The Fine Art (and Science) of Staying ‘Well’.
The concept of ‘Well Woman’ – that is, actively maintaining the wellbeing of women through the various different stages of their lives - is fast gaining recognition in many societies around the world, and the American Hospital Dubai is working for the concept to be more widely recognized here in Dubai.
Increasing understanding and acknowledgment of the unique health problems faced by women throughout their lives has helped to bring about a change of attitude towards women’s health across the globe.
In addition to this, more and more of the medical conditions traditionally endured by women – for reasons ranging from ignorance to embarrassment - are now treatable. We are therefore more capable of maintaining and even improving the quality of life for many women, and extending this improved quality of life right through to the later stages.
Over the next three issues of Connector we will be exploring the ‘Well Woman’ approach to health management and wellbeing, and examining in detail what this really means at each stage of the life cycle.
The life cycle of a woman can be broken down into three distinctive phases following childhood. The first and main stage of the life cycle is the reproductive years - the time when a woman’s body has the ability to reproduce. This stage is followed by midlife, which is concluded with the menopause and leads into the post-menopausal stage.
As a woman progresses through her life cycle her body will change, demanding different types and levels of care at different times, and becoming more vulnerable to a variety of different medical conditions that she has not been susceptible to before.
This means that women as a whole need to carefully consider their lifestyles and habits as they grow older. It is also extremely important that they have a greater awareness of the potential medical problems associated with ageing, as this will allow them to be more proactive in preventing these problems from occurring, and in effectively protecting themselves.
There are three main areas of health management that a woman can address to protect herself and ensure improved wellbeing- general lifestyle issues, medical screening and self assessment.
When looking at general health advice relating to lifestyle, there are several factors that need to be considered: Physical activity, diet, social/psychological factors, and medical conditions.
Different age groups require different types and intensities of exercise to maintain fitness at the optimal level. There are many variable factors involved in defining the right levels but weight and physical strength are important. Most people respond positively to physical exercise, and sport and recreation can be a positive way of getting involved and relieving stress, with the added benefits of the social dimension.
When it comes to diet, calorific intake is important. Understanding the ideal weight by defining body mass index is useful for setting realistic goals – a simple height/weight calculation will help define this. Thereafter, what is consumed is key – for example, women need to ensure the right levels of calcium, iron/folic acid and phyto-oestrogens.
Mental health and social adjustment are equally important when it comes to a sense of happiness and contentment, which in turn contributes to overall health and wellbeing. Adjusting to different roles and levels of responsibility is of great importance as a woman moves through her life – and finding in each of them a level of personal fulfillment and growth can very positively enrich her life. These can include leaving home for the first time, studying and personal development, working and finding a career path, marriage, bringing up children, children leaving home, and then retirement and its accompanying social interests.
In the medical arena, there are different priorities in each stage of the lifecycle. In the reproductive phase, up to the age of 40, we concentrate on building healthy bodies, and ensuring we are free of genetic and inherited disease. Before marriage there is the pre-nuptial check up, and this is followed by pre-conception health checks, pre-natal tests and screening, and post-natal check ups according to the circumstances, with regular general check-ups also recommended throughout this period.
The midlife stage is most concerned with the preparation of the body for after the menopause, which means regular health check-ups with a focus on prevention and early screening, and special attention to the condition of the hair and skin.
During menopause, the focus is on managing the symptoms of the menopause as well as on the prevention of illness in old age. This means annual check-ups, specifically looking after the bones (to prevent osteoporosis in later life) and looking after the psychological state.
At the post-menopausal stage, after the age of 60, the medical priorities are the early treatment of any health problems that may develop, and the development of different activities and interests, with the aim of improving general health and wellbeing.
Screening and prevention are essential tools for improving health and maintaining this improved quality of life, and there are many tests available. Different tests become more important at different stages of the life cycle, and can help detect illness in the early stages, making them very useful tools for the prevention of illness.
As well as professional medical screening, self-assessment and prevention can make a vital contribution in helping to identify problems early on and thus prevent adverse health problems. There are three steps, which are recommended for women who want to help themselves. The first is self-examination (fore example, checking the breasts regularly for early indications of medical problems), the second step is education- being aware of women’s health matters and, lastly, it is important to apply what she learns on a regular basis.
These are the building blocks of the ‘Well Women’ approach to keeping healthy, and improving and maintaining the quality of life for women as they go through the years. In the next issues, the focus will be on each of the individual life stages to enable us to examine in greater detail what women can do, and when, to preserve and protect their wellbeing.