Why Well-Woman Exams Are a Key to Being Healthy
- Posted on: Feb 14 2020
Life can get busy for most people, but this is especially true for women. With so many women wearing different hats and being responsible for not only their health but the health of their partner and children, it can be easy to put yourself last mainly when it comes to preventative measures. However, it’s essential to maintain regular checkups to ensure you stay healthy and catch possible issues early. A well-woman visit can be broken down into three parts: your health history and habits, the physical exam, and your future health goals. These parts may not happen separately or in this order but are typically what you can expect from an appointment like this.
Health history and habits
During your exam, you’ll likely be asked about your family history, sexual health and sexual partners, eating and exercise habits, use of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco, medication use, mental health history, and about your relationship and safety.
Physical exam
Following those questions, your doctor or nurse will want to perform a physical exam. This exam may include measuring your height and weight, checking your blood pressure, taking your temperature, doing a breast exam, and doing a pelvic exam. A breast exam is done by feeling around your breasts and under your arms for lumps or other changes. A pelvic exam is similar only done to examine your vagina and pelvic area for changes or abnormalities. You may also want to add on STD testing or other examinations if you do have specific concerns.
Future health goals
You may want to discuss your future health goals with your doctor or nurse. If you have specific goals, such as losing weight or quitting smoking, you and your doctor can come up with a plan to help you achieve these goals. If you have concerns about other aspects of your health and want to schedule future screenings or follow-up appointments, you can also discuss that.
Don’t be afraid to ask us any questions you may have about your health; we’re here to help and care about making you feel as comfortable as possible. To schedule your well-woman exam today, call us at 602-494-5050 for our Paradise Valley office or 602-468-3912 for our Biltmore office.
Posted in: Well Woman Exam