What Are Moms’ Health Needs?
By Carrie Carter, M.D.Q:
What are the regular checkups/health needs that moms
should be taking care of?
What first comes to your mind when I say
“checkups?” If you are like many moms, unless you are pregnant, the
checkups you think of first are mainly those that your children
require—not the ones you require. After all, you’re healthy—right?
So why should you bother with a doctor when there is no time in your
busy schedule?
Although you handle home and family like a
superhero, you are not invincible, and unfortunately, denial is not
effective health “insurance” against getting significant health
problems. Checkups can save your life.
Three Big Screens
The big three screening tests for all moms are:
• blood pressure
• cholesterol panel
• pelvic exam with pap smear
You need to have a yearly medical appointment,
because many health problems start without obvious symptoms but can
be diagnosed and treated at an early stage. Specifically, you need
to have a yearly pelvic exam and pap smear to check for cervical
cancer and other problems. All moms—including those in their
twenties and early thirties—also need to be screened regularly for
numerous health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure,
and cancer. (See summary table below.)
As moms get older, more screening tests are
recommended each year to rule out different cancers. These include
mammograms each year for all women over age forty, and tests to rule
out colon cancer for women over fifty. Why are these so important?
It turns out that if detected early, 95% of all cancers can be
cured.
Your Monthly Homework
Your monthly “homework” is to check your breasts
for changes at the end of each menstrual period. Look and feel
specifically for new lumps, or any other changes. Also check your
skin from head-to-toe at home once a month to look for moles that
have changed or any suspicious skin growths (especially if you are
fair-skinned, or have had much sun exposure or several sunburns over
the years). You may want to ask your spouse or a friend to help in
this game of “I Spy” so that you do not miss any changes in
hard-for-you-to-see areas.
If you see any of the following changes in a mole,
call your doctor that very day for an appointment:
Asymmetry (one side of the mole different than
the other)
Border of mole newly irregular
Color changes or variation in the mole
Diameter--increased size
If you see one or more of these changes, it may mean
life-threatening malignant melanoma skin cancer, or it may not
mean anything serious. If found at an early stage, melanoma is
usually curable. But if melanoma spreads beyond the skin into the
system, it is often deadly.
The Basic Screening Tests Schedule for Every
Mom
SCREENING TEST |
HOW OFTEN? |
STARTING WHEN? |
Fasting Cholesterol / lipid panel:
|
Every 5 years |
Women over 20 |
Blood Pressure: |
Every year |
Women 18 and over |
Fasting Blood Glucose: |
Every 3 years |
Women over 45
(or if risks) |
Mammogram: |
Every 1-2 years |
Women over 40 |
Pelvic Exam and Pap Smear:
|
Every year |
Women 18 and over |
Fecal Occult Blood Test:
|
Every year |
Women 50 and over |
Flexible Sigmoidoscopy: |
Every 5 years |
Women 50 and over |
Colonoscopy: |
Every 10 years |
Women 50 and over |
(Table used by permission from Mom’s Health Matters by
Carrie Carter, M.D., F.A.A.P., Zondervan; 2003.)
Your Personal Health Team
Since you need an annual pelvic and pap smear, it
may seem a natural choice to ask your ob/gyn to function as your
primary care doctor. But unless your ob/gyn wants that
responsibility, I recommend you choose an internal medicine or
family practice doctor to head your personal health team. Also,
remember to see your dentist for an exam and cleaning every six
months or as recommended.
Happy Checkup Day To You…
With all that you have to do, I know it is
tempting to put your health check-ups at the bottom of your list.
But your health is very important to your whole family.
If it has been eons since your last medical and/or
dental check-up, get over the guilt and get back to routine
check-ups as soon as possible. It’s time to grab your calendar, the
phone, and your doctor’s phone number. What day is good for you?
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