PUNE: At the dawn of 2022, women are shattering the glass ceiling in every industry, crushing stereotypes in all ways — just without putting their health first.
A survey by Emcure Pharmaceuticals interviewing working women from Pune over the pandemic has showed that a staggering 93% face a conflict of interest while balancing family responsibilities, health and professional obligations; 68% feel pressured to prioritize family over work.
Akanksha Sharma, CEO and co-founder of baby products company Citta, said, “When you take on the responsibility of running and leading a business, something gets pushed down in the priority list — it can’t be important work obligations or family care, so your own health takes the demotion.”
According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) for 2019-2021, seven of the top 10 causes of death in women in India can be attributed to chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), led by heart attacks, stroke and respiratory issues.
General physician Ketaki Joshi said, “Women tend to ignore health issues, make do with home remedies or off-the-counter medication and delay taking tests till it becomes a serious cause for concern. Stress and unhealthy lifestyle choices are major contributors to cardio-related ailments, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), diabetes, hypertension and infertility, all of which are on the rise.”
Shreya Sharma, CEO of Rest the Case, a legal aggregator platform, said, “Through my own experience, I noticed that making healthy lifestyle choices helps you sleep better, eat better and raise energy levels. Though it is difficult for many, it is imperative to take out one hour a day for ‘me time’ to exercise, unwind or destress in any way that suits you.”
While some health professionals blame this neglectfulness on social conditioning, others believe it is plain old denial or guilt. Either way, the need of the hour is for women to pay more attention to their health.
“Proactiveness is required among female patients to be concerned about their health. Often during consultations with female patients, it is difficult to make a proper diagnosis due to them playing down their symptoms, and not being able to tell me when the problem started as it was long ago, after which the condition has worsened. They take off-the-counter antibiotics for conditions that don’t need it, making it worse,” said Lubna Shaikh, general physician.
