Routine Health Tests Every Woman Should Get

Keeping healthy and fit should be a priority for every person. Apart from the recommended good lifestyle choices such as good sleep, healthy eating, regular exercise and mental health hygiene practices, routine check-ups, tests and screenings should be part of our endeavour to lead healthier lives.

Women in particular, need to routinely take specific screenings and tests to safeguard their health. Several tests are usually recommended for women, depending on the woman’s age, stage in life and family health history.

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Mammography

With 1 in every 28 women at risk of developing breast cancer, it is the most prevalent cancer among women in India. Therefore, unsurprisingly, one of the top-most important screenings a woman should have, is regular breast cancer screenings. A mammography will be recommended by the doctor, especially if a suspicious lump is found during a clinical breast exam. While there are other methods to screen for breast cancers such as ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, mammography is the most recommended.

Newer and more advanced mammograms such as tomosynthesis and 3D mammography can help to better detect smaller cancers.

For women over 40, it is recommended to have a mammogram done annually or once every two years.

Pelvic Exam & Pap Smear

Other essential screenings every woman should get are pelvic exams and pap smears. During a pelvic exam, the doctor checks your reproductive organs for any abnormalities. A pap smear is used to detect cervical cancer and is usually conducted during a pelvic exam. A pap smear can detect cervical cancer in the early and even in the pre-cancerous stages.

A pelvic exam may be recommended if you’re experiencing gynecological symptoms such as pelvic pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, unusual vaginal bleeding or urinary problems.

It is recommended that women between the ages of 21 and 65 take a pap smear every 3 years. It is also recommended for every woman who has been sexually active to get a pap smear. Routine pap smears can be done every 5 years if conducted along with testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) – a virus that can lead to cervical cancer.

Lipid Panel/Cholesterol Test

Cholesterol and heart disease were once thought to affect mostly men, but there has been a rise in heart disease among women in recent times. Therefore, it is very important for women to also get a cholesterol and lipid panel done to check cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance your body uses to build cells and make vitamins and other hormones. There are two types of cholesterol – LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol). Too much LDL and not enough HDL can cause cholesterol to build up in the inner walls of the arteries forming a thick, hard deposit, known as plaque, inside of your arteries. This can cause a condition called atherosclerosis, where the arteries become narrow and stiff. If these arteries become blocked or if there is a blood clot, it can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

A lipid panel/cholesterol test can help to not only predict your risk of heart disease and stroke but can also detect high cholesterol since there are no noticeable symptoms.

A lipid panel measures:

Total cholesterol
LDL
HDL
Triglycerides – a type of fat that causes hardening of the arteries

A lipid panel is recommended for people from 20 years of age, at least once in five years. Those with a family history of heart disease or who have certain other risk factors such as diabetes and obesity may need to be tested more frequently.

Blood Pressure Screening

Hypertension or high blood pressure is known to be a ‘silent killer’ since it has very few noticeable symptoms. Hypertension can lead to heart disease, heart attack, dementia, stroke, vision problems, kidney problems and sexual dysfunction. Therefore, it is very important to get your blood pressure checked regularly.

Some of the symptoms of high blood pressure include:

Blurry or double vision
Headache
Lightheadedness/dizziness
Fatigue
Irregular heartbeats
Nosebleeds
Shortness of breath
Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
Nausea/vomiting

Regular blood pressure checks are recommended for people over 18, especially if there is a family history of heart disease.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a medical condition that occurs when blood sugar is too high and can lead to various health issues such as vision problems, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney ailments, nerve damage (neuropathy) and skin problems. A diabetes test can be taken in your doctor’s office or at a lab. There are various types of diabetes tests including:

A1C test – This test measures your average blood sugar levels over a period of three months.
Fasting blood sugar test – Blood sugar is measured after an overnight fast, therefore, you would be required to not eat or drink anything besides water from the previous night.
Glucose tolerance test – This test measures your blood sugar before and after drinking a drink containing glucose. You will be required to fast before the test is taken. After drinking the glucose drink, your blood sugar will be tested again at certain intervals. This test is most often used when screening for gestational (pregnancy-related) diabetes.

Regular testing is important for detecting pre-diabetes, which can lead to Type-2 diabetes if not treated in time. It is recommended that people over the age of 35 should get a diabetes test done every 3 years, particularly if there is a family history of diabetes or if they are overweight or obese. Routine diabetes screening is also recommended if you have high blood pressure, or if you are planning to get pregnant.

