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Women’s Health
Recommended Health Screenings and Prevention Steps for Women Ages 18-29
This is the best time to develop a preventive disease approach to your future health. Begin by establishing a relationship with a health care professional, who will help you to learn the important facts of your family's medical history, develop healthful eating habits and make a commitment to regular exercise.
You may also see an Ob/Gyn (obstetrician/gynecologist) — a health care professional who specializes in diseases and routine physical care of the reproductive system, including pregnancy. This health care professional can also guide you through prevention of and screenings for sexually transmitted diseases, particularly Chlamydia and the human papilloma virus (HPV) which has been linked to cervical cancer, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
If you are thinking of becoming pregnant be sure to discuss with your health care professionals any medications or vitamins you are taking. Also, it's recommended that you take a supplement with 0.4 to 0.8 milligrams (400 to 800 micrograms) of folic acid daily if you are planning or capable of getting pregnant.
If you smoke, this is the time to quit. Smoking can lead to lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
This is also the time to begin regular monthly exams of your breasts and skin for early detection of cancer. Melanoma, a form of skin cancer, is one of the most common cancers in people younger than 30, according to the American Cancer Society.
And finally, don't forget about your personal safety. Wear seat belts and become familiar with resources for detecting and preventing domestic violence.
Recommended Health Screenings and Prevention Steps for Women Ages 30-39
It's easy to get distracted from continuing the healthy lifestyle of your 20s as work and family responsibilities become more time consuming.
If you have gained weight, work with your health care professionals to develop a weight-loss program. If your blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar is high, review the many options for improving your health. Take advantage of community resources that offer health and fitness programs for women.
If you are thinking about pregnancy, partner with your health care professional to learn the best way to manage any likely problems, such as gestational diabetes. During this age, your risk of birth defects increases with a pregnancy after age 35. Begin drinking orange juice or find other sources of folic acid, which has been linked to lower birth defects. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that you take a supplement with 0.4 to 0.8 milligrams (400 to 800 micrograms) of folic acid daily If you are planning or capable of getting pregnant.
It's also important to keep aware of the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, which can affect not only your fertility but your and your partner's health.
If you smoke, this is the time to quit. Smoking can lead to lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend aspirin for stroke prevention in women younger than 55 years or for preventing heart attacks (myocardial infarction).
Recommended Health Screenings and Prevention Steps for Women Ages 40-49
This is your transitional decade as your body matures into middle age. Maintaining healthy eating habits and a regular exercise regimen is very important as your reproductive life shifts from a focus on the ability to become pregnant to menopause.
Other conditions — diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, breast cancer and heart disease — are concerns for women in your age group as weight gain becomes more difficult to control.
If you smoke, this is the time to quit. Smoking can lead to lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
Ask your health care professional if you should be taking a multivitamin for extra folic acid and iron. Folic acid has been linked to lower birth defects, an increased risk for women who become pregnant during these years. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that you take a supplement with 0.4 to 0.8 milligrams (400 to 800 micrograms) of folic acid daily if you are planning or capable of getting pregnant. Iron deficiency is especially common in premenopausal women because of the regular loss of iron with menstrual periods.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend aspirin for stroke prevention in women younger than 55 years or for preventing heart attacks (myocardial infarction).
The following screening and preventive
Recommended Health Screenings and Prevention Steps for Women Ages 50-64
You may feel like you're in a constant state of transition — in the midst of menopause or just concluding this change of life. It's also pretty common to have to make decisions for parental care during this time. The stress of maintaining these dual roles can create depression and inattention to your own personal health.
Remember that taking care of yourself prepares you to care for others. So keep to your regular health care professional visits and make adjustments in your busy schedule. Spend some of your "me time" getting exercise at least three times a week for 20 minutes at a time.
While the likelihood of pregnancy at this age is statistically slim, you still need to be aware of the threat of sexually transmitted diseases to you and your partner.
Sleep patterns change as we age, but disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day is not part of normal aging. In fact, troubled sleep may be a sign of emotional or physical disorders and is something you should talk about with a health care professional or sleep specialist.
If you smoke, this is the time to quit. Smoking can lead to lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
In addition to the recommended health screenings and medical tests listed below, remember to take a multivitamin with vitamin D. This contributes to prevention of osteoporosis.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend aspirin for stroke prevention in women younger than 55 years or for preventing heart attacks (myocardial infarction). Aspirin is recommended for women ages 55 to 79 when the potential to prevent an ischemic stroke outweighs the potential increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
Recommended Health Screening and Prevention Steps for Women Ages 65+
This "settling down" age is a great time to continue your healthy habits. If you neglect a routine of eating well and staying fit, disease can threaten your health during this time.
Maintaining mobility is even more important now, so you will need a lifestyle that keeps your senses alert and your body strong and flexible to avoid disabling falls. At this age your body has become less tolerant of extreme activity, so establish a moderate exercise routine, with your health care professional's approval.
Sleep patterns change as we age, but disturbed sleep and waking up tired every day is not part of normal aging. In fact, troubled sleep may be a sign of emotional or physical disorders and is something you should talk about with a health care professional or sleep specialist.
If you smoke, this is the time to quit. Smoking can lead to lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer deaths in women.
Monitoring your heart health is vital at this time. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:
• About 14 million women aged 65 and older have high blood pressure.
• Most women over age 65 have obvious heart disease or "silent" atherosclerosis ("hardening of the arteries"). In silent atherosclerosis, there are no symptoms, but fatty plaques have built up in arteries. Lowering cholesterol is especially important to keep heart disease and atherosclerosis from worsening.
