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Women: Stay Healthy at Any Age
Checklist for Your Next Checkup
What can you do to stay healthy and prevent disease? You can get
certain screening tests, take preventive medicine if you need it,
and practice healthy behaviors.
Top health experts from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
suggest that when you go for your next checkup, talk to your
doctor or nurse about how you can stay healthy no matter what
your age.
Screening Tests: What You Need and When
Screening tests, such as mammograms and Pap smears, can find
diseases early when they are easier to treat. Some women need
certain screening tests earlier, or more often, than others. Talk
to your doctor about which of the tests listed below are right
for you, when you should have them, and how often.
The Task Force has made the following recommendations, based on
scientific evidence, about which screening tests you should have.
Mammograms: Have a mammogram every 1 to 2 years starting at age
40.
Pap Smears: Have a Pap smear every 1 to 3 years if you have been
sexually active or are older than 21.
Cholesterol Checks: Have your cholesterol checked regularly
starting at age 45. If you smoke, have diabetes, or if heart
disease runs in your family, start having your cholesterol
checked at age 20.
Blood Pressure: Have your blood pressure checked at least every 2
years.
Colorectal Cancer Tests: Have a test for colorectal cancer
starting at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide which test is
right for you.
Diabetes Tests: Have a test to screen for diabetes if you have
high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Depression: If you've felt "down," sad, or hopeless, and have
felt little interest or pleasure in doing things for 2 weeks
straight, talk to your doctor about whether he or she can screen
you for depression.
Osteoporosis Tests: Have a bone density test at age 65 to screen
for osteoporosis (thinning of the bones). If you are between the
ages of 60 and 64 and weigh 154 lbs. or less, talk to your doctor
about whether you should be tested.
Chlamydia Tests and Tests for Other Sexually Transmitted
Diseases: Have a test for Chlamydia if you are 25 or younger and
sexually active. If you are older, talk to your doctor to see
whether you should be tested. Also, talk to your doctor to see
whether you should be tested for other sexually transmitted
diseases.
Should You Take Medicines to Prevent Disease?
Hormones: According to recent studies, the risks of taking the
combined hormones estrogen and progestin after menopause to
prevent long-term illnesses outweigh the benefits. Talk to your
doctor about whether starting or continuing to take hormones is
right for you.
Breast Cancer Drugs: If your mother, sister, or daughter has had
breast cancer, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits
of taking medicines to prevent breast cancer.
Aspirin: Talk to your doctor about taking aspirin to prevent
heart disease if you are older than 45 and have high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you smoke.
Immunizations: Stay up-to-date with your immunizations:
Have a flu shot every year starting at age 50.
Have a tetanus-diphtheria shot every 10 years.
Have a pneumonia shot once at age 65.
Talk to your doctor to see whether you need hepatitis B shots.
What Else Can You Do To Stay Healthy?
Don't Smoke. But if you do smoke, talk to your doctor about
quitting. You can take medicine and get counseling to help you
quit. Make a plan and set a quit date. Tell your family, friends,
and co-workers you are quitting. Ask for their support. If you
are pregnant and smoke, quitting now will help you and your baby.
Eat a Healthy Diet. Eat a variety of foods, including fruit,
vegetables, animal or vegetable protein (such as meat, fish,
chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, or tempeh) and grains (such
as rice). Limit the amount of saturated fat you eat.
Be Physically Active. Walk, dance, ride a bike, rake leaves, or
do any other physical activity you enjoy. Start small and work up
to a total of 20-30 minutes most days of the week.
Stay at a Healthy Weight. Balance the number of calories you eat
with the number you burn off by your activities. Remember to
watch portion sizes. Talk to your doctor if you have questions
about what or how much to eat.
Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation. If you drink alcohol, one drink
a day is safe for women, unless you are pregnant. If you are
pregnant, you should avoid alcohol. Since researchers don't know
how much alcohol will harm a fetus, it's best not to drink any
alcohol while you are pregnant.
A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler,
one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled
spirits.
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Also See:
Having Better Marriages & Relationships
Womens Health & Women's
Issues
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