Our body is a mystery, and its anatomy evokes curiosity among health professionals with every discovery. Thus, it’s no surprise that healthcare needs are not as simple as they appear. By the nature of their anatomy, men and women face varied health problems. Even with similar health conditions, they may experience different symptoms. Celebrated every year on September 29, National Women’s Day recognizes the health issues women face and promotes health and fitness among women.

Health problems get out of hand due to negligence. Hence, the first step is to recognize them. Typically, women are at a higher risk of certain critical illnesses due to their lifestyle and biological structure. These include:

Abnormal growth of breast cells leads to breast cancer. The tissues in such cells turn into a mass called a tumour. The tumour spreads to areas surrounding the breasts and grows beyond control. You can stop this by detecting it through self–examination. Common signs include a lump in the breast or underarm, redness in the nipple area, irritation and dimpling, etc.

Sexually transmitted infections carry various strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), which affects women’s reproductive organs, like the cervix that connects the uterus to the vagina. The result is cervical cancer which spreads to other body parts and proves life–threatening. You can prevent it through screening tests and HPV vaccination.

Under multiple sclerosis, myelin, a fatty substance in the central nervous system, gets affected. Damage to this protective sheath causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of your body. More common in women, it causes symptoms that affect menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, etc.

Women are prone to contract heart diseases like heart attacks much later in life than men. However, they tend to be deadlier, and detection is often complicated because symptoms look different in women. The signs are subtle and almost non–recognizable, like shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, etc.

In this type of cancer, the tissues in the uterus get affected. The healthy cells in the uterus change and grow out of control either in its lining (endometrial cancer) or muscle (uterine sarcoma). You can identify symptoms like abnormal bleeding, pain during urination, pelvic spasms, etc., to seek help. You may undergo biopsy, X–ray, CT or MRI scans for diagnosis.

Health emergencies typically result in exorbitant costs and require consistent, long–term care. While you can invest in a standard health insurance policy, the sums insured may be insufficient to manage the high costs of treating long–term ailments like the ones mentioned above. Thus, insurers offer an alternative in the form of critical illness insurance to bridge the financial gap. Critical Illness health insurance policies come with higher sums insured (E.g., Rs. 50 Lakhs, Rs. 1 Crore, etc.) to help you manage hospitalization and long–term treatment costs. Also, investing in these policies at a young age allows you to ride out the slightly longer waiting period of up to 4 years.

This National Women’s Health Day, ensure you purchase health insurance policies to secure your financial future.