The
health problems associated with aging
occur much earlier in women with physical disabilities than non-disabled women.
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Although
arthritis is the most common primary
disabling condition among women, it is also a serious secondary condition that
can result, for example, from overuse of certain joints in walking with
crutches or pushing a wheelchair.
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Circulatory problems, such
as swollen feet, are very common among women with mobility impairments.
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Women with physical disabilities have substantially higher rates
of depression than non-disabled
women.
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Although not as common as other conditions, diabetes is the most
troublesome secondary condition for women with physical disabilities.
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The most
common and troublesome secondary condition reported by women with
physical disabilities is fatigue.
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In general, the average number of
secondary conditions in one study of women with physical disabilities was 13
per woman, 5 of which were rated as severe or chronic.
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Although
women with physical disabilities are more likely to be overweight or obese,
have high blood pressure, and be less physically active than non-disabled women,
very little is known about their experiences with heart disease.
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women with physical disabilities report being told by a medical professional
that they have high blood pressure than
do non-disabled women.
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Little is known about how the symptoms of menopause differ in women who have had mobility limitations most of
their lives compared with non-disabled women.
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Osteoporosis occurs
much earlier and is more severe in women with mobility limitations than in
non-disabled women.
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Overweight and obesity are
significantly more common among women with physical disabilities than among
non-disabled women.
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Pain is a common secondary condition
in women with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and post-polio.
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Respiratory problems create a
serious secondary condition for women with disabilities causing problems that
can result in morbidity and/or mortality.
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Many women report sleep disturbance resulting from weakened
breathing muscles, pain, or overweight.
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Women
with physical disabilities have substantially higher rates of stress than non-disabled women.
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According
to one report, alcohol and other drug
abuse disorders tend to increase as
functional limitation becomes more severe among women with disabilities.
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Weakness is a symptom of many
primary disabling conditions, such as neuromuscular disorders or paralysis, but
it is also a common condition secondary to arthritis in women.
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