To acknowledge girls’s well being all through the month of Might, Dignity Well being Medical Teams might be sharing perception from 4 physicians throughout totally different specialties about matters which are essential to girls’s well being.
First up in our Ladies’s Well being Month collection is Anila Chadha, MD, with Dignity Well being Medical Group — Bakersfield. Dr. Chadha is a household medication doctor and discusses the significance of annual screenings and preventative care.
What are vital screenings that girls of various ages ought to make certain to not skip?
Dr. Anila Chadha: The first step is understanding the assorted screening exams which are accessible to girls; step two is guaranteeing you’re having them finished on the acceptable time in your life. Early detection of a medical downside, together with most cancers, might be life-saving and might scale back the danger of problems.
Vital screenings and really useful ages:
- Cervical cancer screening with Pap smear — begin on the age 21 and repeat each 3 years
- Breast cancer screening with mammogram — screenings ought to happen yearly beginning at age 40
- Colorectal cancer screening — begin at age of 45 with colonoscopy or stool take a look at; intervals of repeat testing is determined by earlier outcomes and private danger components
- Lung cancer screening — for girls aged 50-80 who’ve a 20 pack-year* smoking historical past or have give up smoking within the final 15 years. *A “pack-year” is a solution to measure smoking publicity and refers to smoking one pack of cigarettes per day for the final 20 years.
- Osteoporosis screening — beginning at age 65 with an annual bone measurement take a look at.
Are there generally ignored well being situations that have an effect on girls disproportionately to males?
Dr. Anila Chadha: Coronary artery disease, brought on by plaque build-up within the arteries that offer blood to the center, is the main explanation for loss of life in girls. In girls, typical illness signs like chest ache could as an alternative current as higher again ache, jaw ache, shortness of breath and sweating. These signs might be generally ignored and if undiagnosed might finally result in a coronary heart assault.
The incidence of urinary incontinence — or the lack of bladder management — in girls is far increased than males, and isn’t usually talked about. Remedy for this situation is attainable and might vary from remedy to surgical procedure. Ladies ought to remember to carry up potential signs of urinary incontinence throughout their annual wellness appointments.
Lastly, Consideration Deficit/Hyperactivity Dysfunction (ADHD) has a much less frequent prognosis in younger women than boys, mostly as a result of signs of ADHD current in a different way in women. Whereas boys could have extra bodily aggressive signs, women with ADHD extra usually current with lack of focus or low vanity. These signs in women might be uncared for and subsequently deprive women of remedy, resulting in additional psychological well being issues in maturity.
Attain out to your main care doctor to debate and schedule annual screenings, or seek the advice of our “Find a Doctor” software to discover a Dignity Well being Medical Group physician close to you.
Proceed to examine the Dignity Well being Medical Teams weblog for extra Ladies’s Well being Month reminders all through the month.
