Middle age or in your 40’s, is a stage where we are neither much young nor much old. There is a MEDICAL TESTS FOR WOMEN IN THEIR 40s which is far more important for their health.
We also dwindle mentally by thinking whether we should consider ourselves as young or old. A stage which decides how our rest of the life would be. Especially if you are a woman, you should be very conscious, because your whole family depends on you. Body of a woman is so complicated and has gone through so many changes that she becomes prone to various disorders as she grows older. If she plans her diet, regular exercise and stays away from the stress, she can look healthy and young in her 40s also.
We, women, should take proper care of our body. There are several MEDICAL TESTS FOR WOMEN IN THEIR 40s, which are often recommended by physicians for ladies in their 40s. These tests makes us aware about our health conditions and helps us to plan our life style.
• Blood glucose level for diagnosis of Diabetes :
Everyone loves ice cream, sweets, pizzas, hotdogs and variety of fast foods. During our younger days, we never noticed or barely planned what we ate. Was it healthy or not? Our bad eating habits finally lead us to obesity, with high cholesterol or lipid level. Obese folks are very much prone to diabetes. Researchers found that women are much prone to diabetes than men. Normal fasting blood glucose level of a healthy person should be 100mg/dl. If your fasting blood glucose level is between 100mg/dl-125mg/dl, then you are a prediabetic. It is an indication for you to modify your lifestyle.
• Blood pressure to diagnose Hypertension:
As we grow older, blood vessels lose their elasticity leading to hypertension. The rise in BP leads to heart attack, stroke, and paralysis. Blood pressure must be tested once in a year. The normal blood pressure of a healthy person is 120/80mmHg. More or less than this, indicates that you need to consult your doctor.
• Cholesterol profile or Lipid profile:
We often listen about high cholesterol food, low cholesterol food or oil. Long debates on cholesterol are held in lot of health rallies and health programs. What is cholesterol and what is its role?. Well, cholesterol is an essential nutrient for our body that is synthesized by our liver. But we take extra cholesterol in our diet, especially through non vegetarian food. An excess amount of cholesterol sticks with blood vessels and create a hindrance to blood flow leading to atherosclerosis, This may leads to lethal heart attack and stroke. High cholesterol level also leads to diabetes and kidney problems. Lipid profile test should be done annually after the age of 40.
• Thyroid test:
Thyroid is the gland situated in the lower front part of the neck, responsible for several processes like metabolism, mood, and energy generation. These processes are governed by releasing two hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Imbalance of these hormones causes several changes in the body like weight gain, sleep disorders, mood swing, anxiety, and tremors. Women should get their thyroid hormone levels tested annually.
• Bone density for Osteoporosis:
The bones of women get fragile and brittle after menopause. The density of bones start decreasing and lead to the osteoporosis. There are various factors that causes decrease in bone density like lack of calcium and vitamin D, alcoholism, smoking, family history of osteoporosis, history of rheumatoid arthritis etc.
Dual-energy X-ray known as DEXA test is done for the bone density measurement. Several other scans are also available like ultrasound and CT scan. The test is suggested to be done annually.
• Breast examination or mammogram:
Breast cancer is very common among females in the present era. Mammography is the test in which low intensity of x-rays are used for imaging the breast and diagnosis of breast cancer. Any lumps, moles and unusual spot on breast should be reported to the physician. Mammogram test should be done annually.
• Pap smear test
Pap smear test is used to detect cervical cancer. With this test, one can also detect if there is any kind of sexually transmitted disease or viral infections-like human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.
• Depression test
Body of the women goes through various changes at different ages. Sometimes due to hormonal imbalance or mental stress or menopause, women may suffer from depression. One must visit doctor for
stress & depression related consultation.
Important points to remember,
• Get routine health check up done after 40 years of age.
• Get diagnosed for:
o Diabetes
o Osteoporosis
o Hypertension
o Hyper Cholesterimia
o Lumps in the Breast
Being aware of your health in your 40s makes your rest of living healthy, which is beneficial for you and your family. The MEDICAL TESTS FOR WOMEN IN THEIR 40s is much important.
References
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007467.htm
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/prevention/women_age,40_49
https://www.prevention.com/health/9-most-important-medical-tests-for-women/slide/9
https://www.webmd.com/women/guide/milestone-medical-tests-40
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/medical-tests-40s
https://www.webmd.boots.com/women/guide/milestone-medical-tests-40
https://www.livestrong.com/article/558752-the-body-audit-medical-tests-women-in-their-40s-should-take/
http://www.drruman.com/rumannewsletter.asp?function=1&newsletterid=8
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/pap_smear/article_em.htm
https://www.healthline.com/health/pap-smear
https://americanbonehealth.org/about-bone-density/understanding-the-bone-density-t-scoreand-z-score/
https://www.nof.org/preventing-fractures/general-facts/what-women-need-to-know/
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/osteoporosis/article_em.htm