50 Health Tips Every Woman Should Know

While they are at the doctor’s office, women should ask their primary care doctor about any screening tests they should schedule, such as for a mammogram. They are encouraged to discuss fertility issues if there are any and seek an update on medications they are taking. They should inform doctors if they are experiencing pain. An important question to ask is if they are of healthy weight. More men then women are overweight or obese, but the condition poses the same risk for both sexes, including diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, and cancer.

Body fat in women after menopause tends to accumulate in the belly area as estrogen levels decline — the hormones appears to play a role in the body fat distribution. Doing cardio, weight lifting, and core work can help prevent fat buildup in the abdominal area. These are also some of the best ways to keep the weight off if you’re over 40.

Dancing is more than just a recreational activity. It boosts heart and lungs; strengthens muscles; improves agility and motor skills; helps physical endurance; and raises your confidence. Some studies show that dance helps reduce stress and increases levels of the hormone serotonin, which is also known as the “happy hormone.” Men and women react differently to stress, but women are more likely to report physical and emotional symptoms, according to the American Psychological Association. Stress is also on the rise more among women than men.

For women, heavy drinking is considered to be eight drinks a week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While men are more likely than women to binge drink, women are more vulnerable than men to alcohol-related organ damage, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. This is due to the body’s structure and chemistry. Women absorb more alcohol and take longer to process it. Therefore, the immediate effects of alcohol last longer in women. Health concerns associated with excessive drinking include cirrhosis of the liver, memory loss, damage to the heart muscle, and cancer. People in some states consume more alcohol than others — these are America’s drunkest (and driest) cities.

Not wearing sunscreen regularly is one of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to skin care, according to Dr. Heather Richmond, a dermatologist at the Dermatology and Laser Surgery Center in Houston, sees. Wearing a daily sunscreen is the most important thing you can do to slow down the aging process as well as to reduce the risk of skin cancer, she noted. Women under 49 have a higher probability of developing melanoma than any other type of cancer, except breast or thyroid cancer, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Until the age of 49, more white women develop melanoma than white men, but more men die from it. Skin cancer is among the most common types of cancer in men and women.