How often does your doctor see you? If I had to take a guess it would be somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes per year. That’s not nearly thorough enough to make sure everything is going smoothly. It’s your body, so it’s ultimately your responsibility to check yourself. Depending on someone else can wind up in a disaster. But don’t worry, it’s extremely easy to do these 5 health checks every woman should perform regularly.
1 – Breast & Armpit
One of the most important checks is for breast cancer. It is one of the most common cancers among women. In 2009 over 200,000 women were diagnosed, and over 40,000 died from it.
Men are not exempt from this. It’s a great idea for men to perform self checks as well.
It’s really easy to check for breast cancer. When you’re in the bathroom or shower, at least once a month, palpate your breast tissue and areola. What you’re looking for are abnormal lumps and bumps. If something is suspicious, tell your doctor immediately and ask for a mammogram.
While you’re checking that area, take a look under your arms. An appearance of darker skin can indicate diabetes. Raised insulin levels in the blood causes excess skin cells and melanin to congregate in that area.
According to the ADA (American Diabetes Association) a little over 10% of women over the age of 20 will be diagnosed with this.
2 – Eyes
You want to look for waxy, white lumps on your eyelids. If washing it off doesn’t work then there’s probably a problem.
Optimal cholesterol levels are under 200. If these white balls of cholesterol appear on your eyelids, then your cholesterol may be around 300!
Cholesterol plays a huge role in heart disease which claims the life of about 1 in every 4 women in the United States.
If you end up seeing these lumps, go see your doctor and ask for a blood test to check for cholesterol levels. Also ask for ways that you can try to reduce those levels.
3 – Facial Complexion
If you start to get an abnormal amount of pimples and thick hair, go see your doctor for a blood work. They also might do a pelvic check and ultrasound.
When hormones go out of wack it can cause male puberty-like symptoms in women. This is a serious condition that can occur in almost 10% of women in the child bearing age. It is a serious risk factor for diabetes and infertility.
At the moment there isn’t really a cure for this situation, but your doctor can tell you about specific lifestyle changes that you can make to manage the symptoms.
4 – The Flow
Irregular bleeding can be caused by a bunch of different things. It can be as simple as a symptom of stress, or it can be due to more serious situations. Cervical cancer, endometriosis, or even uterine fibroids can cause abnormal or consistent vaginal bleeding
If this occurs you should go see your gynecologist. They can give you a pap smear which will check for cervical cancer and other conditions.
5 – Nails
Skin cancer has recently been on the rise, and it doesn’t appear as an abnormal looking mole. It can also occur under your nail bed. What you want to look for is dark, brown, black, or yellow stripes.
This may indicate a form of melanoma. The good news is that if you catch it early, about 98% of the cases are completely curable. Just be on the lookout!
I hope I convinced you all to take part in these 5 health checks that women should perform regularly. Men have their own set of tests that they need to be doing as well. This can prevent serious problem from occurring later on in life. If you liked this article and found it informative, please take a second to share it on facebook. You might also be interested in secrets to breaking a weight loss plateau.
About Adam Pegg
