What You Should Know About Women’s Health

April 2023

When we hear “women’s health,” we think about the yearly Pap smear and Mammogram. Women’s health covers so much more! Do you realize that the three leading causes of death for women include heart dis-ease, cancer, and stroke? Elevated blood pressure and cholesterol are risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

If you are a woman, you should ask yourself, “when was the last time I had a full checkup?” A checkup means visiting your provider for an annual wellness exam to check blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels, as well as the usual Pap smear and Mammogram. Women must have their blood pressure checked at least once a year, more often if it is abnormal. The standards have recently dropped the normal blood pressure reading to 115/75. It’s best to have this done at your provider’s office or by a trained individual. Don’t rely on machines in stores to always be accurate.

The bone density issue has been specific to women for years but now includes men. Women must monitor their bone density at least every three years, starting at age 45. This test will help to prevent unwanted fractures that could lead to other consequences.

Living in the south, we eat delicious food that is not always good for us. Because of our eating habits and because some have diabetes in their families, everyone needs to have their blood sugar tested. This should be initiated as early as our teens, depending on family history and symptoms, including increased thirst, urination, blurred vision, and dizziness. Due to our eating habits, and especially for those with a family history of high cholesterol, women should begin checking cholesterol levels at age 20 and as frequently as indicated by our providers.

Eye exams, hearing tests, and dental exams are all crucial to our overall health and should be done periodically from age 18. Necessary immunizations need to be considered, such as the flu, pneumonia, tetanus, HPV, and even one for herpes zoster (to prevent shingles later in life.) Women age 50 and beyond need yearly exams for fecal blood and a colonoscopy (or something equally beneficial) every five years.

The traditional tests for women are to be done routinely. These include the Pap smear and Mammogram! Pap smears and pelvic exams should start at age 21 or when women become sexually active, with a frequency of at least every 1-3 years. Mammograms are every 1-2 years starting at age 40, with a baseline obtained around 35. Women as young as 18 should do self-breast exams every month. If you need help with how to do this, consult your provider.

These suggestions should help you live a long and healthy life. So do more than just the traditional “yearly” exams. Talk to your primary healthcare provider today about scheduling these life-saving exams!