Good health and education are two important pillars on which life of individual progresses.Since longevity of human life has doubled from 40-50 years to 80-90 years in the last century, sustenance of health for these many years is essential to be able to enjoy the extra lease of life which is not just 4-5 years but 30-40 years.
Dr Mala Raj at Firm Hospital says the single most important factor which is lacking in women is awareness about health concerns. “Women are today in the forefront. They should know how to take charge of their lives and cannot afford to neglect their health,” she says.
She opines that awareness in women will bring about awareness in the whole family and likewise in the whole community. “As St. Thomas Aquinas wrote in the 1200s “healthy mind is a healthy body”. One could also say nowadays, as a result of increase in stress, that “healthy body is a healthy mind,” she adds..
Stress leads to many health issues like PCOD (polycystic ovarian disease), obesity, infertility, HT, DM and heart diseases. PCOD is a complex genetic disorder that could also be familial. “It has both adverse reproductive and metabolic implications for the woman,” she warns.
Most woman consider having a baby as one of life’s most rewarding experiences. But Dr Mala say, proper preconception care is not directed at prospective parents expecting a baby, but at parents wishing to become to have a baby. “With proper antenatal and postnatal care, women can avoid all the problems as a consequence of pregnancy and delivery such as the pelvic organ prolapse, which typically appear late in life,” she adds.
With the incidence of cervical cancer on the rise, women should be aware of both preventive measures like immunisation against cervical cancer and screening like the Pap smear test. “These days a woman over 40 years faces middle years with confidence. Medical science has changed her ‘over 40 years’ and have added years to her life making her feel like a changed and different person,” she says.
She adds that today, women know that first 40 years are the years of getting and reaching there and thinking about how to deal with the world.
“They are multitasking from taking new jobs, changing careers, marrying and having children. Days have changed and modern medicine have influenced so much in women’s health that today’s women know that they can handle their lives in a much better way. It is an inspiration to be a woman. Celebrate womanhood. Happy Women’s Day,” she smiles.
For information, contact Dr Mala Raj (26262666, 9952992618), Firm Hospitals at R-block 12th Street, Anna Nagar.