DISCLAIMER
This website does not provide medical advice. The information on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician.
Staying healthy is not just about exercising and following a healthy diet. If you’re looking to be as healthy as possible, many doctors recommend visiting them at least once a year.
Annual checkups and health screenings should be a part of every person’s routine, especially as they age. Not to mention, women have gender-specific health concerns and conditions that are important to be aware of. Here are some of the most common yearly health screenings that are suggested for women.
There are some medical screenings that women undergo throughout their lives, starting from an early age. If you are a young woman, a doctor may tell you that you need to have certain screenings every few years.
As you get older, your doctor might recommend that these same exact screenings increase more frequently in occurrence. Some of the same medical checkups that you had infrequently as a teenager or as a woman in your twenties may become annual checkups once you enter middle age.
While there are more annual health tests recommended for older women, there are a few health screenings that medical experts say young women below age 40 should have annually, including the following:
Skin Cancer Screening
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States but it is also the most treatable, if it is detected early. Due to this, many medical experts recommend having a full body skin exam once a year. This is especially true if you have a light complexion and sunburn easily.
A common misconception is that people with darker skin do not get skin cancer but this is simply not true. Fairer skinned people do tend to get skin cancer more commonly but everyone is at some risk for skin cancer if they spend time in the sun without sun protection. In fact, when darker skinned people do get skin cancer it is usually diagnosed at a later stage, when it is more serious. This is why it is important for everyone to schedule yearly skin exams if they are able to.
Breast Exam
Although mammograms are not recommended until middle age, it is still important to check your breasts for lumps and irregularities. Your doctor will most likely perform a breast exam during your annual physical.
BMI
Your doctor will probably measure your body mass index (BMI) at each of your yearly physicals to ensure that you are at a healthy weight. If you have a body mass index that is above 25 (23 for Asian Americans) then your doctor may suggest that you have annual blood glucose testing for diabetes and pre-diabetes.
Dental Appointments
Most dentists advise their patients to schedule a dental checkup every six months in order to do a teeth cleaning and cavity checkup.
Next, learn about the yearly exams that doctors typically recommend for women aged 40 to 65.
