Wellness visits include a packed checkup, unconnected from any other visit for sickness or injury. These appointments emphasize preventive care for women and the screening tests, which may include:
- Services, like shots, that increase your health by averting diseases and other health problems,
- Screenings, which are medical tests to check for sicknesses early when they may be easier to treat, and
- Instruction and counseling to help you make knowledgeable health decisions.
What happens during a well-woman visit?
Your well-woman visit is a chance to center on your overall health and wellness. There are 3 chief goals for the visit:
- Recording your health habits and history
- Receiving a physical exam
- Setting health objectives
Why are screening tests important for women?
Recall that old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Getting checked early can benefit you stop ailments like cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis in the very start when they’re at ease to treat. Screening tests can identify illnesses even formerly you have symptoms. The types of screening tests that you need depend on your age, family history, your own health history, and other risk factors.
What are the wellness visit screening tests that every woman needs to get when these tests should be done, and why should be done?
General health-related screening tests:
|
What |
When | Why |
| Physical exam | Yearly preventive care visits are suggested and are protected under the Affordable Care Act; discourse with your health care provider. | To screen for diseases; evaluate risk for future problems; talk over lifestyle habits, and keep vaccinations up to date. |
| Thyroid test | Routine screening is classically not optional for healthy, non-pregnant adults; however, some groups commend seeing screening people 60 years and older, as well as women planning to get pregnant and someone at amplified risk for hypothyroidism.
Discuss with your holistic wellness center. |
To recognize an under- or overactive thyroid, both of which are very curable and either of which can lead to more grave conditions if left untouched. |
Breast health-related screening tests:
| What | When | Why |
| Mammogram | Every 1-2 years initial in the middle of ages 40 and 50.
Remain annual or biennial screenings at least through age 74, and past those guidelines vary. Age alone should not be the object to suspend screenings. |
To ascertain possible early signs of breast cancer. |
| Clinical breast exam | Around every 3 years for women in their 20s and 30s, and every year for women 40 and over; some health organizations no longer endorse clinical breast exams, so talk with your healthcare provider. | A decent clinical breast exam may help find breast cancer comparatively early.
|
Colorectal health-related screening tests:
| What | When | Why |
| Colonoscopy (and/or other screening tests for colorectal cancer, such as fecal occult blood testing, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and CT colonography) | Starting at age 50. You may need to be vetted earlier if you have a family history of colorectal cancer.
Time frames for screening, as well as risks and assistance, differ for diverse screening approaches. Talk to your healthcare provider about which test is important for you. |
To recognize (and remove) precancerous polyps or early cancers. |
Heart and lung health-related screening tests:
| What | When | Why |
| Blood pressure screening | Screening is recommended every 2 years at the start and after the age 18.
If your blood pressure is high than 120/80 mm Hg and you have a risk of heart disease, more recurrent screenings may be suggested. |
Blood pressure screenings are used to find out hypertension. |
| Cholesterol screening | For those women who have a high risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), should get cholesterol screening on reaching the age 20.
Older women after the age 65 should get regular screenings because the lipid levels can increase after this age. |
Diagnosing and treating the cholesterol irregularities can help in decreasing your risk of a heart disease. |
| Lung cancer screening | Those women who are aged 55-80 and have a history of 30-pack year smoking or those who have quit smoking for 15 years, the tomography is recommended every year. | For diagnosing the early stages of lung cancer. |
Reproductive/sexual health-related screening tests:
| What | When | Why |
| Pap Smear test and HPV test (human papillomavirus) | For women aged 21-29 should get pap smear test every 3 years.
For women aged 30-65, pap smear test and HPV test recommended every 5 years or only Pap test every 3 years. For those women who have had 3 or more normal pap smear tests consecutively and there were no abnormal test results for 10 years, the screening is not required when they reach 65 or 70. Those women who have had removed cervix or uterus should ask the physician whether they need to continue getting screening. |
Pap tests are used to screen those abnormalities that could lead to pre or early cervical cancer.
HPV tests are used to identify women who have increased the risk to develop cervical cancer.
|
| Chlamydia test | This test is recommended every year until the age of 25 for those women who are sexually active. Older women who have a high risk of developing infections should get this test. | This test is used for the early treatment of Chlamydia and to reduce it from spreading.
|
| Gonorrhea test | This test is recommended every year until the age of 25 for those women who are sexually active. Older women who have a high risk of developing infections should get this test. | This test is used to get the early treatment of gonorrhea so that it can be stopped from spreading.
|
| HIV test & other sexually transmitted infection screening tests | It is recommended that all those women who are sexually active along with their partners should get HIV and other STIs tests before preliminary sexual activity.
