5 Aspects of Women’s Healthcare You Shouldn’t Neglect
Good healthcare is an essential aspect of anyone’s life, but there are some specific healthcare needs women should try to stay on top of. Here are five aspects of women’s healthcare you shouldn’t neglect.
1. Reproductive Healthcare
Reproductive healthcare covers everything from routine gynecological exams to abortion pill reversal. If you’re over the age of twenty-one, become sexually active before then or have concerns regarding your reproductive health, you should start seeing an ob-gyn annually. Your ob-gyn can ensure you get tested for STIs and screened for cancers as needed, help you find the right birth control method for your body, provide health support during pregnancy and treat any other issues you may face.
2. Diet and Exercise
Healthcare isn’t just about seeing various doctors and getting testing done. You should also do what you can to stay healthy in your personal life by sticking to a healthy diet and exercise routine. Ideally, you want to do a mix of weight training, flexibility training and cardio about thirty minutes a day, five days a week. Likewise, you should eat a varied healthy diet. There is no one perfect diet that works for everyone. Think about your schedule and your health needs. If you’re quite busy and have a family history of heart disease, look online for fast meals using principles of the Mediterranean diet, for example.
3. Bone Health
Women are at relatively higher risk of osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, as they age, which means women need to be more conscious of their bone health. Weight training and supplements such as Vitamin D and calcium can help you strengthen your bones and prevent the onset of osteoporosis. However, you should talk to your doctor before starting any weight training or supplements. While they can be helpful, you don’t want to overtax your body with too much weight or take too high a dose of any supplement. Too much can be just as harmful as not enough.
4. Cancer Screenings
Women should be regularly screened for several types of cancers. Your ob-gyn should conduct breast exams annually and you should begin getting mammograms done by age forty. Pap smears should be done every three years to look for cervical cancer and you should have your doctor check your skin for signs of skin cancer regularly. Make sure you also get screened for any cancers you have a family history of. When it comes to cancer screenings, it is important to note that certain treatments, such as Verzenio, may require prior authorization from insurance companies. For patients who are considering Verzenio as a treatment option, it may be helpful to seek out resources on Verzenio prior authorization to get informed on the treatment and understand the steps involved in the approval process.
5. Mental Healthcare
Make sure you take care of your mental health as well as you do your physical health. Everyone experiences stress, so it’s important you understand your body and mind’s responses to stress in your life and find ways to deal with it healthily. Yoga, meditation, and the occasional self-care day can help with common, everyday stressors. If you think you’re suffering from a mental illness, for example, generalized anxiety or depression, talk to your doctor. You may benefit from treatments such as therapy and medication.
You should talk to your primary care doctor about your specific healthcare needs. He or she will know best which areas of healthcare you should focus more on, which can be relegated to annual checkups and which will require more frequent monitoring as you age.
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