10 Health Screening Tests for Women in their 40s.
Now that you’re 40, we wish you many happy returns, long life and prosperity. But more importantly, we wish you a long life healthy life.
While the 4th floor comes with a lot of vibes, it also comes with a lot of responsibilities both for others and yourself. And there’s no greater responsibility than to maintain ones health.
People don’t just fall down and die, unless they’re involved in accidents. What kills people are usually products of accumulated ‘health negligence’ coming home to roost.
Maintaining your health in your 40s is a lot like carrying out preventive maintenance on your car. Tasks like changing the oil and getting a tune-up can prevent major mechanical problems down the road. Like cars, people need preventative check-ups, too.
Here are 10 recommended screening tests you should consider carrying out, now that you’re 40:
Blood Pressure Screening
A blood pressure screening is one of the most important screening tests you can have in your 40s.
High blood pressure is a silent killer. There are no symptoms of high blood pressure, but it can harm essential body organs such as your heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, eyes, and blood vessels.
The good news is it’s cheap, easy, painless, and takes just a few minutes to receive the results.
The targeted healthy blood pressure is 120/80. Higher readings indicate high blood pressure, or hypertension which is a risk factor for life-altering diseases such as stroke and heart attack.
You should have your blood pressure checked at least once every 2 years. However, if your number are higher than normal, you should have your blood pressure checked more often.
While having a portable blood pressure monitor in your house or office is a good idea, it should not replace the need to see your doctor.
Diabetes Screening
The problem of diabetes is more in the complications it cause to many of body organs.
Untreated diabetes will continue to get worse and cause problems with eyes, feet, heart, skin, mental health, nerves, kidneys, and more.
You should be screened for diabetes every 3 years except you have other risk factors for developing diabetes. These risk factors include high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, family history of diabetes or being overweight.
Diabetes Screening is quite fast, easy, cheap and with just a minimal needle discomfort.
Cholesterol Screening
While high cholesterol is not a disease entity of it’s own, it can predispose you to having many other diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart attack and so many other deadly diseases.
While the test may not be as fast as blood pressure and blood sugar screening, the wait will surely worth it.
You should have your have your cholesterol levels checked at least once every 3 years.
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Colorectal cancer occurs when the cells that line the colon or the rectum become abnormal and grow out of control. Because symptoms often do not appear until the cancer has advanced, it is important to have regular colorectal cancer screenings.
Colorectal cancer screening can be done using flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, or the fecal occult blood test. While, fecal occult blood screens can detect early stage cancers, but the colonoscopy is considered the best test for prevention.
You may need to be screened if you have a strong family history of colon cancer or polyps. Screening may also be considered if you have risk factors such as a history of inflammatory bowel disease or polyps.
Stool for occult blood can be done yearly, flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years and colonoscopy every 10 years.
Breast Cancer Screening
While both men and women can come down with breast cancer, it’s predominantly a women’s disease. And the earlier it’s discovered the better the prognosis.
For years, monthly self-breast exam has been the focus of breast cancer screening, however, experts do not agree about the benefits of breast self-exams in finding breast cancer or saving lives. That bring said, you should still be aware of how your breasts look and feel and report any changes to your physician.
Starting in your 40s, your doctor will perform yearly breast exams. During the exam, your doctor will carefully palpate your breasts, underarm and the area just below your breast bone for any changes or abnormalities. They may also check to see if your nipples produce fluid when gently squeezed.
Your doctor can also order a mammogram as a second line of breast cancer screening. A mammogram is an X-ray of your breasts that can help detect breast cancer. It involves compressing the breast between plates so that X-ray images can be captured.
This should be done every one to two years. Women with a mother or sister who had breast cancer at a younger age should consider yearly mammograms. They should begin earlier than the age at which their youngest family member was diagnosed. If you have other risk factors for breast cancer, your provider may recommend a mammogram, breast ultrasound, or MRI scan.
If you have family members with breast cancer, your doctor will screen you to see if you are at risk for more dangerous types of breast cancer that are linked to certain genes (BRCA 1 or BRCA 2). If you’re at risk, your doctor may recommend genetic counseling or BRCA testing.
10 Health Screening Tests for Men in their 40s.
Cervical Cancer Screening
Cervical cancer affects the entrance to the womb. The cervix is the narrow part of the lower uterus, often referred to as the neck of the womb.
Regardless of sexual history, women aged 21 and older should have a Pap smear every three years until age 65, as long as your test results are normal. The Pap smear looks for signs of cervical cancer.
In the Pap smear, your doctor uses a speculum to widen the vaginal canal, takes cells from the cervix with a small brush, and examines those cells for changes that may lead to cervical cancer.
If you’re 30 or older, you can have the test every five years if you combine it with a screen for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is a STD that can lead to cervical cancer.
If you are at higher risk for cervical cancer or screening shows abnormal results, your doctor can help determine your best screening schedule.
Dental Exam
A complete oral exam is also referred to as a comprehensive oral exam or dental exam. This type of exam can last up to half an hour in some cases. A complete oral exam involves taking a detailed snapshot of your dental health in many areas.
Regular dental visits are important because they help to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
During a dental exam, the dentist or hygienist will clean your teeth and check for cavities and gum disease. The exam includes evaluating your risk of developing other oral problems and checking your face, neck and mouth for abnormalities.
These types of exams are done every three to five years.
Osteoporosis Screening
Osteoporosis may be more common in women, but men get it too.
Experts recommend that men over fifty who are in high-risk groups (long-term steroid use, low body weight, smoking, heavy alcohol use, having a fracture after age 50, or a family history of osteoporosis.) get tested, and men of normal risk get tested at sixty.
A bone density scan (DEXA) can measure how strong your bones are and help you determine the risk of a fracture.
Eye Exam
Even if you have perfect vision, a comprehensive eye exam every two years can help keep your eyes healthy. While vision is a priority, your eye doctor also looks for signs of eye diseases and conditions that may not have early symptoms, such as glaucoma.
Eye exam may also be the first time that some other systemic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, will be dete yes for the first time.
This screening is usually thorough, fast and pain free.
Infectious Disease Screening
Depending on your lifestyle and medical history, you may need to be screened for infections such as syphilis, chlamydia, and HIV, as well as other infections.
Even if you feel fine, you should still see your doctor for regular checkups. Undergoing these recommended screening tests for women during your 40s might help in preventing certain diseases and conditions as you get older and they may help you improve your longevity.