“It is better to prevent any disease than to detect it in a neglected state,” our expert likes to repeat. That is why a woman who has reached middle age should start taking more care of her body and not neglect the advice of doctors. But who should you go to if nothing seems to hurt? Konstantin Ivanov, a cardiologist, the host of the Medicine of the Future program on the Doctor TV channel, tells us about the examinations that need to be done after 30 years.
Basically, we are used to running to a therapist when we are overcome by a cold, but in fact the doctor treats a wide range of diseases. These can be diseases of the cardiovascular system, viral, gastrointestinal and articular diseases. It is the therapist who will prescribe the necessary tests for you and will be able to redirect you to a narrow-profile specialist in the future. Therefore, even if nothing bothers you, it will be correct to consult a therapist to measure height and weight, consult on the possible risks of various diseases, take a referral for a general blood and urine test, and undergo an express test for glucose and cholesterol levels.
The most important physician of the female body is the gynecologist, who should be visited at least once a year. Unfortunately, many women come to an appointment when very severe pain begins to bother them. Because of this, doctors are no longer able to help, but can only try to alleviate the patient’s suffering. Therefore, one of the main studies is the Pap test, which helps diagnose cervical cancer. Having passed a simple analysis, a woman will be able to protect herself from a terrible diagnosis. Many diseases of the female body are asymptomatic: for example, a timely smear on chlamydia will help prevent infertility, and a test for human papillomavirus – the development of a malignant tumor.
One of the mandatory tests that a woman must pass is to identify mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 breast cancer genes. It is performed once in a lifetime with unfavorable heredity, that is, the presence of close relatives who have been diagnosed with breast, ovarian or prostate cancer. In 50% of cases, the genetic defect is passed on to children from parents. The test can be done from the age of 18, but often women do not think about it, so when they reach adulthood, it is worth taking care of the examination.
Perhaps every woman has experienced a headache, weakness, back discomfort from sedentary work, so it’s time to make an appointment with a doctor specializing in diseases of the nervous system. Of course, the above symptoms do not mean at all that you are sick, but if they periodically bother you, then you should not ignore the calls from your body. For example, a headache can be triggered by intracranial pressure, neck hernias, osteochondrosis, or brain tumors. Weakness, which patients like to confuse with fatigue, can be a sign of stroke and other dangerous nervous diseases. Many, instead of going to a specialist, start self-treatment for migraines. In practice, this only leads to a worsening of the disease. Now neurologists offer a huge number of drugs that can quickly cope with this problem. The main thing is to remember that you cannot self-medicate. This can only make your condition worse.
Unfortunately, with age, we begin to worry about joints, pain in the spine, injuries that could have been received in childhood. Also, a great love for heels, excessive sports and a sedentary lifestyle by the age of 30 can lead to varicose veins, which can ruin not only the aesthetic appearance of the legs, but lead to serious health problems. Unpleasant consequences later in life can cause pain while walking, swelling in the ankle, itching and burning in the legs. Painful symptoms may not appear immediately, so it is better not to neglect early diagnosis. A timely ultrasound of the veins will be able to exclude the presence of a blood clot and serious consequences in the future. If your mother was susceptible to this disease, then most likely it will not bypass you either. If you don’t see any problems yet, the surgeon will help you choose preventive medications for you that will keep your legs healthy and beautiful.