There are a number of medical conditions that solely affect women. If you’re a woman, therefore, it’s worth getting yourself checked to make sure that you aren’t suffering from them.
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Why are Regular Health Checks Important?
Regular health checks will ensure that potentially damaging conditions are spotted before your health has a chance to deteriorate. In many cases, the condition in question is extremely common.
This goes especially if you have a family history of it. For example, more than fifty-five thousand cases of breast cancer are identified in women in the UK every year.
1. Breast Cancer Checks
Breast cancer can and should be checked for at home. You should try to get used to the way that your breasts feel and look, so that you can spot any abnormalities early on. You’re looking for any strange bumps or other deformities, as well as visual symptoms like rashes and discolouration.
Obviously, if you spot anything potentially wrong, then you should seek medical attention urgently. The earlier an intervention is made, the greater the chance of it succeeding.
2. Cervical Screening
A cervical screening – or a ‘smear test’ – is there to check that your cervix is in good working order. Contrary to popular misconception, it doesn’t actually test for cancer, but for the precursors to cancer.
It’s a preventative procedure. If you find that your symptoms are missed during a cervical screening that leads to later complications that should’ve been recognised, then you might be in a position to sue for gynaecology medical negligence.
If you’re between twenty-four and sixty-four, then you should have been invited by letter to have the smear test performed. The test is there to look for human papillomavirus, which can ultimately mutate the cells of your cervix, and cause cancerous growth.
Once the smear test is performed, you’ll get a letter apprising you of the results. Your doctor will let you know when you can expect the letter to arrive.
3. Checking Moles
Skin cancer is evidenced in both men and women by particular kinds of persistent dryness, moles and rashes. This form of cancer comes in three types, namely: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
It’s worth checking for the signs of each. Melanoma can develop on an existing mole, which will tend to change in size or colour. You might also develop dark lesions on your skin, or problems with the mucus membrane around your nose, mouth.
Getting these checked by a medical professional will help to give you peace of mind. While it’s not worth obsessing over these symptoms before you have them, it is worth being aware of the possibilities – and getting prompt medical attention when you suspect a problem.
4. Heart Tests
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the UK. Therefore whatever you can do to monitor your blood pressure, heart rate, and body fat is going to be worthwhile. Today, you can do this via a range of modern devices. While they’re not as good as the proper ones used by medical professionals, they might tip you off to a problem very, very early on.
