International Women’s Month ♥

I have received an email today from our Human Resource about‘Women’s Health & Wellness’ tips. It tackles about how a woman should care for her health in general. I have also found out that March is the International Women’s Month.

Let me give you a glimpse as to how it all started.

International Women's Day (IWD), also called International Working Women's Day, is marked on March 8 every year. In different regions the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration for women's economic, political, and social achievements. Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily in Europe, including Russia. In some regions, the day lost its political flavor, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's day and Valentine's day. In other regions, however, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. This is a day which some people celebrate by wearing purple ribbons.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Women's_Day

The email I received though, tackles about health and wellness amongst women. I really appreciate it each time I received emails that is very educational and creates awareness to its readers.

Let me share with you what’s in it J

The topic talks about Screening and Tests for Women

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Women have unique issues and some of the health issues that affect both men and women can affect women differently. Unique issues include pregnancy, menopause, and conditions of the female organs.

Women’s health refers to the branch of medicine that focuses on the treatment and diagnosis of diseases and conditions that affect a woman’s physical and emotional well-being.

A part of women’s health is the different regular health exams and tests that can help find problems before they start. As a woman, you may need the following exams and screenings.

I.      Blood Pressure Screening

·         Have your blood pressure checked every 2 years unless it is 120-139/80 Hg or higher. Then have it checked every year.

·         If you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, or certain other conditions, you may need to be monitored more closely.

II.     Cholesterol Screening

·         Between age 20 and 45, you should be screened if you have a higher risk for heart disease.

·         If you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, or certain other conditions, you may need to be monitored more closely.

·         Have your blood pressure checked every 2 years unless it is 120-139/80 Hg or higher. Then have it checked every year.

·         If you have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, or certain other conditions, you may need to be monitored more closely.

III.   Diabetes Screening

·         If your blood pressure is above 135/80, your health care provider will test your blood sugar levels for diabetes.

IV.     Dental Exam

·         Go to the dentist every year for an exam and cleaning.

V.      Eye Exam

·         If you have vision problems, have an eye exam every 2 years.

VI.     Immunizations

·         You should receive a flu vaccine every year.

·         After age 19, you should have one tetanus-diphtheria and cellular pertussis (TdAP) vaccine as one of your tetanus-diphtheria vaccines. You should have a tetanus-diphtheria booster every 10 years.

·         You should ask your doctor or nurse about the vaccine against human papilloma virus (HPV) if you are between ages 18 and 26.

·         You should receive two doses of varicella vaccine if you were born after 1980 and never had chickenpox.

·         Your doctor or nurse may recommend other immunizations if you are at high risk for certain conditions, such as pneumonia.

VII.   Physical Exam

·         You should have two physical exams in your 20s.

·         Healthy young people do not need most blood tests.

·         Your height, weight, and body mass index (BM) should be checked at every exam.

·         Your doctor or nurse may ask you about depression, diet and exercise, alcohol and tobacco use, and safety such as seat belts and smoke detectors.

VIII. Breast Self-Exam

·         Women may do a monthly breast self-exam

·         Women should contact their health care provider immediately if they notice a change in their breasts, whether or not they do breast self-exams.

·         A complete breast exam should be done by a health care provider every 3 years for women ages 20-40.

IX.     Pelvic Exam and Pap Smear

·         Screening should start within 3 years after first having vaginal intercourse or by age 21.

·         Beginning at age 21, women should have a pelvic exam and Pap smear every 2 years to check for cervical cancer.

·         If you are over age 30 or your Pap smear have been negative three times in a row, your doctor or nurse may tell you that you only need a Pap smear every 3 years.

·         Women who have had a total hysterectomy (uterus and cervix removed) may choose not to have a Pap smear.

·         Women who are sexually active should be screened for chlamydia infection. This can be done during a pelvic exam.

·         Your provider will tell you how to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) if you are sexually active.

·         Your health care provider will ask you questions about alcohol and tobacco, and may ask you about depression.

Resources:

Medline Plus. Trusted Health Information for You. A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. NIH National Institute of Health.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/article/007462.htm

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This article is very constructive, right?

This can really help us a lot.

Hope you did learn something from it ♥