Chapter 9 Wellness Quo

THE WELLNESS QUOTIENTKRISHNA G. SESHADRI

The practice of medicine was for a very long time gender blind. Very little credible information was available about what diseases (other than gynecologic conditions) are common in women, how to prevent them and what would be the optimal treatment.

Most research in medicine was done on men and the results were just extrapolated to women. It is only in the past decade that research specific to women’s issues have been done worldwide and the results are revealing.

Diseases that traditionally were considered to have little impact on women, like diabetes and heart disease, were found to have the same if not greater morbidity in women. Finally medicine woke up to the fact that women are different from men; and so the way they need to be cared for should also be different.

This article will examine the preventive health exams that women need to undergo through their lifetime.

How often should you see a doctor?No one has come up with clear guidelines on how often a healthy

woman should see a doctor, but an interesting rule of thumb is to get an examination at least:

Once in your teens Twice in your twenties Thrice in your thirties Four times in your forties Five times in your fifties and Once a year thereafter. Needless to add, if you have a medical

problem you need to see your doctor more often.

Do you need a test?Besides seeing a doctor, a few well – timed periodic tests and

examinations help. Listed below are exams and tests and their frequency grouped by age. The list has the bare minimum required but for most women this is sufficient. Use this ready reckoned to see what test and examination you need. When in doubt do not hesitate to ask your doctors.

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WOMEN 18 TO 39 YEARS OLD Every year: Breast examination Pap smear until you have had three normal ones Dental examination.

EVERY 2 TO 3 YEARS: Blood pressure Height and weight measurement Brief physical examination, including a pelvic examination, to

screen for cancers of the thyroid, lymph nodes, ovaries, and skin. Every 5 years: Cholesterol (lipid Profile)

WOMEN 40 TO 65 YEARS OLD Every year:

Physical examination, including a pelvic examination, to screen for cancers of the breast, skin, thyroid, ovaries, uterus, lymph nodes, and rectum; examination includes a pap smear every 1 to 3 years, depending on your personal history.

Dental examination Mammogram if you are 50 years old or older.

EVERY 1 TO 2 YEARS:

Height and weight measurement Blood pressure Stool sample checked for blood If you are 40 to 49 years old, a mammogram according to the

schedule you and your doctor decide based on your risk for breast cancer.

Vision and glaucoma check.

EVERY 3 TO 5 YEARS:

Lipid profile Blood sugar Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy after age 50 to screen for colon

cancer. While the Amercian Cancer Society recommends this test, many doctors feel that this test may not be required unless there is a clear risk for colon cancer.

WOMEN OVER 65 YEARS OLD : Every 6 months: Dental examination.

Every year:


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Weight measurement Blood pressure Mammogram Physical examination, including a pelvic examination, to screen

for cancers of the skin, breast, thyroid, ovaries, uterus, lymph nodes, and rectum

Stool sample checked for blood.

EVERY 1 TO 3 YEARS: Blood count Lipid profile Blood sugar Hearing check Vision and glaucoma check *Pap smear (Consider discontinuing if

previous regular screenings have always produced normal results)

EVERY 5 YEARS:Consider a Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to screen for colon

cancer. Once : A measure of bone mineral density to detect osteoporosis.

PREVENTIVE CARE: No routine medicines are required for most women to prevent diseases other than during medicine. This includes vitamins, antitoxidants and the like. Women after menopause must take atleast one gram of supplemental calcium. The guidelines here are not meant to replace your doctor’s clinical judgement but to empower you to be proactive about yourself .

COMMON DANGERTwo Common Cancers in Women and how to detect them early

CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING: The most common cancer in South Indian Women is Cervical Cancer. The cervix is the narrow opening of the uterus. The main underlying cause of cervical cancer is infection with a virus, which often does not have any symptoms. Other risk factors include low socio economic status, crossing 50 years of age, early age at first intercourse and multiple sexual partners.

In early cases of cervical cancer, most women will not have any symptoms. When women do develop symptoms, it is often too late for treatment because the cancer is too advanced. For this reason, screening is very helpful to help diagnose at an earlier stage, allowing for early treatment. Women can be screened for cervical cancer by doing a pelvic examination, which allows visualization of the cervix.


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The cervix is swabbed with a solution to highlight abnormal tissue or scrape cells from the cervix onto a glass slide to have it evaluated under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The test is generally done every year starting from the year of first sexual intercourse; if two consecutive tests are normal, then it may be repeated once in two to three years.

BREAST CANCER SCREENING: Breast cancer is an important cause of death in women. Symptoms can include lump in the breast, dimpling or pitting of the skin of the breast, swelling or lump in the armpit, changes in appearance of the nipple or nipple discharge. Breast cancer can be detected early by having an annual clinical examination by a doctor. A breast self examination is recommended by many societies to be done every other month. An X-ray of the breast, called the mammogram, is an additional too that is recommended every year after the age of fifty.

Source : The New Sunday Express March 6,2005


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Chapter 9 Wellness Quo