FIVE KEY TESTS FOR EVERY WOMAN

As a woman, you might be eating healthy and exercising but do you visit the doctor for regular screening tests? Regular screening tests may save your life as diseases can be discovered early. Detecting a disease or abnormality early can help prevent further complications down the road.

So what screenings should you be getting, here are six essential tests.

PAP SMEAR AND PELVIC EXAMS

Pap smears and pelvic exams will keep you informed about your reproductive health. A pelvic exam is a routine physical examination to assess gynecological health. Reproductive tract diseases may produce abnormalities that your doctor will notice before symptoms manifest. This means necessary treatment can be started early.

A Pap smear is a test for abnormalities that could indicate cancer or potential of developing cancer. During a pap smear, samples of cells from the interior of the cervix are taken and tested for said abnormalities.

STD TESTS

If you’re sexually active, you should be regularly scanned for sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases may be symptomless so you can pass it to your patner or, if pregnant, an unborn child without your knowledge. Early detection of sexually transmitted diseases means early intervention before it escalates to affect fertility and one’s overall health.

MAMMOGRAM

A mammogram is basically an X-ray of the breast. It is a method of checking a woman’s breasts for cancer before signs and symptoms manifest. Mammograms cannot prevent breast cancer but it will detect it in its early stages, when it is easier to treat. Women 40 to 49 should have mammograms every year or every two years if they prefer. Older women can get mammograms but less frequently and on the condition that she has about 10 years or more ahead of her.

COLONOSCOPY

A colonoscopy is a test for cancer of the colon and rectum. It is an exam used to detect changes or abnormalities in the large intestine (colon) and rectum. To carry out a colonoscopy, a small flexible tube with a camera on it is inserted into your colon to check for polyps (abnormal masses) or other indications of cancer. If polyps are found, they can be removed early if they are cancerous.

CHOLESTEROL TEST

A cholesterol test, also called a lipid panel or lipid profile, it is a blood test that measures the amount of cholesterolin the blood. Cholesterol tests are important because high cholesterol (fatty deposits) can lead to narrows or blocked arteries which is a risk factor for coronary artery disease, heart attack, etc.

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING

You should have your blood pressure checked at least once every two years, starting at age 20. For adults age 40 or older, African-Americans or people with conditions like obesity, an annual screening is recommended.

A high blood pressure can lead to:
• Heart attack or stroke
• Aneurysm
• Heart failure
• Dememtia, etc.

Article credit : Cocci Beauty