Congratulations on entering your 40s! Although you are not a youngster now, you are not too old either. Once a woman reaches the age of 40 years, she needs to take some extra care of herself. You must have often come across women who complain of not getting adequate time to take care of themselves. However, once you get into the 40 years squad, you have to manage some time and pay attention to your body. if you do not take care of your body today, it will not bother to think about you tomorrow.
When you are in your 40s, your middle age is knocking at your doors. At this time, all that you need is preventive care to the most. You want to prevent yourself from all the health issues before they become a headache to you. Indeed, regular physical activities are important for this. But what most people avoid in their 40s is thorough medical attention. Once the diseases have entered your body and you are affected by them to the brim, there is no point in taking care then. By then, the damage is already done.
If you want to stay fit and healthy and live a long life, you have to undergo some physical screenings that aid in proper health. Since many of you are not aware of these screenings, we have combined them in this blog. By the time you reach the end of the blog, you will be armed with all the necessary information that you should know to stay healthy in your 40s. Therefore, without further delay, let’s get started.
List of medical screenings for a woman of 40
Now, you are 40 years old. You cannot expect your body to perform the way it used to when you were in your teens. Now, you have to prepare yourself for the rest of the battle. You must have seen several people complaining about various health issues in their 50s. if you have to stay away from this and travel the whole world alone or do all your activities in the same energetic manner, you have to take care of your health.
One of the ways to pay attention to your health would be to conduct some medical screenings. It is through these medical screenings that you will get to know about the internal functions and condition of your body. Given below is a list of medical screenings that every woman should do once they become 40 years old.
- BMI or body mass index or obesity screening
In the body mass index, the medical practitioner calculates your body’s height and weight. If the body mass index of your body lies between 25 to 30 per cent, you are overweight. Also, if this rate is more than 30%, it is obesity. Once you can lose at least 5 to 10 per cent of the BMI, you are sure to stay away from several health issues.
- Depression screening
Now that you are in your 40s, you are about to experience menopause soon. By the time a woman reaches menopause, she already enters her 40s. We all know that menopause is accommodated by a lot of hormonal changes in the body. These changes lead to several mental issues and depression is one of them. Consulting with a psychologist will only make you feel better.
- Smoking, alcohol and substance misuse screening
Many women have a habit of consuming alcohol or smoking. As long as you are a social drinker and smoker, things will be fine. However, when you reach middle age, doctors recommend reducing alcohol consumption and smoking for the betterment of the body. Here, you will have to fill out a questionnaire on the basis of which the professionals will decide if you are an addict.
- HIV screening
Regardless of the kind of lifestyle you lead and if you have an active sex life, it is necessary to undergo an HIV test. You can get infected by an STI or have HIV later in life. not only does this get spread from our partner, but it can also be caused by coming in contact with a person who has HIV.
- Blood pressure check
The blood pressure of a woman is directly connected to the condition of her heart. The general range of blood pressure should be 120/80. Anything above this can indicate and lead to a heart attack. When you have higher blood pressure, it prevents the oxygenated blood to reach the heart. Therefore, there is difficulty in breathing.
- Cholesterol screening
Through cholesterol screening, you can be aware of the amount of triglyceride and cholesterol present in your blood. These numbers are important, especially when you age, as they help determine if you are at risk of any cardiovascular disease. Your body needs cholesterol. However, the amount of bad cholesterol should always be lower than that of good cholesterol.
- Diabetes screening
For a diabetes screening, you will need to undergo the fasting plasma glucose test. This test checks the glucose level in the blood. When the first test shows a higher glucose level, the healthcare provider undergoes a second one to ensure the first report so that you can take the necessary medical treatment.
- Mammogram screening
All women who have touched the age of 40 should undergo a mammogram to check if there is any lump in their breast. It will help you to stay away from cancer.
- Pap test screening
Along with HPV, several women undergo the pap smear test to check the condition of the cervix. The cervix is an important part of a woman’s body. You should conduct this pap test at an interval of three to five years.
- Eye and dental checkups
Eye and dental checkups are the normal and much-needed ones. With age, you are sure to experience some problems both in the eyes and teeth. Both dental and eye checkups must be scheduled at an interval of six to eight months.
- Influenza vaccination
If you want to prevent the spread of any flu in your community, you have to take the influenza vaccine once every year. Once you get the vaccine injected into the body, the antibodies take two weeks to become active.
- Tetanus diphtheria booster
Although you get this tetanus and diphtheria booster during your infancy, we recommend you to take it at an interval of every ten years.
Conclusion
Now that you have got an idea about the medical screenings that you need to undergo once you are 40, it is time to schedule your calendar and book appointments at a London wellwoman clinic for these tests. The earlier you can get these tests done, the better it is for you.