FEMALE HEALTH: BET ON PREVENTION

Friday, 29 de May de 2020 - 14:35

Despite being more concerned with health, women only go to the doctor when they feel some discomfort. Betting on careful surveillance and preventive measures are the right steps to have a better quality of life.

Six out of 10 women say they don't have time to stay healthy, according to the Portuguese Society of Gynecology. Family, work and day-to-day unforeseen events are the main reasons why women's health is neglected.

Self-surveillance of one's own health, the early identification of harmful habits - physical and psychological - and the adoption of healthy habits are therefore essential to guarantee quality, in all stages of life. Good eating habits - balanced and varied diet - and the practice of physical activity since the first years of life are factors that allow reducing the risk factors for some pathologies, such as Diabetes, being overweight, increasing cholesterol and contributing to good mental health.

Beating heart

It is no secret that preventive exams allow early diagnosis of serious diseases. However, the annual check-up is still a little forgotten in the routine of Portuguese women. To change this cycle, Manuel Carrageta, cardiologist and president of the Portuguese Foundation of Cardiology (FPC), argues that women should “adopt a stricter healthy lifestyle, and inform their family doctor whenever there is a family history of the disease, in order to reinforce the surveillance of risk factors – excess weight, high blood pressure and cholesterol». And he gives the example: In the case of being hypertensive, "a check-up must be made every four months", he highlights.

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