My friends and I tend to discuss with one another the medical exams that we undergo on a yearly basis. It is truly tedious to do these exams every year, but doctors always say the same thing: Early detection of a disease is the key to its cure.
Doctors recommend that women should undergo most of these tests, except for items #7 and 8. If you are not predisposed to diabetes as you have no family history or circumstances to worry about, then you don’t have to undergo the diabetes test. Item # 8 is not applicable to majority of the women I know but could be applicable to some of my readers.
1. Starting at 40, women with average risk of breast cancer should have a yearly mammography, which is a kind of low-dose x-ray breast screening. This can detect a breast mass before you can feel it. Routine screening mammography should be done every two years from age 50 to 74. It has been proven that early detection can cure breast cancer.
2. Pap Smear test checks for cancer of the cervix and abnormal cells that can occur before cancer develops. Testing should start at age 21 and be repeated every three years. From age 30 to 65, women can go five years between testing, unless she feels some abnormal changes happening in her body. There are vaccines now to guard against cervical cancer for young girls age nine to 25. These protect them from strains of HPV (human papilloma virus), the virus that is the leading cause of cervical cancer.
3. A test called Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) can measure bone mineral density and detect osteoporosis before fractures occur. It can also predict the risk of future fractures. Bone density test is recommended for women who are in their golden years and beyond. Depending on your doctor’s recommendation, bone density tests should be done every two or three years.
4. If you have a lot of moles in your body, your dermatologist should check them and analyze if there are changes in shape, color, and size. This is a safeguard against skin cancer. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer as it affects the cells that produce pigment in the skin. The risk increases with overexposure to the sun. Sun lovers, beware, and do your skin checkup regularly.
5. A complete blood test to determine your cholesterol levels, triglyceride, uric acid, blood sugar, blood chemistry, liver enzymes, normal kidney functions is a must-have. A urinalysis and stool analysis are important to undergo to detect harmful bacteria present in the urine and fecal matter. A doctor will interpret your tests and give you the corresponding medicines if there are abnormal results.
6. Monitor your blood pressure regularly to make sure you are not suffering from hypertension or high blood pressure. High blood pressure is related to age, weight, and lifestyle habits. It can lead to complications, including heart attack or stroke. People with high blood pressure should work with their doctor to manage it. It could be a life-saver.
7. Screening for type 2 diabetes. If you are healthy and normal but have a family history of diabetes, it would be wise to have yourself screened for diabetes every three years starting at age 45. If found early, diabetes can be controlled and complications can be avoided with diet, exercise, weight loss, and medication. Complications include heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, blindness from damage to the blood vessels of the retina, and nerve damage.
8. If you are sexually active and have had numerous “unreliable” partners and one-night stands, it is advisable to have a test for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). HIV is the virus that causes AIDS and there is still no cure or vaccine for it. But early treatment with anti-HIV medications may help the body’s immune system fight the virus.
9. A colonoscopy is a common screening test for colorectal cancer. A doctor views the entire colon using a flexible tube and a camera. Polyps found on the colon are removed on the spot. Doctors say we should start doing the tests at age 50 or younger depending on your family history.
10. Glaucoma screening. Glaucoma is a condition that can result in blindness due to damage to the optic nerve. How often you should have an eye exam depends on your age and risk factors. Risk factors include being Hispanic, African American, over 60, had an eye injury, steroid use, and a family history of glaucoma. All adults need an eye exam that includes a test for glaucoma every three to five years.
Going through these tests makes good health sense. They may not prevent diseases, but detecting them early enough gives you the best chance of overcoming them.
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Sources: My personal gynecologist Dr. Rebecca Agcaoili, FamilyDoctor.org, Healthfinder.gov. “Get Screened”