Women's health diseases

Coronary heart disease

the most common type of heart disease and a leading cause of death. It happens when the heart's main blood vessels (coronary arteries) struggle to supply enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle often due to a buildup of plaque in the artery wall

Myocardial infraction (heart attack)

happens when blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries, depriving a portion of the heart muscle of oxygen and causing tissue death (necrosis). Symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, pain or discomfort in jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder. Women may feel nauseous, light-headed, or unusually tired.

Congestive heart failure

when the heart is too weak to pump blood effectively. Can lead to circulation problems or fluid buildup. Symptoms include fluid around lungs, bloated stomach, swollen and cyanotic legs and feet.

Rheumatic heart disease

a permanent condition where the heart valves are damaged by rheumatic fever, an inflammatory autoimmune response to an untreated or poorly treated Streptococcus pyogenes.

Angina Pectoris

chest pain or discomfort that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood. Symptoms include tightness, pressure, squeezing, heartburn or indigestion, chest discomfort that spreads to jaw, teeth, shoulder, arm, or back. May also feel dizzy, weakness, gas, upset stomach, sweating, pale skin, or feeling of impending doom.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

a common circulatory condition where narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to your limbs—most frequently your legs—due to a buildup of fatty plaque called atherosclerosis. Risk factors include smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Metabolic syndrome

a cluster of three or more interrelated health conditions that significantly increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Typically diagnosed if you have at least three of the following: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high fasting blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL.

Stroke

a medical emergency that happens when blood flow to a part of the brain is cut off or reduced, causing brain cells to lack oxygen and start dying within minutes. How to spot signs of a stroke: BEFAST, Balance (loss of balance), Eyes (changes in vision), Face (drooping featured on one side of face), Arms and legs (weakness in a limb), Speech (difficulty speaking or understanding others), Time (call 911 or emergency services right away).

Autoimmune disease

when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissues. May result in destruction in one or more types of body tissue, abnormal growth of an organ, and changes in organ function. 80 different types of autoimmune disorders. Affect 23.5 million Americans. Women are 4x more affected. Some women have multiple autoimmune diseases at once. Can affect joints, muscles, skin, blood vessels, digestive system, endocrine system, and nervous system.

Type 1 diabetes

Causes include inherited predisposition and may be 'triggered' by environment. Not reversible and requires lifelong management. 2.1 million Americans have T1D. 314,000 children and adolescents younger than 20 had diagnosed diabetes. Accounts for $142.9 billion in healthcare cost in the U.S. Must carefully monitor blood sugar and balance insulin doses with eating and activity

Lupus

10-15x more common in women. 3 types: discoid lupus, systemic lupus erythematosus, and drug induced lupus. Symptoms include achy joints, arthritis, extreme fatigue, rashes, anemia, kidney issues, butterfly rash, sun sensitivity, and hair loss. Diagnosis includes full medical history, urinalysis, blood work (Antinuclear antibody used to rule out lupus). Treatment include NSAID's, corticosteroids, and immunosuppressants.

Hypothyroidism (Hashimoto's disease)

underactive thyroid. 8 million Americas affected. Symptoms of low energy

Hyperthyroidism (graves' disease)

overactive thyroid. Increases metabolism. 8-10x more common in women

Rheumatoid arthritis

chronic inflammatory disease. 1.5 million people affected in US. Women are 2x as affected as men. Immune system attacks cells in cartilage of joints, eventually destroying them. Can become crippling.

Alopecia areata

immune system attacks hair follicles, causing balding

Celiac disease

causes intolerance to gluten

Psoriasis

causes new skin cells that grow deep in your skin to rise too fast and pile up on the skin surface

Vitiligo

destroys the cells that give your skin its color (melanocytes)

Guillain-Barre syndrome

immune system attacks the nerves that connect your brain and spinal cord with rest of the body. Muscles have trouble responding to brain.

Inflammatory bowel disease

chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. Includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Multiple sclerosis

immune system attacks the protective coating around nerves. Affects the brain and spinal cord.

Alzheimer's disease

Irreversible, progressive brain disorder that affects thinking, memory, and behavior. Results from the death of brain cells and the breakdown of the connections between them. Two types: late onset-60+, early onset 40s-50s. Symptoms- disrupts three key processes in brain- communication, metabolism, repair. Thinks less clearly, forgets how to do simple tasks, emotional outbursts, disturbing behavior, bedridden, incontinent, unresponsive

arthritis

a broad term that describes more than 100 different conditions affecting the joints, characterized by pain, swelling, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. Common types: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, Psoriatic Arthritis & Ankylosing Spondylitis

osteoporosis

Involves reduced bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue. Bone resorption speeds up, bone formation slows. Major cause of bone fractures in postmenopausal women. Effects 10 million Americans, 80% are women, 1 in 4 women aged 65 and over. More common among non-Hispanic white and Asian women

Breast Cancer

a disease where cells in the breast grow out of control and form a tumor, most commonly starting in the milk ducts or milk-producing lobules. Stage 0,1,2,3,4

Ovarian cancer

n overgrowth of abnormal cells that begins in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or the inner lining of the abdomen (peritoneum). Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Accounts for about 90% of cases and develops from cells covering the outer surface of the ovaries or fallopian tubes. Germ Cell Tumors: Rare tumors that develop from egg-producing cells, more common in younger individuals. Stromal Tumors: Rare tumors that form in the connective tissue of the ovary and can produce hormones.

Lung cancer

a malignant tumor that starts in the tissues of the lungs, typically in the cells lining the airways or air sacs. It is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and worldwide. Risk factors: smoking, radon gas, environmental and workplace carcinogens, air pollution, radiation therapy, personal for family history, supplements.

Cervical cancer

Type of cancer that starts in cells of cervix. Risk factors: HPV, smoking, weakened immune system, multiple sexual partners, not receiving HPV vaccine.

Colorectal cancer

a disease that develops when cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control, frequently starting as small, non-cancerous growths called polyps. Risk factors: age, family or personal history, genetic, diet high in red or processed meats, physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, high alcohol use.

Skin cancer

abnormal, out-of-control growth of cells in the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin), most often triggered by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning beds. Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC), Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), Melanoma. ABCDE. Asymmetry, Border, Color, Diameter, Evolving. Risk factors: UV radiation, physical skin characteristic, personal and family history, medical, genetic, environmental factors.