National Women's Check-Up Day May 14, 2018

We celebrate Mother’s Day to show how much we care about the important women in our lives. National Women’s Check-up Day falls on May 15^th and the goal is to encourage women to schedule regular check-ups.

Annual exams include various health screenings and discussions regarding health habits and family history. Going over the details of our personal and family health history is important to setting healthy lifestyle goals and determining risk factors for developing certain medical conditions and in planning for healthy pregnancies. Exams and screenings can help to identify signs of depression, hypertension, diabetes, breast, cervical and colon cancer, to name just a few conditions.

Routine screening can help reduce the risk of disease and is usually covered by most insurance plans. Here are some important exams recommended for women by age.

Catherine Yeulet
Catherine Yeulet
1
Colonoscopy
Colon cancer can be prevented through early detection. In most cases, women should get a colonoscopy at age 50 and continue to get them every 10 years.
SORAPONG CHAIPANYA
SORAPONG CHAIPANYA
2
Pap Smear
Women should start getting pap smears at age 21 and continue every 3 years. Pap tests can detect the early development of cervical cancer.
crossstudio Thinkstock
crossstudio Thinkstock
3
Blood Pressure
Monitoring your blood pressure levels is an important step to maintaining good health. Blood pressure should be checked at least every two years in most cases.
Belyjmishka - ThinkStock
Belyjmishka - ThinkStock
4
Cholesterol
Starting at age 20, get a cholesterol test regularly, especially if you are at risk of heart disease. A doctor can review your results to determine risk factors of stroke or heart attack
monkeybusinessimages Thinkstock
monkeybusinessimages Thinkstock
5
Mammogram
Breast cancer screening is key in discovering early stages of breast cancer. In most cases, women should start scheduling regular mammograms at age 40.