia. When women develop dementia, their cognitive abilities decline at twice the speed of men, so caution is needed.
Constipation, Hemorrhoids
Women have thinner skin tissue than men. In addition, the anal glands in the anal canal are not deep, so they have a higher chance of getting constipation or hemorrhoids. Mainly, the luteinizing hormone secreted during menstruation and excessive dieting are known to be causes of constipation and hemorrhoids in women. Let’s prevent constipation and hemorrhoids by maintaining regular meals, exercising, and ensuring adequate hydration.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that appears in the joints. It’s one of the diseases that occur more frequently in women, with the incidence rate of rheumatoid arthritis being 4 to 5 times higher in women than in men. The exact cause is still unknown, but it is believed that the fact that women often perform more sedentary household chores than men contributes to the onset of arthritis.
Varicose Veins
When standing, if the blood vessels in the legs bulge out visibly, this is called varicose veins. Varicose veins, which are prevalent among women, occur when estrogen and progesterone weaken the walls of the veins. This causes the blood to accumulate in these veins and the vessel walls to stretch, eventually leading to their protrusion.
Acute Pyelonephritis
Acute pyelonephritis is a disease that occurs in the kidneys. Women who have vaginal infections also have a higher risk of developing acute pyelonephritis. Because women have a shorter distance between the anus and the urethra compared to men, bacteria from the anus can easily travel to the urethra, leading to urinary tract infections. Especially in pregnant women, physical changes increase the likelihood of pyelonephritis.
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