Women’s Annual Checkup: 9 Health Screenings You Should Undergo : No matter how busy your life gets, you should always take the time to practice important health habits. Brush your teeth twice a day, moisturize, eat right, exercise, and schedule all your annual checkups.
Even if you feel fine, checkups are necessary. They may even save your life. Regular screenings can spot the early stages of cancer and other diseases so they can be dealt with before they get out of control.
Which appointments do you need to be making? We’re about to tell you. Keep reading this woman’s annual checkup guide to find out what you should be seeing your doctor for.
-
Blood Pressure
Once you turn 20, you need to have your blood pressure checked at least every two years. When you go if the top number is anywhere between 120 or 139 you, increase the frequency of your visits to every year.
You should also make an appointment every year if you have heart disease, kidney issues, diabetes, or any other issues.
-
Cholesterol
You should have your cholesterol tested every five years once you turn 20 years old. If your results come back normal you can proceed to wait 5 more years to come back for another reading.
If your results are a bit high, it’s a good idea to go annually. If you make any major changes to your lifestyle during the 5-year wait such as weight gain then you should go ahead and get a reading done.
If you have diabetes, kidney problems, or a heart condition, you’ll need to have your cholesterol tested more often than 5 years as well.
-
Pap Smear
Pap smears aren’t exactly comfortable but once you turn 18 it’s necessary to get one done every three years. Your doctor will go in with a speculum and widen your vaginal canal. They’ll then use a brush to scrape a few cells off of your vaginal walls.
The cells are taken and tested for cervical cancer. When you turn 30 you only have to get a pap smear every 5 years as long as you’re getting tested for HPV on a normal basis.
-
Mammograms
You should be self-testing for breast cancer but doing so is no replacement for getting a mammogram. If you’ve never gotten a mammogram, it involves pressing your breast between two plates. An X-ray is taken and checked over for any abnormalities.
Since the risk for breast cancer increases as you get older, once you turn 50 you have to start having one done every two years. When you turn 55 this will turn into an annual checkup.
If your family has a history of breast cancer, don’t wait until you’re 50 to start getting checked out.
-
Dental Exam
It’s recommended to go to the dentist at least once a year to have your teeth cleaned and to check for common problems like gum disease. A sparkling smile isn’t the only reason to have a yearly dental checkup, however.
Someone at All Smiles Dental will be able to look at your teeth and tell you if you’re showing early signs of osteoporosis and cancer. Depending on your condition, you may need to have your teeth looked at more than once a year. Your dentist will be able to tell you if this is the case.
-
Eye Exams
As you age, your eyes may start to develop issues. At age, 40 signs of vision changes such as age-related farsightedness will begin. If you are showing early signs of eye disease your doctor will set up a schedule for you to come back.
When you turn 65 you should start going every year regardless as this is the time when diseases such as glaucoma, cataracts, and macular degeneration will begin.
-
Colon Cancer Screening
At age 50 you will need to make an appointment with your doctor or head to the hospital to get a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy. A sigmoidoscopy involves sending a lighted tube with a camera on it up the anus to observe the lower colon.
If you’re getting a colonoscopy a much longer tube is used in order to get a better look at your entire colon. It’s unpleasant but needed in order to spot early signs of colon cancer.
If the doctor doesn’t find any signs then you won’t have to go through this process for another 5 years. If they do spot something, you’ll have to go again much sooner than that.
-
Skin Exam
You should be looking over your skin quite often for little changes. If you notice anything concerning such as a mole that’s gotten bigger, make an appointment with your dermatologist.
There are no real recommendations for when to get a skin exam but it may be a good idea to go each year just to be on the safe side.
-
Blood Glucose Test
It’s a good idea to go to the doctor each year to find out if your body is having issues with digesting sugar. This is especially true if you’re over the age of 45 or overweight because you may be at risk for diabetes.
Regardless if you’re a risk or not, it’s recommended that you get your blood glucose levels tested every three years.
Women’s Annual Checkup Appointments You Should be Making
Life gets busy but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to ignore your health. Take the time out of your day to brush your teeth, exercise, and schedule appointments for the tests on this woman’s annual checkup list.
Staying on top of these appointments will keep you in good health so you can keep tackling the busy days ahead of you.
Visiting the doctor isn’t the only way to stay healthy. Check out the health & wellbeing section of our blog daily for even more wellness advice.
Related Videos about Women’s Annual Checkup: 9 Health Screenings You Should Undergo:
Do I need to have an annual physical?
Annual Well Woman Exam
Ask the Expert: The Importance of Regular Check-ups
Why you need a yearly physical
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gycOq7kbzA
Women’s Annual Checkup: 9 Health Screenings You Should Undergo
women’s health checklist, recommended health screenings by age, health screening for 40 year old woman, blood test for women’s health, what medical tests do i need at 30, women’s health check up packages, annual check up female near me, blood tests every woman should have,