Whether she is a homemaker or a professional, a routine health check is mandatory for women. The daily responsibilities take a toll on your health. With age, you need to make sure that your physiological functions and organ systems are working proficiently. This is where a few common tests should be conducted at regular intervals in accordance with a medical professional to monitor your health.
The diagnosis of any ailment beforehand becomes a boon as medical professionals can make quick treatment plans based on the outcomes of these results. Let us discuss these tests elaborately you need to conduct them and make sure you are in the right shape.
4 common tests for women
- Thyroid function test (TFT)
The modern TFT test has become more profound and proficient in detecting any abnormalities hidden. There are certain cases where the abnormalities don’t show any symptoms. In fact, a patient is not aware of those abnormalities sometimes. With progressive age, the functioning of the thyroid gland needs to be checked accordingly.
Here is what is checked in this test.
- Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) – The master thyroid hormone that regulates the level of other hormones released by the thyroid gland.
- Thyroxine (T4) – This hormone regulates the metabolism of your body and how you are growing.
- Triiodothyronine (T3) – This hormone is responsible for the regulation of heart rate, body temperature, etc.
The test results indicate the level of these hormones present in your body and will help in diagnosing the underlying issues (if any). The results help in detecting the following anomalies.
- Thyroid growth disorders
- Low protein levels in your body
- Abnormal levels of sex hormones such as estrogens and testosterone.
- Breast cancer screening
Breast cancer is quite prevalent among women these days. There are specific ways to conduct tests and detect the presence of this type of cancer. It often happens that a woman fails to identify the symptoms of breast cancer due to a lack of knowledge. This is why medical experts suggest checking for the symptoms on a regular basis.
It is proposed that females of age ranging between 18 and 39 years must check for symptoms of breast cancer via clinical screening processes. Certain imaging tests such as mammograms are conducted. Women of age ranging between 40 and 44 years need screening once a year. On the other hand, women aged 55 and above are suggested to go through such tests once in two years. According to the aggressive breast cancer types, a BRCA test is conducted to check the presence of BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes in women.
- Lipid profile test
A lipid profile test is a particular type of test that checks the levels of cholesterols present in your body. According to medical science, there are three different types of fats present in your body. They are:
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – It is the harmful cholesterol present in your bloodstream that causes plaques in the arteries and veins resulting in heart diseases.
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL) – It is the good cholesterol present in the bloodstream that helps in removing harmful wastes and LDL.
- Triglycerides – It is a genre of fat present in the blood produced when the calories you don’t need are converted to fat. It is stored in fat cells in different parts of your body. When the triglyceride level is high, it signifies a person is overweight, eating carbohydrates more, might be alcoholic and follows a sedentary lifestyle.
A lipid profile test is conducted to check the levels of these three types of lipids in your blood.
- Cervical cancer screening
Cervical cancer is also common among women. A Pap smear is conducted to test the presence of this cancer along with a Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) test.
The Pap smear is taken from the vagina of a woman to test the presence of different cells in it. The early detection of cervical cancer is possible through these tests. When detected, proper treatment can be planned so that the patient can overcome this progressive cancer.
Women after 21 years of age are suggested to go for these test screening tests once in three years. In some cases, gynaecologists also conduct a pelvic exam where the vagina, fallopian tubes, uterus, cervix, vulva and ovaries are tested thoroughly.
These tests reveal the presence of cysts, vaginal bleeding and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It is also recommended to go for such tests frequently when there is a prominent history of cancer in the family.
Wrapping up
These are the four common tests that medical professionals suggest women go through at the prescribed intervals. By following this routine check-up and screening tests, you can rest assured that you have not contracted any communicable disease and have not developed any lifestyle disease either.
In fact, the quick diagnosis of certain diseases via these tests results in better treatment and lifestyle management. Proper treatment plans can be formulated with lifestyle changes, medications, etc to help you overcome such physiological issues. Hence, these four common tests are important to know for every woman out there.