Women often juggle both personal and professional obligations at once, which is why it is vital they go in for regular wellness checks.
Women’s wellness exams are preventive healthcare visits designed to detect health concerns before they worsen, which is why doctors advise annual appointments for these exams.
1. Physical Exam
Women tend to prioritize family and career over prioritizing their own health, yet prioritizing one’s own wellbeing is essential if she experiences issues like abnormal vaginal bleeding or lumps. Luckily, many gynecologists offer wellness packages designed specifically for women that include regular checkups. These comprehensive checkups can help women stay healthy by early detection of problems as well as prevention against serious illnesses like cancer.
As part of a wellness exam, you will check-in at the front desk with your name. A medical assistant or nurse will then take your weight, pulse, blood pressure and ask about current health problems, medications taken and family medical history as well as any relevant information that may be relevant.
Next, your doctor will conduct a complete physical examination in a private room. They will inspect the color and size of your eyes, skin tone, any bumps or bruises and your abdomen and torso for signs of infection or other health concerns. They will perform both pelvic and breast exams; additionally they may teach you how to conduct self-exams at home so you can catch signs of breast cancer or other problems early.
If your family has had cervical cancer, your doctor will conduct a pelvic exam that includes a Pap test to identify human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer. Depending on your age and risk factors, as well as doctor recommendations, this test should be repeated every three to five years.
Blood work panels are also typically included as part of most health checkup packages tailored to women, including cholesterol, liver function and kidney function tests, blood sugar levels as well as bone density tests – these tests help detect early signs of high cholesterol and high blood pressure that often appear among female patients. A bone density test helps detect osteoporosis – an osteoporosis-causing condition with brittle bones which increases fracture risks through increased fracture susceptibility – through simple yet quick measurements usually using low-level radioactive dye testing.
2. Breast Exam
A clinical breast exam is an integral component of women wellness checkup. Your healthcare provider will use her fingers to feel for any lumps or changes in your breast tissue or the surrounding area, including lymph nodes in your underarm and near the collarbone. A clinical breast exam generally takes less than an hour; you may feel unease as your medical provider feels different layers of your tissue; but remember, most lumps found during these exams aren’t cancerous – although false positive results can create unnecessary anxiety and fear as well as cause follow up tests that aren’t required by your healthcare provider.
At your women’s wellness exam, you will first fill out some paperwork and answer some questions regarding your family history, current medications, sexual history and menstrual cycle. After being given an examination gown to wear in private in the examination room for you to undress for privacy during your exam, healthcare providers often also offer chest covers during these exams for added privacy.
As part of a pelvic exam, you’ll lie on an examination table with your feet in foot supports known as stirrups. Once there, a medical provider will examine both the exterior of your vagina and inner cervix; and possibly perform a pap test which checks for abnormal cells that could indicate cervical cancer.
Women’s wellness exams are an integral component of preventive health. You should make an annual wellness appointment with your physician regardless of how healthy you believe yourself to be; annual exams can help spot problems early, which could save lives and enhance quality of life for women. If unsure, consult with your health plan provider about coverage for such visits.
3. Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria invade and proliferate within the kidneys, ureters (the tubes which carry urine from kidneys to bladder), bladder or urethra. UTIs occur most commonly in the bladder or urethra and their signs and symptoms can include pain or burning when peeing, cloudy urine with bad smell, blood in urine, feeling the need to go to the bathroom often or immediately, back or abdominal pain and fever. UTIs can be dangerous if left untreated, as they may spread to the kidneys. While anyone of any age and sex may become susceptible to UTIs, certain individuals are at greater risk than others: women using diaphragm birth control methods or who have had a hysterectomy; people living with diabetes who experience hormone changes; those using urinary catheters for medical reasons and those suffering spinal cord injuries or surgery on the pelvis are particularly at risk.
UTIs can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi; doctors use antibiotics specific to each form of infection in treating UTIs; in order to decrease antibiotic resistance over time they often prescribe short courses of antibiotics.
Annual wellness exams with your gynecologist are important in order to keep an eye on your gynecological health and avoid complications that can lead to serious conditions, like ovarian cancer. When scheduling an exam appointment, write down any queries or concerns you have before attending your appointment.
Your gynecologist will perform a well-woman exam by conducting a physical and reviewing your medical history, along with pelvic exam and Pap smear, if necessary. They may also recommend mammograms or other screening tests depending on your age and any medications being taken, current health issues, menstrual cycle timing issues or family planning matters that arise; such issues could impact test results as well.
4. Blood Tests
Women wellness checkup packages provide comprehensive examination of multiple aspects of women’s health. They assist in early diagnosis of serious illnesses that could become life-threatening conditions and indicate which medicines may help improve lifestyle quality.
A lipid profile test measures your levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood, serving as an invaluable indicator of heart disease risk and integral to an overall female wellness checkup. With elevated triglyceride and cholesterol levels increasing your chances of heart attack or stroke, keeping them within their recommended range is vital in decreasing cardiovascular diseases risk.
An annual pelvic exam is an integral component of women’s wellness checkup packages, featuring visual inspection of vagina, uterus, and ovaries as well as Pap smear testing to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) infection or cervical cancer risk.
These exams may also include a breast exam, which is used to screen for early cancers of the breast. Therefore, it’s essential that you are aware of any changes to your breasts so you can seek medical assistance quickly should a diagnosis become necessary.
Bone density scans (also referred to as DEXA tests) are another popular addition to a wellness checkup package, often featuring as part of its DEXA test battery. This test can identify osteoporosis – a condition characterized by weak and fragile bones – early, providing women of all ages an early detection and prevention solution.
As part of a wellness checkup package for women, thyroid function tests provide an important indicator of metabolism. They can assist with diagnosing conditions like Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s disease and hypothyroidism as well as hyperthyroidism – the latter of which occurs when too much thyroid hormone is being produced by your glands – although you must fast for 12 hours prior to giving a sample for this particular test.