Thyroid Function Test

Your thyroid is the small butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of your neck. It is part of the endocrine system and produces the hormones Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3), which help to regulate metabolism.

Women are more prone to hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid). Hyperthyroidism can cause the heart to beat abnormally fast, and can lead to anxiety, weight loss and difficulty sleeping. On the other hand, hypothyroidism causes your metabolism and body function to slow down. This can lead to weight gain, fatigue and dry skin.

A thyroid function test will help to measure your thyroid hormone levels to check that it is normal.
A blood test is used to measure the levels of thyroid hormone (Thyroxine, or T4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. TSH is released by the pituitary gland to stimulate the thyroid to produce hormones. If your thyroxine levels are high and TSH levels are low, it could mean that you have an overactive thyroid. However, a high TSH level and low thyroxine level could mean that your thyroid is underactive.

It is recommended to check your thyroid once a year if you have hypothyroidism and once every month if you have hyperthyroidism.

Bone Density Test

Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle. Until the age of 30, the body continuously regenerates bones. However, as we age, this process slows down and our bodies are not able to keep up and bone breakdown occurs faster. Osteoporosis tends to affect more women than men, particularly post-menopausal women due to the reduced levels of estrogen – a hormone that protects against bone loss. This puts older women at a higher risk of broken bones and fractures.

While osteoporosis has very little noticeable symptoms, there are some signs such as:

Loss of height
Lower back pain
Change in posture – stooping or bending forward
Frequent bone fractures and breaks

In a bone density test, a type of X-ray called a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan (DEXA scan) measures bone density in the hips, spine and wrist, this is because people with osteoporosis usually have an increased risk of fracturing these bones. These scans use small amounts of radiation to determine how solid the bones are, and can also predict the risk of breaks in other bones.

It is recommended that women over 65 years get a bone density scan. Women who are at higher risk of osteoporosis due to a family history of hip fractures, or if they are taking certain medications, smoking, consuming excessive alcohol, or having low body weight, should be screened earlier, around the age of 45.

Colorectal Exam/Colonoscopy

Colorectal cancer is treatable if detected early and it is also preventable if abnormal tissue growth known as polyps are removed before they become cancerous.

A colorectal exam helps to find and remove polyps that can cause colon cancer.

There are different types of screening for colorectal cancers such as:

Stool tests – various different tests where a stool sample is collected at home and sent to a lab for analysis.
Flexible sigmoidoscopy – a short, thin, flexible and lighted tube is inserted into the rectum to check for polyps and cancerous growths in the rectum and lower colon.
Computed tomography (CT) colonography – X-rays and computers are used to create images of the colon for evaluation.
Colonoscopy – a thin, flexible, lighted tube is used to look for polyps and cancerous growths inside the rectum and the entire colon.

It is recommended that adults between the ages of 45 and 75 to be screened for colorectal cancer. If there are other risk factors, or if there is a family history of colorectal cancer, you may be advised to get screened earlier and more frequently.

Eye Test

Getting regular eye tests is part of maintaining overall health. While it is recommended that everyone over the age of 18 get routine eye exams every two years, people with eye problems should get tested more frequently.

As we get older, other health conditions such as diabetes can cause changes to our vision. Diabetic retinopathy is a disease caused when the blood vessels of the retina are damaged due to diabetes. If the condition is not treated on time, it can lead to blurred vision, vision loss, or permanent blindness.

Some of the symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:

Blurred vision that prevents you from seeing the details of an object
Trouble reading or spotting faraway objects
Colour blindness or seeing faded colours
Blind spots or empty areas in your vision
Seeing dark or grey specks, strings, or cobwebs known as eye floaters that drift across your vision
Vision loss

It is important to speak to your doctor about getting regular eye tests, especially if there have been any changes to your vision.

Dental Exam

We often neglect to keep up with routine dental check-ups, but maintaining proper oral health is very important to overall health and wellbeing.

Research has shown that oral health is linked to various health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, lung conditions, mouth cancers and malnutrition. It is recommended to get a dental examination and cleaning done every year.

These are some of the tests every woman should considering taking to safeguard her health and wellbeing. It is advisable to speak to your doctor to discuss any concerns, symptoms or factors that put you at risk of developing certain health conditions. After all, prevention goes hand-in-hand with keeping fit and healthy.

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