6 Health Screening Tests Every Woman Should Have

You hit the gym every evening and perform a few reps of dead bugs, planks, and cardio exercises. At home, you ensure that you eat healthily and adopt other healthy lifestyle habits to improve your health and wellbeing. You are passionate about healthy living, and we commend that. However, have you thought about getting the health screening every woman needs?

Health screenings are important. They can detect diseases before they materialize into severe conditions. With health screening, you can prevent serious health problems that can arise if little symptoms aren’t detected and treated.

As a woman passionate about living a healthy life, it's important you prioritize these six health screening tests.

1. Blood Pressure Screening

Did you know that high blood pressure is responsible for 7.6 million deaths yearly worldwide, more than any other risk factor? Similarly, around 54% of strokes and 47% of coronary heart disease are related to high blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a silent killer. Most individuals who have it don't exhibit any symptoms. You need to undergo blood pressure screening to determine your BP. Make sure you check your blood pressure once every two years, beginning from age 20.

Adults who are 40 or older, African-Americans and those with conditions like obesity are often at risk of hypertension. These individuals need to undergo blood pressure screening annually.

2. Cholesterol Check

Want to stay healthy? Get your cholesterol checked! A cholesterol test helps you and your health care provider gauge your risk of developing heart disease.

If you have high cholesterol, you can take measures to reduce it. High cholesterol is bad for your health. It can raise your risk of developing heart problems later on. The National Institute of Health recommends conducting a cholesterol check once every five years (for individuals who are 20 or older).

People at risk for heart diseases or stroke may have to undergo frequent cholesterol tests. Talk with your doctor if you identify with such individuals.

3. Hormone testing

Hormones play a key role in your health and wellbeing. They affect everything from your blood sugar, blood pressure, growth and fertility, sex drive, metabolism, sleep, etc. For optimum health, your hormones need to be balanced.

High or low levels of hormone in the bloodstream can lead to hormone imbalance which is responsible for conditions like bloating, fatigue, irritability, hair loss, mood swings, infertility, etc. To ensure that your hormone is in check, you need to undergo hormone blood tests. These tests involve taking your blood samples for examination.

4. Body Max Index

Body max index helps determine if your weight is in healthy proportion to your height. Knowing your BMI can help you determine any health risk you may face if it's not within the range. Being overweight has several severe health conditions like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, etc.

Adults and children past age six should undergo BMI screening at least once annually. If you have a high BMI, your doctor knows what to do to prevent you from being obese.

5. Skin Examination

Women are also advised to undergo skin examination to identify moles, growth and other strange changes or conditions that could put their health at risk. Unlike other tests, skin examination can be done at home using these simple steps:

Examine your underarms, forearms, and palms
Look at your body in a complete mirror
Use your hand mirror to inspect your neck and scalp
Inspect your legs, between toes, and the soles of your feet
Use a hand mirror to examine your back and buttocks

While examining your body parts, concentrate on features like shape, size, color, and other characteristics of suspicious growth. Skin exams remain the best way to detect skin cancers early. Those who are at high risk of developing skin cancer will have to visit the doctor for proper examination.

6. Dental Checkup

Do you only visit the dentist when you have a toothache, infection or decay? When was the last time you did a dental checkup?

A dental checkup is an important part of oral hygiene. With regular dental checkups, which involve cleaning and examining the teeth, you can discover signs of infection or other issues. Here are other common benefits of undergoing regular dental checkups:

Prevent future problems
Save your teeth
Treat bad breath
Boost self-esteem
Avoid teeth loss

Dental tests are preventive; hence it's normal for insurance plans to cover them. However, while these tests are important for your health and wellbeing, they can also be expensive. Contact your insurance company before making appointments.

Conclusion

As you consider the health screening above, always make it a habit to carry out self-screening regularly. Did you notice a strange lump on your breast or skin discoloration on your thigh? They may be indications of medical conditions that need urgent attention. So while you schedule frequent health screening tests with your doctor, don't forget to always screen yourself.