10 Essential Health Tests For Women

Being a woman in today’s day and age means jumping from one job to the next, rushing from one commitment to the other commitment, navigating the delicate intricacies of societal pressures and expectations while also somehow managing to find time to just be yourself. In this bumpy roller coaster of life, health often takes a back seat and having a healthy lifestyle just seems like an added chore on the already overflowing to-do list. But to avoid burning out and just collapsing one fine day it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle one that focuses on your physical as well as mental health. This means regular exercise, stress management and choosing the right foods. Another good habit to maintain is scheduling and going for regular health check-ups. The health tests may even save your life by detecting diseases early to prevent further complications. You’ve been doing everything for everyone from your boss to your parents and its time you carved some me-time into your busy schedule. In this me-time, save your life and go for health check-ups. If you are confused about which ones to get here are the 10 most important health tests for women.

1. Pap smears:

Starting at age 21 and until age 65, you ought to have a Pap smear at regular intervals i.e intervals of three years. In the Pap smear, your gynecologist utilizes a speculum to widen the vaginal canal, takes cells from the cervix with a little brush, and analyzes those cells for changes that may prompt to cervical cancer. In case you’re 30 or older, you can take the test every five years in the event that you integrate it with a screen for HPV, which is an STD that can cause cervical cancer.

2. Mammogram:

A mammogram, which screens for breast cancer, includes squeezing the breasts between plates with the goal that X-ray images can be caught. There has for some time been a conversation about when and how regularly a lady ought to have them, given that the hazard for breast cancer increments as you age, and the bogus positives from frequent screening may accomplish more harm than anything. The latest rules from the USPSTF prescribe that beginning at age 50, ladies ought to have a mammogram every two years. The American Cancer Society, in any case, says that ladies should begin yearly screenings at age 45, and would then be able to change to a half-yearly mammogram at age 55. On the off chance that you have a family ancestry of the malady or different concerns, converse with your primary care physician about beginning yearly screening earlier.

3. Cholesterol Check:

This is a device used to evaluate your hazard for getting coronary illness or stroke. In case you’re age 20 or older, you ought to have your cholesterol estimated at least once in five years, says the National Institutes of Health. Your total cholesterol levels ideally ought to be under 200 milligrams for every deciliter (mg/dl); a marginal high reading is somewhere in the range of 200 and 239 mg/dl. On the off chance that you are in danger of coronary illness or stroke, make an arrangement with your primary care physician for how regularly you ought to have this blood test.

4. Vitamin deficiency check:

It is entirely expected to discover Indian ladies who suffer from a deficiency in Vitamin D and B12. A deficiency in Vitamin B12 for ladies who are making arrangements for pregnancy or are pregnant could bring about a risky pregnancy. Vitamin D is very basic to keep up solid bones and calcium retention, as calcium depletion sets in with age.

5. Blood glucose tests:

Beginning around age 45, ladies ought to get a blood glucose test every three years to check for diabetes or prediabetes. The range for ordinary tests can change, yet a fasting plasma glucose test reading of 100 mg/dl or higher, demonstrates that you might be prediabetic, while a reading greater than 126 mg/dl shows diabetes. In the event that you are obese, or have a family history of diabetes, or are of a race or ethnicity that is at specific risk, you might need to begin prior and get screened all the more frequently. Your doctor can help you plan how to lead a healthier lifestyle.

6. Bone density test:

Ladies should begin getting screened for osteoporosis with a bone density test at age 65. Those who have risk factors for osteoporosis, such as a fracture or low body weight, ought to be screened before. For this test which called a DEXA scan, you lie on a table while a low-intensity X-ray machine catches pictures of your bones. The regularity witch which you have to take this test changes relying upon the bone density and other hazard factors.

7. Skin examination:

Ladies ought to inspect their skin every month at home, as per the American Cancer Society. Cautiously assess the skin all over your body, searching for any new moles or changes to existing moles, which can be early indications of skin malignancy. In the event that you are at an increased risk for skin cancer or have a family ancestry of it, it is ideal that you talk with your primary care physician or dermatologist about how frequently you ought to have an in-office test.

A few risk factors are:

• Significant exposure to the sun
• Family ancestry of skin cancer
• Light complexion
• The presence of various unusual moles
• A past filled with several sunburns, particularly early in your life.

8. Dental Check-up:

Great dental wellbeing is significant from the minute your first baby tooth sprouts, and every single adult lady needs twice-yearly dental exams. Through normal dental tests, which include cleaning and inspecting the teeth, alongside X-rays, you can spot early indications of rot and some other issues. Since these tests are viewed as preventive, numerous insurance plans cover them. Yet, while they’re crucial for your wellbeing, they can likewise be costly — so check with your insurance agency before making arrangements, and verify whether your community offers any of these tests for nothing.

9. Colon cancer screening:

Colon cancer screening, which should be possible at a specialist’s office or emergency clinic, should begin at age 50, as indicated by the USPSTF. You’ll have either a sigmoidoscopy, in which a lit tube and camera are embedded in the anus to analyze the lower colon, or a colonoscopy, wherein a more extended cylinder looks at the whole colon. Except if an issue is found or you have a more serious danger of colon disease, a sigmoidoscopy is taken every 5 years and a colonoscopy every 10 years. Aside from these two, the other tests are:

• yearly stool test
• double-contrast barium enema (every five years)
• computed tomographic colonoscopy (every five years)

10. Depression check-up:

The National Alliance on Mental Illness evaluates that 16 million American grown-ups had at least one major depressive episode in recent years. They also add that ladies are 70 percent at a higher risk than men to experience depression. In case you’re worried about your mindset, approach your primary care physician for this screening. Your primary care physician will pose inquiries about symptoms, for example:

• trouble sleeping
• irritability
• loss of libido or sexual interest
• drowsiness
• loss of enthusiasm for common activities

That’s all the tests you will need to maintain a healthy lifestyle and live a long life. As you can see most of these tests require you to get checked-up every 3 or five years which means that even in a busy schedule you will be able to take time out for them. Therefore, gift yourself the lease of a new, better and much happier life by getting these tests done. Be your own knight in shining armor and save yourself from fatal diseases like cancer.