9 Women Health Tips that you need to stop following right now

No matter how much we try to simplify life with the growing advancements in technology, on the contrary, this simplification has lead to people leading a sedentary lifestyle which is potentially life-threatening. Nowadays, children prefer to only remain connected through social media using their mobile phones or watch movies or TV series online through various streaming services. Gone are the days when children used to go out and make an effort to connect with people and engage in different activities and sports which is the healthy way of staying connected to people. With these changes in lifestyle with every passing generation; each generation gets burdened with a series of potential health hazards. With easy Internet access, people tend to look up the Internet and do their own research for treatment or methods of improving their lifestyle as a way of prognosis. However, more often than not, these tips are misleading and in fact, can be more detrimental to your health.

Common “Healthy” Tips Which Are Not At All Healthy:

1. Eating Egg Whites Only Of Omelets: It is a common practice to eat only egg whites as the egg yolk is rich with cholesterol and it predisposes to coronary heart disease. Increase cholesterol intake can lead to hyperlipidemia and is considered one of the major modifiable risk factors leading to atherosclerotic plaque formation which in turn can undergo further thrombosis, ulcerations, rupture, aneurysms, hemorrhage and embolism. An embolism is the most dreaded complication of atherosclerotic plaque formation. Either way, all complications lead to transient ischemia and if prolonged, lead to coagulative necrosis of heart muscle cells. This is known as acute myocardial infarction or more commonly known as heart attack. These sequence of events results in arrhythmias which are the cause of death in case of myocardial infarction. Hence, patients are advised to take low cholesterol food. However, recent research suggests a complete Mediterranean diet complete with virgin olive oil and nuts run parallel in the reduction of any cardiovascular disorder. Thus, patients no longer have to worry about too much cholesterol consumption and are advised to consume more healthy fats.

2. Intake Of Calcium Supplementations: Women produce Oestrogen which has several beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and other systems. It decreases the risk of heart attacks by increasing high-density lipid formation and decreases thrombogenic activity. It also decreases the resorption of bone by inhibiting the activity of osteoclasts. However, in postmenopausal women, due to lack of these protective functions of oestrogen as it is no longer secreted by the follicles can lead to increased risk of heart attacks and osteoporosis. To tackle the problem of osteoporosis, women are often advised to take daily calcium supplements. However, it can, in fact, increase the risk of a heart attack as calcium gets deposited in the muscular layer of blood vessels thereby decreases the lumen size and leading to decreased blood flow to the heart. Thus, it is now advised to consume calcium-rich food products instead of taking various supplementation.

3. Daily Weighing Yourself: This is an extremely common practice. The common notions suggest weight as an indicator of one’s health. However, muscles are more compact than fat. Thus, even when you exercise a lot, it doesn’t have any effect on the weighing scale. It seemingly appears that the exercise is futile. However, it should be noted that its what each pound consists of that matters. We live in a generation where mental disorders are prevalent. Thus, body image often leads to psychological manifestations as well. Thus, the constant checking of your weight isn’t recommended.

4. Worrying About Your Blood Pressure: While it is always good to check your blood pressure always, one shouldn’t incessantly worry themselves about it as the guidelines for maintaining blood pressure is now very relaxed. Initially, the goal was having a blood pressure equal to or less than 120/80. However, recent guidelines suggest that when blood pressure is above 150/90 in adults above 60 years of age or above 140/90 in adults less than 60 years of age is considered high blood pressure. Thus, one shouldn’t take blood pressure medications for no reason and should follow the recent guidelines. However, in the case of diabetic patients, the guidelines are different.

5. Trimming And Washing Your Hair Regularly: It is a common myth that regularly trimming your hair or beard enhances its growth. However, there’s no science backing this myth. In fact, one should keep their hair well-nourished and allow it to grow as much as possible for best results before cutting it. Also, it is a common practice to increase the frequency of shampooing your hair with the hope to enhance the luster and beauty of your hair. However, this is completely false and in turn, can result in the dry, flaky scalp and can also lead to hypersensitivity reactions like dermatitis.

6. Forcing Yourself To Sit Up Straight: It is general advice to ask people to sit up straight to avoid developing a hunch or bad posture. However, it should be noted that there’s nothing called a perfect posture. Everyone has a distinct posture. Moreover, our vertebral column is designated with its own natural curvatures which are often mistaken for bad posture. However, this forceful habit of sitting up straight and preventing oneself from slouching while standing can lead to stiffness and pain. Posture doesn’t safeguard you from body aches and stiffness. It is important for you to be constantly ambulatory to prevent the development of such problems. There’s no evidence linking posture with back pain.

7. Popping Aspirin Tablets Incessantly: It is common practice to take aspirin tablets to alleviate pain. It is a no steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly used as a painkiller. It is the first line of drug for patients complaining of chest pain and having the possibility of undergoing a heart attack. It inhibits COX enzymes and prevents platelets from being sticky. Therefore, it limits the formation of clots and can be lifesaving for a patient complaint of substernal chest pain which is a common manifestation seen in case of a heart attack. Therefore, it may be suggested that regular intake of aspirin may be a good prophylactic measure against the development of heart attack. However, it has dangerous side effects like peptic ulcer formation and bleeding disorders. Aspirin disrupts the protective layer of the stomach which protects it from the gastric acid and leads to ulceration. Also, it anti-thrombogenic hence can lead to hemophilia. It should never be combined with oral anticoagulants like warfarin which can have synergistic action and lead to increased bleeding.

8. Taking Daily Multivitamins: Vitamins are essential for your body due to its several beneficial effects. One important function is their antioxidant property which is seen Vitamin A, C, and E. This antioxidant property is pivotal in the prevention of blood vessel damage which in turn can lead to intravascular clot formation which in turn can predispose to a heart attack. Also, deficiency of vitamins can lead to a number of problems like scurvy, night blindness, beriberi, pellagra, and so on. Hence, it may appear that multivitamin supplementation is necessary even in a healthy person. However, studies suggest that supplementation in healthy individuals has caused an increased mortality rate. With people developing skin cancers, lung cancers, and prostate cancers. Therefore, the risk-benefit balance must be kept in mind.

9. Popping Antacids After Every Meal: After every meal, if one ever feels heartburn or indigestion or nausea, the slightest uncomfortable feeling after a meal makes one gulp an antacid. More often than not, these symptoms are not due to acid secretion. Even though antacid is used in the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcers, gastritis, and so on. It is useful as it changes the stomach pH and makes it less acidic. But the chronic use of antacids can lead to serious side effects. Constipation is one serious side effect of antacids. Constipation continues until antacids are being taken. If this occurs, one should switch over to another type of antacids namely PPI or proton pump inhibitors. On the contrary, certain antacids can also lead to diarrhea. It depends on the composition of the antacid. Other side effects include muscle weakness, muscle twitching, and pain. This is due to the change in electrolyte balance in your body due to chronic antacid consumption. Also, due to pH imbalance, it can lead to respiratory problems as well. One is also prone to infections as the gastric acid is suppressed due to chronic antacid consumption. Thus, bacteria are no longer removed from the gastric mucosa enabling them to colonize and cause infection.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned practices are commonly employed in our day to day lives under the misconception that it is healthy for us however Doctor Appointment has helped us curate the above-mentioned points which will Guide Every Woman to lead a Healthy Life. However, it is pivotal that you should be aware of its risks and benefits. Common day to day practices that are seemingly benign in nature and healthy can ultimately lead to serious life-threatening situations. Awareness is the key to prevent such occurrences from happening.