Check-up for women: Content and features

If you are planning for a pregnancy and you are concerned about an unclear pain and ill-health and you have not visited a doctor in a long time, it is advisable that you go for a full medical examination so as to rule out serious pathologies. Check-up for women includes a large number of examinations and tests that will eventually give you information about your whole body.

Check-up or dispensary?

A check-up is a complete medical examination of the whole body. They are done depending on the disease in question, age or gender. If you need to undergo an examination and you have to choose between a check-up and a dispensary, you should know their differences below:

• The dispensary can be carried out only once every three years, while check-up can be held annually.
• Doctors at the dispensary will do tests and ultrasound in a routine, and the examination can take several days. It will take only a couple of hours to complete the check-up, during which you will pass the tests, undergo ultrasound, ECG, tomography and with all the results visit the right doctors.
• The appropriate equipment may not be available at the health centre in the local health centre.
• Check-ups are carried out on ready-made programs. The dispensary includes several mandatory tests, and doctors choose to focus on th results and complaints of the patient.

What diseases should women fear?

Women are prone to getting certain diseases because of their physiology than men. The diseases include autoimmune conditions, anxiety disorders, osteoporosis and diabetes. If the diseases are associated with the nervous system and metabolism, then they may develop in girls because of lifestyle habits such as:

• Heeled shoes which lead to the rapid development of varicose veins.
• Diets and dietary restrictions which can cause gastrointestinal diseases.
• Lifting weights and exercise that can cause damage to the pelvic organs.

Women’s reproductive system is more fragile than that of men. Her health is affected by everything such as lifestyle, stress level, hormonal changes and medications. Similarly, women also often suffer discomfort in the pelvic region and they consider this normal yet it may be a sign of a developing disease. Pathologies of the endometrium can spread and cause complications to other nearby organs. Tumours in the ovaries can be either physiological and disappear after one or two months or they can be a reason for serious surgeries and removal of appendages. If the general condition of a woman is affected by certain ailments then the planning f children will become a problem.

However, we should not only dwell on this area because just like women, men are also prone to cardiovascular diseases, industrial injuries and cancer. Both are at risk especially if they do not visit the doctor often.

What are the check-ups for women?

Young women are more prone to heart and metabolic diseases. They usually carry out check-ups during family planning. In order to have an active and healthy lifestyle, it is necessary that you not only check for fertility and hormone levels but also for common diseases that affect internal organs such as:

• General and biochemical blood test – Depending on their results it is possible to assess the general condition of the body, the presence of infection, the performance of some organs like kidneys, liver and pancreas.
• General urine analysis – It provides general information on the condition of the kidneys and metabolism.
• Lipidogram – It shows the risks of atherosclerosis.
• HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B tests.
• Level of thyroid hormone, which is responsible for the metabolic processes of the body.
• ECG – The cardiogram shows most heart diseases even in the initial stages.
• CT of the lungs – For the examination of the respiratory system.
• Ultrasound of the thyroid gland and abdominal organs – It will show the existing problems in the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, gallbladder and pancreas.
• Ultrasound of milk jelly – It will help in detecting possible tumours.
• Ultrasound of the pelvic floor – It helps in diagnosis of almost all diseases of the uterus and ovaries.

You will have a meeting with a therapist before and after an examination. He will be able to tell the examinations that you should pay attention to, evaluate the results of the tests and direct you to a more specific specialist.

What is the difference between an examination after 40 years?

As you continue to age, all the systems of the body begin to work poorly and this is inevitable. The risks of getting stroke and malignancies increase and the hormonal background also changes. Oestrogen is the body’s natural defence against many diseases and thus the health of women deteriorates the most after menopause when the oestrogen levels are low. For this reason, the check-up done on women above the age of 40 includes the following aside form the usual examinations:

• Analysis for hormones (follicle-stimulating and estradiol) – These are female hormones that are responsible for health, mood and ability to procreate.
• Analysis of general calcium levles- This element is responsible not only for the condition of the bones, but also for the blood and condition of nerve cells.
• Study of faeces for hidden blood – As you age there is an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
• The presence of oncomarkers SA-125 and SA 15-3 which are antibodies to cancer of the uterus, ovaries and breast.
• Ultrasound of the heart.
• Ultrasound of brachiocephalic arteries – To assess the risk of atherosclerosis and stroke.

What do you need to know about the surveys?

Blood will be tested on an empty stomach in the morning or in the evening after 8 hours of taking a meal. Before that it is advisable that you do not consume heavy foods, spicy foods, alcoholic drinks and do not also take any medication. Before collecting urine for analysis, you should carefully conduct hygiene procedures otherwise the results may be wrong.

Apart from food, you will also need to abstain because of the ultrasound. Pelvic organs will be difficult to examine if the intestine is full hence blocking the vision.

Results on hormones depend on the menstrual cycle hence at the primary consultation with the therapist ensure that you select a suitable day of performing the tests. Follicle stimulating hormone is released between the 3rd and 8th as well as between the 19th and 21st days of the cycle and estradol is released between the 6th and 7th. The days for conducting the tests may be broken into different days. Before the tests also ensure that you avoid stress and heavy loads. Moreover, if you are under hormonal contraception drugs, remember to inform the therapist. In most cases, you may stop using them for a while and postpone the test.

After the results form the tests are ready, you will be able to visit the doctors who deal with specific diseases such as a cardiologist, pulmonologist, gynaecologist and mammologist. If the results come out good, then consultations with the specialist may not be needed.

Such checks should be done at least once a year for quality health monitoring. If it is not your first time doing the tests, ensure you carry the results from the previous check up. This will help the therapist and the doctor in charge of ultrasound to immediately compare them, determine the dynamics and recommend the right treatment if necessary.