Education on preventive measures and risks should get every year. The additional screenings should get in case of associated risks. Pregnant women should get HIV screening test at the beginning of their pregnancy while in case of any possible risk, retesting can be done during the pregnancy. |
Supports prevent spread of HIV and other STDs, many of which can only be identified through testing. |
Diabetes-related screening tests:
| What | When | Why |
| Fasting plasma glucose test (also called blood glucose test) | Screening procedures commonly commend every 3 years starting at age 45, excluding for adults with augmented risk for diabetes, who may have regularly started at any age.
That comprises adults who are overweight or obese or have another risk factor, including: blood pressure complex than 140/90 (or taking blood pressure medicine); family history of diabetes; high cholesterol; history of cardiovascular disease, physical idleness; high-risk race or culture; or gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more or had gestational diabetes. |
To arrange for an early warning sign of high blood sugar levels, this could mean an amplified risk for diabetes. |
Bone health-related screening tests:
| What | When | Why |
| Bone mineral density test | At least once to start at age 65; earlier liable on your risk factors for osteoporosis. | There are no obvious signs of osteoporosis until you break a bone.
Bone density screenings detect problems early, allowing you to start treatment and prevent further bone harm. |
Eye, ear, and teeth health-related screening tests:
| What | When | Why |
| Eye exam | Eye exams should be done once for the women aged 20-29 and twice for the women aged 30-39.
A baseline eye disorder screening should be done at age 40 with the follow-ups as recommended. At age 65, eye exams should be done every 1-2 years. |
It is used to examine the vision for any type of eye disease/disorder especially for macular degeneration and glaucoma – the two most common age-related eye diseases.
|
| Hearing test | Presently, there are no references for a regular hearing screening. However, if you’re experiencing any hearing problem, consult the healthcare professional for a screening. | The test is used to check if the woman is hearing normal. |
| Dental exam | You should get a dental exam regularly every 6-12 months or as suggested by the dentist.
|
For removing the bacteria and plaque that can cause gum and tooth diseases.
For checking the dental diseases such as tongue or mouth cancer. |
Skin health-related screening tests:
| What | When | Why |
| Skin exams | Discourse to your health care provider about what’s right for you.
If you have risk factors for skin cancer, your health care provider may endorse periodic skin exams. |
To track bothersome moles and identify skin cancer early. |
Immunizations:
| What | When | Why |
| Influenza (flu) vaccine | Each year for everyone 6 months and older. | Defends against major strains of flu viruses. |
| Hepatitis A | Assumed in 2 doses, 6-18 months apart, to children 1 year of age and to adults at risk or who want defense from hepatitis A. May be given in arrangement with hepatitis B vaccine (in 3 doses). | Shields in contradiction of hepatitis A, a serious liver disease that can cause flu-like illness, jaundice and severe stomach pains and diarrhea. |
| Hepatitis B | Particular to children at birth in 3 doses at 0, 1 and 6 months. Also given to children or adults who weren’t vaccinated and are at risk for hepatitis B, such as healthcare workers. | Safeguards against hepatitis B, a serious liver disease that can develop into a continuing infection. |
| Herpes zoster | Once only at age 60 or older. | Shingles inhibition (even if you have had shingles before). |
| Human papillomavirus (HPV) | Age 11-12; or 13-26 if not previously immunized; 3 doses at 0-, 2- and 6-month intervals; no booster needed. | Safeguards against four common types of HPV, counting the two most likely to cause cervical cancer. |
| MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) | One dose for adults born in 1957 or later who weren’t immunized as a child, unless advised otherwise by your healthcare provider. | Keeps against measles, mumps, and rubella. |
| Meningococcal (meningitis) | College freshmen, military recruits, and other at-risk people; talk over with your healthcare provider. | Guards against some types of meningococcal disease (meningitis). |
| Pneumonia | Once only at age 65 or older. It may be endorsed for younger adults with chronic heart, lung or liver disease; asthma; alcoholism; diabetes; or those who smoke. | Protects against pneumonia. |
| Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Td/Tdap) | Every 10 years. | Protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. |
| Varicella (chicken pox) | Given in 2 doses at 0- and 4- to 8-week intervals to those 19 or older who have not been immunized nor had chicken pox. | Protects in contradiction of chicken pox, a typically mild but highly contagious childhood disease, which can be grave in infants and adults. |
Visit Island Medical Consultants for all types of screening tests in wellness visit:
If you want to get screened for any medical condition or in general, you can consult American board-certified physicians at Island Medical Consultants – a wellness center in NYC – who provide screening tests in a wellness care visit. For more information, contact us or call 718.727.1898