Campaigns, awareness drives and media reports notwithstanding, women’s health continues to be in a mess across the societal pyramid. Result? Women continue to face host of health issues once they cross their prime youth. More and more open conversations are needed which will help women prioritize the vital issue of health and hygiene.
When it comes to women’s health, the most neglected area remains preventive care which includes medical tests. This is because women tend to consider it as wastage of money. Ignoring medical tests, which point out any underlying diseases that may turn life-threatening if not treated early, makes women vulnerable to myriad conditions. In this blog, we will talk about the some tests that no women should miss.
On DocGenie, we offer continuous proactive care including consultation with a good doctor. Our newly launched monthly packages help doctors understand a patient better including their lifestyle, heredity risks, etc and bring in specialists if needed. Our curated package on physiotherapy will help you regain strength post Covid. Since, weakness is one of the major issues people with Covid face, this package is particularly designed to help you recover faster.
1. Cholesterol Level Screening
This test measures the cholesterol levels so that they remain under control. Cholesterol that develops in arteries can result in critical health problems like heart attack and cardiac arrest. Doctors recommend a lipid profile test, which measures LDL and HDL cholesterol, to gauge the risk of heart disease. It is important to note that cholesterol levels often increase in women after menopause. Also if there is a history of heart disease in your family, you must check for triglycerides to avoid risks.
2. Bone Density Test
Available data says one out of two women suffer from low bone density after a certain age. This fact reiterates the importance of the Bone Density Test. Osteoporosis, which makes bones become weak and brittle, continues to be the most common condition in women.
In this condition the body keeps absorbing while replacing bone tissues. In turn, new bone creation is caught up and fails to keep pace with old bone deletion. Another area of concern for this condition is that symptoms are usually visible only when a woman gets bone fracture. With Osteoporosis, it becomes almost impossible to cure. But timely detection of the condition and early treatment can help immensely to avoid complications. Vitamins, dietary supplements, antacids, etc. help in keeping bones strong. The primary reason behind this condition is excess parathyroid hormone causing loss of calcium through urine. Remember, less the calcium, more the bone-loss. Some other hormone imbalances also contribute towards Osteoporosis.
3. Vitamin D Test
A healthy body for women is largely dependent on Vitamin D3. Women in their late 60s are particularly prone to be lacking in this vitamin. The primary role of this vitamin is to check bone loss by making them strong. It also plays a crucial role in building immunity, prevention of osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, obesity, psychiatric diseases and some cancers. Moreover, it also ensures a safe pregnancy.
Vitamin D naturally develops in the body by absorbing UV rays from the sun. This process of absorption often gets thwarted by inadequate diet, poor exposure to sunlight, or due to renal disease and obesity.
4. Anaemia and Iron Deficiency Test
Anaemia as a condition occurs when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells (RBCs). The excess of dysfunctional red blood cells lead to a reduced oxygen flow to body parts. Symptoms of Anaemia include pale skin, shortness of breath, giddiness, exhaustion, or faster heartbeats. If you are facing any of these symptoms do consult one of the highly experienced general physicians on DocGenie.
According to the Global Nutrition Report 2017, over 50 percent of Indian women in the age group of 15-49 years are anaemic. Malnutrition and poor hygiene holds equal responsibility for anaemia in women of our country. Hence, Blood haemoglobin levels test becomes very important to diagnose presence of anaemia. The test also identifies whether low nutritional iron is the cause.
Also read: Top 6 Reasons You Should Get Regular Blood Tests
5. Thyroid Hormones Test
More women than men develop thyroid diseases. Hypothyroidism happens when thyroid stops secreting enough hormones into the blood and in turn slows down organ functions. Women mostly get it after pregnancy or menopause. Hypothyroidism can lead to disorders like high cholesterol and heart issues. However, in case of hyperthyroidism in which thyroid secretes too much of hormones, bodily functions get accelerated. Women nearing menopause are more prone to hyperthyroidism and must take measures to rule out this disorder. All tests at DocGenie are done in carefully controlled environments to make sure the samples obtained produce only the exact and accurate results.
Also read: Advanced Thyroid Test: Everything You Need to Know
Apart from these tests, other tests like eye and examination, diabetes test, blood pressure test, etc. are also extremely critical. It is time women prioritise their health and wellbeing and take proactive roles in ensuring good health.
DocGenie is an online telemedicine platform that provides you with quality healthcare from the comfort of your own space. On DocGenie, you can book an online consultation with highly-qualified doctors as well as book lab tests for home collection.