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Preventive Care Is Important At Middle Age And Beyond

The reasons to see your gynecologist change as you age, but keeping up with physician visits remains important to your health.

• Bone density tests can detect osteoporosis before it damages your body.
• Mammograms can detect breast cancer or abnormalities at its earliest stage before it spreads.
• Pap tests and HPV tests can detect abnormal cells in your cervix.
• Other routine tests can help determine the cause of pelvic pain and identify a solution so you don’t suffer needlessly.
• Conversations about your mental health, sexual history and use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs can put you on a healthier course for the rest of your life.

And Then There’s Menopause! 

Scott Bembry, MD, says when women begin to experience the symptoms of menopause, he often finds they visit their doctor even if they haven’t had a check-up in years. He’s happy to have them back. Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood swings, vaginal dryness, and trouble focusing are all symptoms of menopause that your doctor can help you manage.

“It’s important to receive vital screenings during this season of your life,” says Dr. Bembry. In your 40s and 50s, your risk for many diseases increase, like colon cancer, thyroid disease, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. Together you and your doctor can screen for such diseases and determine how to best manage them if they do arise.

Sources: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists; North American Menopause Society