Sedona Integrative Medical Clinic, LLC

HEALTH TESTING FOR WOMEN

Linda M. Haggard, MPAS, PA-C

Sedona Integrative Medical Clinic, LLC

928-284-0166

Pap Test – The Pap test or a Pap smear is important for all women age 21 and above. Sexually active young women under 21 also need Pap tests starting within six months of the first time sexual intercourse happened. The Pap test, originally developed by Dr. George Papanicolaou in the 1950s, detects abnormal changes in cervical cells that may led to cervical cancer if not detected by annual Pap smears.  Prior to the introduction of the Pap test, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer death in women. Thanks to Dr. Papanicolaou's research and his hard work developing the Pap smear, cervical cancer is now 15th, among causes of cancer deaths in women with about 3,700 women dying of cervical cancer each year.

Thermal Imaging for Breasts – This is a means of measuring the quantity and patterns of heat emitting from the human. It is a totally safe, non-invasive, non-contact means to measure how well your body is regulating its internal environment by mapping the thermal output. This highly sensitive and specific imaging method is computerized as an image of your breasts in a color map. Referred to as Medical Infrared Imaging, it shows how well your body is functioning as opposed to an x-ray or mammogram.  There is no radiation involved with thermal imagain.

Mammograms – A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast and surrounding tissues which can effectively detect cancers long before you might feel a change during your monthly breast self- exam. Mammography can detect breast changes which could signify very early breast cancer. The recommendations for when to begin annual mammography vary among health professionals. Some groups, including the American Cancer Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend mammography screening beginning at age 40, while other professional groups including the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians, US Preventative Services at Task Force, as well as the Canadian Task Force on Periodic Health Examination recommend yearly screening beginning at age 50. These differences are due to the fact that the groups who recommend mammograms beginning at age 50, believe that the risks of radiation exposure may outweigh the benefits of screenings beginning at an earlier age.

What kind of breast changes should be reported to your physician?

• Any lump or thickening of the breast or surrounding tissue
• A dimpling or puckering of your breast
• Scaling of the skin surrounding the nipple
• Nipple discharge which is not associated with breast feeding
• Any other breast change which is different for you

It's important to remember that most breast lumps are not cancerous and the most common reasons for breast lumps is fibrocystic breast disease which is a benign condition.  Although annual testing offers your best chance for early detection of breast cancer, no test is 100% accurate. And it's vital for you to perform a monthly breast self examination to check for changes. The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better.

Bone Density Test –Testing for bone loss is important for all women over age 65, as well as for younger women with at least one known risk factor, as well as for all women who have had a hysterectomy. Osteoporosis, in most cases, causes substantial bone loss and the development of bone tissue deterioration. This disease leads to fragile bones that break easily. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, over 1.5 million women and men over age 50 experience osteoporosis-related fractures annually. A diet rich in calcium or supplemented with calcium and bone-loading exercise such as walking and weight-lifting can help prevent osteoporosis and also improve low bone density. Risk factors include relatives with osteoporosis, prednisone use, tobacco use, excessive alcohol use, small-framed people, and people of northern European descent.

Blood Pressure Check – High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, affects at least 50 million people, or one of every five people, in the United States. Hypertension, occurs when blood pressure readings repeatedly rise above 140/90.  One in 4 adult Americans has high blood pressure (hypertension), although about a third of them don't know why. These statistics are concerning when you consider that high blood pressure is easy to diagnose and treat, and particularly alarming because hypertension is one of the most preventable causes of death in the United States.  Many people falsely assume that men are the most at risk for cardiovascular diseases, but -- at publication time -- more women than men had died of cardiovascular diseases every year since 1984. Untreated high blood pressure can cause kidney damage, and raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. The cause of 3 out of 5 cases of heart failure in women is high blood pressure. Coronary heart disease is the number one killer of American women, claiming more than 500,000 women's lives each year. Early detection and treatment of high blood pressure could prevent many of these deaths.

STD Tests – Whenever you think exposure to a sexually transmitted disease (STD) has occurred, contact your healthcare provider immediately for testing. The presence of any type of unusual vaginal discharge should be an alert to see your doctor, as well. Having an abnormal vaginal discharge does not mean that an STD is present; however, having a vaginal discharge usually indicates the presence of either a STD or a vaginal infection.

