Blog

More women are getting disorders traditionally thought of as 'men's' diseases

Women in high-pressure jobs face more stress, exhaustion, and even some illnesses.

Once considered “men’s” diseases, gout, heart attacks and lung cancer now are sickening women, too.

Experts partially blame the exhaustion that comes with stressful jobs, according to the Daily Mail. Women working in high-pressure jobs are twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease as other women, and women under 50 run the highest risk, according to a Danish study.

Out-of-control eating and drinking too much can contribute to certain illnesses, too.

“People who are stressed are more likely to drink too much, to smoke, to eat junk food and to avoid exercise,” Fotini Rozakeas, a British Heart Foundation cardiac nurse, told the Daily Mail.

Traditionally, heart disease may have been a man’s disease, says Dr. Holly Andersen at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, but more women die from it.

“In reality, more women have died of heart disease every year than men since 1984 in this country,” she says. “Women develop heart disease about a decade later than men. They also are more likely to die. They are treated much less aggressively than men.”

Deaths due to heart disease are on the increase in women age 35 to 44 – the only group that’s facing increasing rates of death from heart disease, Andersen says.

Heart disease isn’t the only disorder that’s becoming a woman’s ailment. Receding hairlines and thinning hair are becoming more prevalent in women as well, according to hair transplant surgeon Dr. Peter Williams. He said stress and low estrogen could be causing hair problems. And an emerging form of hair loss, in which the body’s immune system attacks the hair follicles and causes hair loss from the hairline and the eyebrows, also is turning up in women.

Gout traditionally affects nine times as many men as women, but cases in women have doubled since the 1970s, according to the Daily Mail. The painful condition, which appears when uric acid crystals build up in the joints, is believed to be triggered at least in part by consuming rich food.

“One reason women are more prone to gout is that they are living longer,” rheumatologist and UK Gout Society trustee told the Daily Mail. “Women are also drinking more, eating more and are more prone to obesity and diabetes, all of which raise the risk of gout.”

Other disorders becoming more common in women? Lowered libido, lung cancer and liver disease, according to the Daily Mail.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health, and smoking causes the majority of cases. Smoking causes 90 percent of the lung cancer deaths in the U.S. among men and about 80 percent of lung cancer deaths among women, according to the NIH.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Female Hair Loss

Question: I’m female, aged 31. Recently I’ve noticed that my hair is falling out at a great rate in the shower. I haven’t changed my shampoo. It doesn’t hurt, but is quite alarming. What is causing it?

DR DAN RUTHERFORD WRITES:

Answer: Some hair loss is common in women after the menopause, but is less common before it. The pattern of loss tends to be diffused over the scalp, unlike in men where the hair recedes at the front and a bald patch develops over the crown.

Ask your GP to check if your thyroid and other hormone levels are normal. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is common because it involves over-sensitivity to the “androgen” sex hormones and may be accompanied by excessive scalp hair loss. Medical treatment can help counteract the hormone imbalance. You could also try minoxidil solution (Regaine) twice daily. This is available without prescription but does not help everyone and takes weeks to have any effect. A skin specialist can check if there is something specifically wrong with your scalp.

See Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Female hair loss in the spotlight

When you think about people going bald, you probably think about men. But while it is true that hair loss is most commonly experienced by men, it’s easy to forget that plenty of women are prone to losing it too. In the UK alone, eight million women are affected by baldness.

The April newsletter from the Mayo Clinic (a well-known US health centre) has now put this issue in the spotlight, by focusing on androgenetic alopecia – a condition also known as female pattern baldness, which causes women’s hair to thin and drop out. While there are several treatments available, including hair transplants and medication, the initial process of going bald can still be especially traumatic for women. This is largely because of societal pressures, which encourage women to think of their hair as an integral part of their image. Having your once luscious locks drop out can be an intense experience, as TV presenter Gail Porter, who suffered from alopecia, attests: “people stared. Sometimes I held my head up high and other times I just didn’t want to go out”.

The writer Elizabeth Steel couldn’t help but agree: ““The psychological impact is dreadful. I no longer felt attractive. I thought my husband wouldn’t want a bald wife.”

Another condition called alopecia areata affects about one in 100 women, mostly teenagers and young adults, and is linked to immune system problems. With this form of baldness, no treatment is available. However, women with alopecia areata can at least take some consolation in the fact that their hair will probably grow back eventually.

Despite the need to promote wider discussion about female baldness, it still holds true that male baldness is a more common problem. While there is less pressure on men to cover up their hair loss, some choose to use the approved treatment Propecia to delay the process. If you are worried about hair loss, consult a specialist.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help

Myths about female hair loss: Treatment and recovery

It means you’re not a proper women with two X chromosomes.
It’s caused by washing your hair too often.
It’s caused by too much brushing or combing.
Hair dyes and perms can cause permanent loss.
It may result from wearing hats and wigs.
Shaving your hair will make it regrow thicker.
Standing on your head will help it grow back.
It’s a sign of an overactive brain.
There’s a miracle cure out there waiting for you.

Scan the internet and you’ll see all sorts of miracle cures for baldness on offer, from strange herbal lotions to mechanical devices. Perhaps the most useful first step you can take is to avoid the myths.

After this there are several options. You can find some way to accept the change and live with it (let’s face it, this is a tall order – most men struggle to come to terms with their baldness and for them at least society equates it with maturity and power).

You can try cosmetic treatments such as wigs or hair thickeners, or you can try medical therapies. The last option is hair-replacement surgery.

The drug minoxidil was first developed for treating high blood pressure, which was found to have the side effect of thickening hair growth in some people. It’s now available as a lotion to apply directly to the scalp.

No one really knows how it works, however, and it’s not effective for everyone. Studies show that only about 20 per cent of women between 18 and 45 have moderate regrowth using the drug, while another 40 per cent experience minimal regrowth.

It works best on younger people with early hair loss. A big disadvantage is that you have to carry on using minoxidil indefinitely or the new hair will fall out.

Another drug, finasteride, which was developed for treating prostate cancer, has also been found to be effective but is only available for men.

Surgical techniques for restoring hair have improved greatly in the past couple of decades, but this is still an option that requires careful consideration.

Key points
Many causes of female hair loss are temporary – check your general health and be patient.
Take a look at your family for an idea of your risk of female pattern baldness.
Don’t be taken in by claims for wonder products for female pattern hair loss.
Many women cope well by using cosmetic products, hats and wigs, so persevere until you find your own style.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE ONE OF OUR TRICHOLOGISTS AND TREAT YOUR CONDITION

LOOK BELOW AND SEE JUST SOME OF OUR RESULTS.

Do you have Hair Loss Problems, read our Hair Loss Help