Hyderabad: Women are considered the spine of a family. Women carry out the responsibilities of home, family, children, and relatives, and keeping these relations intact in the family through various roles of a daughter, wife, mother and daughter-in-law. But while fulfilling these responsibilities and taking care of everyone else's happiness and health, they tend to forget about themselves. Whether a woman is less educated or working or pregnant, due to the responsibilities surrounding them, the thought of taking care of themselves always takes a backseat!
People talk about the concept of 'Self-Love' nowadays, i.e. loving yourself before trying to keep everyone else happy. Self-Love means taking care of yourself or pampering yourself because you can't give your hundred per cent to others without taking care of yourself first. Doctors confirm the fact that most women shy away from coming to them for regular examinations and treatment in case of any kind of problem if it does not bother them much.
Dr Vijayalakshmi, a gynaecologist from Uttarakhand, says that even today when so much awareness is being spread about health, most women are still very careless about their regular check-ups, their food intake and activities like exercise. This type of carelessness is especially seen in employed women because they become so busy between home and work that they do not pay attention to the important things related to their health.
In a hurry to reach the office after finishing the housework, many women either skip breakfast or eat food that does not meet their nutritional needs. Something similar happens with their dinner as well. This is the reason why most women suffer from iron deficiency and their bodies lack other essential nutrients.
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Dr Vijayalakshmi says that teaching girls to take good care of themselves and their health from an early age is very important. It is very essential to make them realise the importance of consuming nutritious food at the right time and making regular exercise an essential part of their daily routine. Also, it is necessary to instil confidence in them to make them vocal and talk about their health issues instead of neglecting them.
She says that most girls or women do not follow a proper eating routine due to household chores, school-college studies, jobs or specific diets. They usually skip meals at different times of the day or eat unhealthy whenever they feel hungry. This affects their nutrition intake, which is worrying because women need relatively more nutrients every month due to menstruation and other reasons. In such situations, it is necessary that calcium, iron, vitamins, proteins and all essential minerals and nutrients are included in their diet in the required quantity, and to have a fixed diet and routine.
She says that earlier it was necessary to get regular health check-ups for men and women after 40. But, due to our current lifestyle and the increasing number of diseases around us, it has become necessary to start getting regular check-ups done at regular intervals. With these check-ups, problems can be detected early and timely treatment can be provided at the beginning itself. Getting tested for blood pressure, haemoglobin levels, urine test, thyroid test, lipid test, diabetes test, protein levels test, mammograms and pap smear tests at regular intervals is essential.
Dr Vijayalakshmi tells that in our society, girls are taught from childhood that they are supposed to get married and leave with someone else, they are taught to care for others more than themselves and to make compromises and adjustments to their lifestyle, therefore, girls start ignoring themselves and their health from childhood. People often tend to forget that if women can't take care of themselves and keep on ignoring their health, then it will be difficult for them to take care of others. Because only a healthy and happy woman can become a healthy spine to bear the burden of multiple responsibilities and relationships.