Sexually transmitted diseases can cause:

• Death or severe damage to a baby born to an infected woman

• Sterility (loss of ability to get pregnant) Tubal pregnancies, sometimes fatal to the mother and always fatal to the unborn child
• Cancer of the Cervix in women
• Damage to other parts of the body, including the heart, kidneys, and brain
• Death to infected individuals

See a doctor if you have any of these symptoms of STDs:

• Discharge from the vagina, and/or rectum
• Pain or burning during urination and/or intercourse
• Pain in the abdomen (women), buttocks, or legs.
• Blisters, open sores, warts, rash, and/or swelling in the genital area, sex organs, and/or mouth
• Flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, aching muscles, and/or swollen glands

HIV Testing - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that HIV testing and HIV screening be part of routine clinical care in all health care settings. The CDC also has stated it suggests that the patient's right to refuse be preserved in order to facilitate a good working relationship between patient and doctor. The following summarizes the HIV testing recommendations from the CDC:

Patients in all Health-Care Settings

• HIV screening is recommended for patients in all health-care settings after the patient is notified that testing will be performed unless the patient declines (opt-out screening).
• Persons at high risk for HIV infection should be screened for HIV at least annually.
• Separate written consent for HIV testing should not be required; general consent for medical care should be considered sufficient and imply consent for HIV testing.
• Prevention counseling should not be required with HIV diagnostic testing or as part of HIV screening programs in health-care settings.

Cholesterol Screening – The cholesterol test helps predict individual risks for the development of heart disease. Routine cholesterol tests are a good idea every 5 years for adults. Other tests including HDL and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, together, called a lipid profile are usually performed at the time of cholesterol testing. When women are taking prescription medications or supplements to lower cholesterol levels, testing occurs more often to see how well the patient is responding to treatment and to determine any ill effects from the medication itself.

Colorectal Cancer Tests – Regular screening for colon cancer should begin in patients during their late forties to early fifties. Colonoscopy should begin, for most patients, at age 50 and should take place every 10 years following. Patients with known risk factors should follow their healthcare provider’s advice for when to start having this test. The American Cancer Society, as well as other health organizations, recommends the routine performance of a test called a fecal blood test for adults every year after age 50. This is generally done annually at the time of your pap smear. If colon cancer runs in your family, you should start having colonoscopies at age 40 or when symptoms such as rectal bleeding occur. If you have had an abnormal colonoscopy, it will be recommended that you repeat the test within two to three years on average. Early diagnosis of colon cancer significantly increases the five-year survival rate from this tragic disease to more than 90%; however, early colorectal cancer diagnosis occurs only 39% of the time. Having these tests at the recommended intervals, or as directed by your healthcare provider, is the best way to catch colorectal cancer while still in its early stages.

Skin Cancer Screening – Diagnosis of skin cancer occurs more times per year in the United States than any other type of cancer. Although, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, skin cancer occurs significantly more often, which makes it the number one cancer diagnosis in the United States The good news is that it’s not hard to determine whether a potential skin cancer lesion is present.  A skin cancer screening should be done annually.

Symptoms of Skin Cancer

• A skin abnormality that increases in size and appears multicolored, pink, red, black, brown, tan, pearly, translucent, or tan.
• A mole that changes color, textures, grows, becomes irregular in shape, or that is bigger than a pencil eraser.
• A spot or growth that continually itches, hurts, becomes crusty, scabs, or bleeds.
• An open sore that does not heal after 4 weeks or one that heals and reopens.

Diabetes Screening – Patients who have risk factors for diabetes type 2 (adult onset diabetes) should receive either a fasting glucose test or a glucose tolerance test every 3 years beginning at age 45. Risk factors for adult onset diabetes include:

• Family history of either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes
• Women who experienced gestational diabetes during pregnancy
• Having given birth to an infant who weighed over 9 pounds at birth
• High blood pressure or hypertension
• Being part of a family with a culture history of African, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Island descent

Vision Screening – Adults age 18 and older should have eye examinations every one or two years until age 61, when the American Optometric Association recommends that yearly vision screenings should begin. Adults with ongoing eye conditions should see their optometrist or ophthalmologist as often as the physician recommends. Additionally, patients who have risk factors for diabetes such as high blood pressure, a family history of ocular diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, people who work in jobs that require acute vision, patients who wear contacts, those who take prescribed medications regularly or OTC medications that have vision related side effects, and people who have other health conditions that affect the eyes may need more frequent vision screenings.

Hearing Test – Hearing loss is widespread and persistent among adults of all ages. While hearing screening is voluntary, the American Speech – Language – Hearing Association recommends hearing screening for adults every 10 years for adults through the age of 50 when more frequent hearing screenings should take place. At age 50, hearing tests should occur every three years. The fact is that over 30% of people over 65 have a hearing loss, 14% of adults aged 45 to 64 also experience hearing loss, and over 8 million people between age 18 and 44 have some type of hearing loss.