Women's Health and Stress and Healthy and Stress-Free Pregnancy
Womens Health > Women's Health and Stress
Stress is a major concern in women's health today. Stress can cause a lot of different problems throughout your life. We all get stressed and some of us can cope very well under stress, but other's can not. There are many ways that women can deal with stress. Exercising daily can relieve tension and stress. Finding a relaxing hobby is another way to relieve stress and improve women's health. Some women eat when they are stressed, causing them to gain much unneeded weight. This could be compromising your health.
Practicing yoga could relieve a lot of your stress and will improve your health in the long run. Yoga can help you burn fat, relax you, make you more flexible and help to strengthen your muscles and bones. A lot of women choose to use yoga as their stress relief compared to other things like a prescription medications which only covers up the stress and not
Another great way to fight stress and improve women's health at the same time is through good nutrition. Don't skip meals when you are short on time. Always try to grab a piece of fruit or some fresh vegetables. These have a large amount of nutrients that your body needs and will help you manage your stress. By not getting your required nutrients you are putting even more stress on your body and in turn just making more
Stress
that is left untreated could soon take a toll on women's health and
could lead to a nervous breakdown. Other complications that are related
to stress is high blood pressure, increased susceptibility to substance
abuse or illness, less resistance to disease, and depression. You
should try talking to someone about what causes your stress with
someone you can trust. There are 1-800 numbers that women can call to
talk to someone if they don't have a trusted friend to talk to. This
will help to relieve some of your stress.
Sometimes just talking
about your problems can put them in better perspective and they no
Staying organized can also help you manage your time more efficiently and you may not be as stressed. Stress can take a toll on your heart, sometimes jeopardizing women's health with heart attacks, strokes or even heart failure. Stress releases toxins into your body and can cause damage to other organs as well, like your liver, lungs, kidneys, and stomach
If you think that you are under too much stress, try to take a break from it. If work is what is stressing you out, try to take a few days of sick leave and relax. Don't take any calls from work or even think about work. Do some exercise, which can only improve women's health and relax. Eat some fresh vegetables full of anti-oxidants and watch one of your favorite movies. Maybe go for a long walk or spend some time with your family pet. Pets are known to relieve stress and to relax you.
Having a Healthy and Stress-Free Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time of happiness and anticipation. It is also a time when you need to take utmost care of yourself to ensure right development of the fetus and good health to you.
For most women, being pregnant or not has a feeling of dubiousness. Seeing your caregiver and getting some diagnostic tests is the only way to verify pregnancy. However, you can look for some signs and symptoms. These include:
- Missed period/period with less bleeding
- Nausea and vomiting - "morning sickness"
- Constipation
- Heartburn
- Backaches
- Fatigue
- Frequent urination
- Headache
- Abdominal pain
- Darkening of nipple and tender breasts
Most of these symptoms can be discomforting. A few common solutions to most include taking short but frequent meals, eating a fiber rich diet, sleeping for 9-10 hours daily and drinking plenty of water.
Confirmation of pregnancy should lead you to certain tests to ensure your baby’s development is appropriate. These include:
- Pap smear for cervical cancer or infections
- Rh incompatibility test
- Blood tests to detect infections like rubella, hepatitis B and HIV
- Urine tests for diabetes
- Genetic screening test if you are over age 35
Right diet during pregnancy is crucial. Remember, food you eat also feeds your baby and is vital for her appropriate development. Your daily diet should include Grain products (6–11 servings), Protein foods (3-4 servings), Milk and milk products (3-4 servings). In addition, take pregnancy supplements including folic acid, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin D. Avoid alcohol and caffeine and quit smoking.
Apart from right diet, exercising during pregnancy has various advantages. Exercise for at least 15-20 min, 2-3 times a week. You may walk, swim, jog or do stretches.
Sometimes potential complications may arise during pregnancy and be a matter of concern. See your doctor in case of:
- Bleeding or unusual discharge from your vaginal
- Reduction or total loss of baby’s movements
- Sharp pain in the pelvis
- If you accidentally hit your abdomen or fall
- Premature contractions