The Complete Guide To Women’s Health Checkups

Health is precious and it is the underlying factor governing our happiness and productivity. Women need to include regular exercise, stress management through meditation or social interactions, and healthy eating habits in their routine along with  regular health checkups.

Women's health is governed by many factors and these are quite complex. Some common health conditions impact women in a different way than men. Women are also more susceptible to autoimmune diseases. 

Some issues may affect only women while others have a severe impact due to various causes like

• Anatomical factors
• Physiological and hormonal factors
• Sociological factors
• Stress faced by the body from childbirth and menopause
• Other factors

This is why female health checkup is essential for the purpose of screening. Many diseases won't cause specific symptoms until late into the disease. Early intervention is everything and a comprehensive health checkup is necessary periodically for this.

Why is a regular health checkup important?

Women's health checkup packages today are designed for both screening and preventive care. Regular checkups help in maintaining positive outcomes. Women need efficient and personalised care where certain exams and screenings will differ at different stages of life. Certain tests like Blood pressure screening, Thyroid profile, Lipid profile, etc, are important at most stages of life for all women. 

After 25 years of age, cervical exam and cancer screening, breast exams, tests to rule out STDs etc may be needed. For women with family history of cancers like those affecting breast, colon, or cervix, genetic testing may be required. After reaching menopause, women need regular blood tests and lipid screening. They also need BMD periodically based on risk factors for osteoporosis. Several tests may be needed when pregnant such as iron study, female hormone levels, etc. As you can see, women need customised health checkup packages which are different from men as their bodies are different and so is the response to common diseases.

• With regular female health checkups, you can reduce the risk of falling seriously ill.
• With regular checkups, many diseases can be diagnosed in the beginning making treatments work better.
• Regular screening and exams enable you to maintain good health.
• These screenings help your doctor make accurate diagnosis.
• Preventive checkups help you take better control of your health and introduce preventive measures in time.
• Many diseases can be caught early while they are still treatable.
• Regular screenings for women also help doctors and medical staff monitor the progress of treatments/medication or control of diseases.
• Periodic checkups for women lead to early intervention which leads to decreased cost of medical expenditure.

What tests should a woman have every year?

Women are aware today that their bodies are more susceptible to some health problems compared to men. They may not show the same symptoms as men for some health conditions like cardiac diseases. This is why regular health checkups for women are necessary.

These are the tests needed for preventive and screening purposes for women

1. Blood pressure screening- Blood pressure is an indicator of hypertension. Uncontrolled hypertension can impact several organs.

2. Heart health check- This includes blood pressure, blood sugar levels, lipid profile and other tests. Everyone above the age of 45 should get a heart checkup every few years.

3. Diabetes screening- Required for women when

• A family history of diabetes exists
• After you have crossed 35 years
• At an early age if you have risk factors like obesity and hypertension
• During pregnancy
• If you have PCOS
• When your doctor has recommended

4. Thyroid profile-The thyroid gland produces hormones which regulate metabolism. Women are more prone to have an overactive or underactive thyroid gland. This test can measure thyroid hormones.

5. Cervical screening- For every woman above 21  years or if there are other risk factors. Pap smear, HPV, and pelvic examination are included in this.

6. Sexually transmitted infections/disease screening- Get it if your partner has STI or you had unprotected sex.

7. Breast exams- Necessary to rule out breast cancer. Recommended for all women between 50-74 years or earlier if you notice any changes.

8. Bone health checkup and density scans- After 65 years or after menopause or as recommended by your doctor.

9. Cancer screening- Women with family history of certain cancers require regular screenings.

10. Eye health checkups- Recommended every two years if there are no issues.

11. Dental screening- This is recommended twice every year. During pregnancy, hormonal changes can affect dental health and checkups may be required.

Other tests like urine routine, CBC, kidney health, Vitamin D, hormone level testing, etc

Women's health checkup packages

Many lab tests overlap as predictors for different health conditions and disorders. You must visit or request home visits from an accredited lab and choose a comprehensive women's health checkup package or a package according to your specific health condition.

You should look at packages which comprise of different parameters like

• Complete Lipid profile
• Liver function tests
• Kidney function tests
• Complete haemogram
• Thyroid profile
• Urine routine
• HBA1C
• Blood group
• CA-125
• CA- 19.9
• Fasting blood sugar
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Estrogen and Progesterone
• Iron study
• HSCRP

Women's health checkup near you 

Prevention is better than cure and early intervention can save your life. Health checkups for women should never be postponed. At O-Lab we provide comprehensive packages for female health checkup, packages for specific diseases, and regular checkups. Many of our packages come with complimentary physician and dietitian consultations. This sets us apart as we provide patients with an opportunity to understand their lab tests and also for the steps they can take towards improving their health. 

We also provide home sample collection services. Our packages are economical while our services and setup are gold standard. We are trusted by the medical fraternity for providing the most accurate results. You can see women's health checkup prices here.