By: Mr. Sameer Bhati – Director of Star Imaging & Path Lab
A Woman is considered as the backbone of a family as she works day and night to fulfill every
need and take care of everything and everyone, that others might forget. They work twenty four
into seven (24*7) to cater to every need and request. Many a times, due to this, they overlook
their own health. Therefore, a woman needs special care and timely tests and screenings to
ensure that they are in the pink of their health. Below mentioned are five important health
screening tests with periodicity that a women must undergo in order to lead a healthy and happy
life.
- Routine Blood Test: Regular blood examinations can help in finding potential health
problems before they become major concerns and these tests are one of the most
important ways to keep a check on a woman’s overall physical well-being. Getting tested
at regular intervals allows them to observe the way their body changes over a period of
time and aware them to make informed decisions regarding their health. Regular blood
test generally includes blood pressure screening, Anemia test, Blood Glucose test,
cholesterol check-up, Vitamin D along with others. A woman can undergo these blood
tests twice a year. - Mammogram: A mammogram is basically an X-ray of the breasts of the women. A
mammogram helps in finding signs of breast cancer – it is the second most cause of
cancer-related deaths in women. A woman should usually start getting her mammograms
done around the age of 40 years and then repeat the same after every 1 or 2 years. Some
doctors may also suggest you to start getting the mammograms done by the age of 50
years. This test is done to in order to identify skeptical changes occurring in a woman’s
breast like lumps, breast pain, unusual skin color or any other. Pregnant ladies should not
undergo this test. - Pelvic examination: A pelvic test is an examination of the reproductive organs of a
female in order to check for cancer, infections, and other health conditions. A Pap test is
a common test performed during a pelvic exam that helps in detecting cervical cancer.
Diagnosing cervical cancer at an early stage using a Pap smear provides a greater chance
for cure. This test also helps in detecting changes in cervical cells that show the chances
of development of cancer in the future. Diagnosing such abnormal cells at an early stage
with a Pap smear test is the first step in stopping the possible development of cervical
cancer. A pelvic test should be done once in a year starting around the age of 21 years. - Bone Density Test (BMD): A bone density examination measures bone mass in the key
areas of a woman’s body, such as the hip, heel and wrist. BMD is one of the important
tests to detect osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a health condition in women in which their
bones become brittle and weak, and become more susceptible to breaking. A bone
density examination can be performed using different machines. One of the most
common technique is dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. This test
enhances the accuracy of calculation of the risks of bones breakage. BMD test uses X-ray
images to measure the grams of calcium and other bone minerals that are packed into a
segment of bone. Spine bones, hip bones and sometimes the bones of the forearm are
most commonly tested. A woman can undergo a bone density test twice in a year. - Female Hormonal Profile: In females, hormonal imbalances are common to occur these
days due to the changes in their lifestyles. Hormone blood tests help to know the
abundance of key information about a woman’s well being. Blood tests performed to
measure the female hormone levels also play an important role in diagnosing medical
conditions such as thyroid disease, diabetes or PCOD or PCOS. Hormonal profile test
generally includes Progesterone, Estrogen, Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), Thyroid
hormones, and Testosterone or DHEA.