by Jennifer Kirkman

Created on: December 21, 2009

Women really need to follow certain health guidelines in order to stay healthy. This article will point out just a few things that women need to have done on a regular basis to stay aware of their current health situation.

One of the things that are needed for women is a yearly gynecological examination to screen for things like any cervical or endometrial cancers. A pap test will show any red flags on this end of the women's health spectrum. A pap test is done in a pelvic examination where cells are scraped from the cervix and sent in to to the lab for examination. Done on a yearly basis, this will help keep you aware of any changes in the body which are unwanted. A pap test should also let you know if any signs of ovarian cancer are there. Ovarian cancer is one of these cancers which are silent, and you won't even known you have it until the cancer becomes seriously advanced. So your yearly gynecological exams are important for this reason.

A mammogram should be done after a person reaches 40 years of age. Mammograms, at least a baseline mammogram, will show anything in the breasts which look suspicious such as possible tumors or cysts that are growing. If these do show up, then a biopsy can be done to find out whether or not the tumors or cysts are benign or malignant. If the baseline mammogram is normal, then probably getting one every couple years from then on is fine. If not however, then you need a yearly one to keep on top of changes that take place.

A cholesterol test is also important for women, (and men for that matter,) to make sure it is within normal ranges, especially if you have a family background of high cholesterol. A complete cholesterol test should show levels of both LDL, (the lousy cholesterol as one doctor calls it, and the healthy HDL cholesterol.) High cholesterol levels are dangerous since cholesterol on the bad side clogs up arteries, and causes heart attacks very easily. When you are aware of these levels, you can change your diet and possibly add medication to keep these levels on safer ground.

A comprehensive metabolic panel, (complete blood check,) is another thing for women, and there again, men too, to assess diabetes risk for blood sugar levels, triglycerides, potassium levels which are very important, and white blood cell counts. The comprehensive panel screens for all of this in the blood, and if you are a woman or man for that matter, that has a family background for any disease, you need these levels checked for sure. Any red flags for diabetes for instance, will come up on these tests, and in fact, that is how they found my diabetes.

As women get older, they sometimes have a higher risk of getting osteoporosis too, which is brittle bones. Women past age 40 need a bone density test to find out if they are at a high risk for any osteoporosis. Osteopenia can start as young as age 40, and if it is seen on a bone density test, then corrections can be made before getting much older.

A colonoscopy is also recommended for people over 50. If a woman or man has a background of cancers, this test is important to have for both genders. The colonoscopy can pick up on any polyps, or any suspicious looking cancerous areas in the colon area.

By following these guidelines for your health, you will be able to stay aware of what is going on with your health, and take care of medical problems early on if they arise.

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Kirkman.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.