Men and women have different needs when it comes to health care. Certain health problems affect each gender differently and sometimes require specialized care. Here are a few of the factors involving gender that determine the type of treatment that men and women need.
The Specific Health Issue
There are certain health problems that are specifically male or female and need to be handled accordingly. Men may need to have their prostate, testes and penile area examined to rule out cancers that only affect men. Cervical, uterine and ovarian cancers only affect women and should be screened for regularly. Breast cancer is known to be a women’s cancer, but a small percentage of men also develop this problem. Men are more susceptible to conditions like heart disease, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Women, on the other hand, tend to develop osteoporosis, multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome at greater numbers. During pregnancy, women can also experience health problems such as gestational diabetes, anemia and increased blood pressure.
The Type of Doctor That’s Needed
Some doctors treat health conditions that are specifically related to women or men. Gynecologists specialize in women’s health issues and commonly address concerns involving the female reproductive organs. An obstetrician, who may also be a gynecologist, provides care for pregnant women through the gestational phase and childbirth. Women tend to have more urinary tract infections than men, which may require more trips to an urologist. Even though there are no specialists who exclusively treat men’s health issues, men sometimes have to see cardiologists and endocrinologists to address health problems that are more male-related. Men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer are usually treated by urologic oncologists.
Being Proactive
Women are likelier to be more proactive when it comes to seeing doctors more frequently. Getting regular checkups can catch certain health problems in their early stages, and this can greatly affect the type of care that’s required. When it comes to oral health, Colgate reports that women tend to have a better understanding of the importance of good oral health and are more positive about seeing dentists.
Some men don’t visit doctors until they start experiencing symptoms of health problems, and this often indicates that their conditions are at more advanced stages. Once a medical condition reaches a more advanced stage, it is more difficult to treat and usually requires more doctor visits and medications to successfully cure. In pretty much every city in the United States, facilities are readily available, and so everyone (regardless of gender) should be taking advantage of them.
Different Symptoms
Health conditions that affect all people often don’t affect men and women the same ways. Symptoms of certain medical-related problems can be different among each gender. One of the main reasons for this is that men’s and women’s bodies have different circuitry, which may cause each gender to feel symptoms in different areas. For example, men who are having heart attacks tend to have symptoms like pain in the chest and left arm whereas women may experience nausea, fatigue and lightheadedness. Loud snoring is usually a common symptom of sleep apnea for men while women sometimes notice changes like fatigue and mood swings. Signs of diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination and hand and feet tingling and numbness, but women also tend to experience yeast infections and polycystic ovary syndrome. Symptoms of HIV infection include fever, skin rash and swollen glands, however, women may be further prone to yeast and bacterial infections and notice menstrual changes.
Learning to recognize the differences in men and women when it comes to certain health problems may help you get the right type of care faster. Although some of these differences are more subtle, they can still greatly affect the outcome when receiving medical treatment.