• Each year, about 314,000 women aged 65 and older have a heart attack.
• The average age for women to have a first heart attack is about 70. Also, women are more likely than men to die within a few weeks of a heart attack.
Although your eating habits have likely changed, your body still has basic nutritional needs. You'll need the same regimen of vitamins (and in some cases more) to maintain a general sense of well-being. Ask your health care professional about a healthy diet for you.
Aspirin is recommended for women ages 55 to 79 when the potential to prevent an ischemic stroke outweighs the potential increased risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. There is insufficient evidence at this time regarding the risks and benefits of aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease in men and women 80 years and older.
Top 6 dietary supplements for women
If you've ever stood in the supplement aisle of your local health food store and wondered how you could possibly choose among the hundreds of products on the shelf, you are not alone.
Women are especially bombarded with advice on how to treat everything from pregnancy to after the menopause. But beyond the basic multivitamins, how do you know which ones to choose and how much to take? When establishing any new supplement regimen, you should be sure to consult with your health care practitioner for counsel on the correct dosage and any potential drug-nutrient interactions. Let us discuss the most vital elements.
1. Calcium. Before the age of 35, a woman needs sufficient calcium to form strong bones — after age 35, calcium slows bone loss that naturally occurs later in life. Furthermore, studies have shown calcium to help mitigate symptoms of PMS (pre menstrual syndrome) and possibly lower blood pressure.
Dosage: Premenopausal women should take 1,000 milligrams per day. Postmenopausal women should up their intake to 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams per day to maintain bone strength. Take the calcium in divided doses twice a day (half in the morning and half in the evening).
2. Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 helps the body absorb the calcium we do take in. Further studies have shown that higher dosages of vitamin D3 may help prevent a variety of health concerns — from breast cancer and osteoporosis to type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Dosage: For calcium absorption and healthy bones, premenopausal women should take at least 10µg per day. Postmenopausal and elderly women should increase their dosage to 20µg per day. Women less exposed to sunlight have e greater need for vitamin D supply. Fifteen to 20 minutes of direct sunlight twice a week on the arms and face provides adequate doses of vitamin D if the ultraviolet (UV) rays of sunlight are strong enough — such as those obtained closer to the equator.
3. Magnesium. There are several forms of magnesium, with magnesium oxide as the most common however it’s the most difficult to digest making it a waste of your money. Better absorbed varieties include magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate (which does not typically cause loose stools), and magnesium chelates. The typical recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adults is between 300-400mg and research suggests it is better taken on an empty stomach, such as at night before bed. Additionally, you can soak in Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) for a relaxing, beneficial bath!
What does it do?
1)It helps calcium absorb better and is important for our bones.
2)If you suffer from constipation, higher doses will give relief.
3)It helps to relax your muscles which make it useful for falling asleep, muscle cramps, restless leg, post-workout soreness, and for muscles that have a hard time letting go.
4)High blood pressure? Magnesium has been shown to help lower it.
5)It helps with carbohydrate metabolism and your insulin response.
6)Do you experience irregular heart beats or fluttering? Magnesium might help.
7)Muscle pains may be due to inadequate levels.
8)Tired and out of energy? You need magnesium to produce ATP.
9)It is needed for the conduction of nerve impulses and muscle contractions.
10)It can help relieve symptoms of PMS along with B6 and calcium.
As you can see, just about every woman could benefit from a little magnesium. With anything, please consult your healthcare practitioner if you have questions or concerns.
4. Iron. Deficiencies of iron result in anaemia, which "has profound effects on metabolism and energy enzymes," Lausier says. Pregnant women, young mothers and premenopausal women have the greatest need for iron and, therefore, may benefit from supplementation.
Dosage: it is generally advised women to supplement with 18 to 20 milligrams per day. Pregnant women can increase supplementation to 27 milligrams per day. Postmenopausal women are not typically iron-deficient and should only take supplements under a doctor's supervision.
5. Folic acid. This B vitamin is critical in the production and maintenance of new cells, especially during periods of high cell division — like during and after pregnancy. Sufficient folic acid intake before conception and in the early months of gestation has been shown to protect against neural tube defects.
Other clinical trials are being done to determine folic acid's relationship to cardiovascular disease, a major health threat for women. Folic acid supplementation has been shown to decrease homocystine levels in the blood. Elevated levels of homocystine have been linked with heart disease and stroke.
Dosage: minimal daily intake is advised around the 2µg, increasing to 10µg during and after pregnancy.
6. Iodine. Though the element iodine is poisonous in its gaseous state, the iodine ion (iodide) is essential to life.
Iodine in foods is converted to iodide in the gastrointestinal tract. In the body, the primary role of iodine involves thyroid function. Iodide is trapped by the thyroid gland, which uses it in the synthesis of the thyroid hormone thyroxin (T4). Thyroid hormones regulate body temperature, cell growth, metabolism and the formation of red blood cells, making iodine a mineral of great importance.
Iodine deficiency results in enlargement of the cells of the thyroid gland, a condition known as goiter. It can also cause sluggishness and weight gain, impaired fetal development, and cretinisim, a condition of severe mental retardation and stunted growth. Less severe forms of mental retardation may occur with iodine deficiency as well.
Throughout the world, iodine is added to salt to ensure adequate intakes of this important mineral. Most people are easily able to obtain sufficient amounts of iodine through consumption of iodized salt, which usually contains about 30-100 micrograms of iodine per gram.
The recommended amount of iodine for adults is about 150 micrograms per day. Pregnant women need 175 micrograms per day, and lactating women need 200 micrograms per day.
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