Take charge of your health in the New Year by resolving to have the following health tests important for women’s health –
- Hearing – beginning at age 50, this should be a yearly requirement but if you are subject to a lot of loud noise or hear a lot of loud music over headphones, earlier would be a good idea.
- THS screening to diagnose hypothyroidism is particularly important if you have symptoms such as constipation, weight gain, feeling tired or cold, various aches and pains and so on. Otherwise this should be done each year after the age of 50.
- Pap smear – this should ideally start at age 21 to detect cervical cancer early. Women aged 30 and older should have it once in three years if there have been three consecutive normal smears.
- Blood tests – cholesterol levels should be checked even when in your 20’s and then once each five years. After 40 you should ideally have blood sugar and cholesterol checked each year.
- Colonoscopy – this will help detect cancerous polyps. Those with a family history of colon cancer should have this done each year.
- Depression – women are particularly at risk of depression and if there are any unusual symptoms such as irritability, mood swings and sleep changes and so on, a test to detect depression is even more important .
