If you’re like most women, especially those in “caring” professions such as full-time moms, nurses or teachers, you are more likely to put aside your own health concerns while being the main scheduler for your children or spouse. According to a national survey by GCI Health, HealthyWomen, and Redbook magazine, nearly half of women neglect to make time for health screenings, annual doctor visits, and regularly scheduled checkups.
The stress many women feel, whether they work in the home or in professions with a high percentage of women, can lead to anxiety and depression. The survey found that 90 percent of women reported “moderate to high” stress levels due to the demands of trying to balance career and home.
You Are Worth It!
Health and wellness are important for women to maintain because of the many people who depend on them. Oftentimes, women will push through or keep working in spite of nagging symptoms that could signal a serious condition since they don’t value themselves to the same degree that they value others. For some, there is a sense that they can’t afford (financially or otherwise) to take a day off to keep their yearly physical appointment; others will sacrifice their own health because they don’t feel “important” enough to take time for themselves.
The Woman’s Clinic offers a full array of screenings and wellness check-ups at both our Jackson and our Madison locations. Screening tests can identify disease even before any symptoms appear. Finding a disease in its earliest stages make it easier to treat and can lead to a better outcome. At the Woman’s Clinic, your gynecologist can perform tests to check for breast cancer, cervical cancer, and teach you how to do self-checks as well. During your annual exam, your doctor will thoroughly examine you and look for specific indicators based on your age, family history, and any risk factors for a certain disease.
Getting the Answers to Your Health Questions
These annual tests are especially needed for women who are trying to get pregnant for the first time or want to increase their family size. Your doctor can make sure that there is no physical, internal issue that would interfere with getting pregnant or any suspicious cells showing up from a Pap test. She can also advise you on ways to improve your chances of becoming pregnant and discuss any concerns a first-time mom-to-be may have.
If you were told that someone could predict your future just by looking at your palm or doing a card reading, wouldn’t it make more sense that your doctor could use an annual screening to determine your risks of developing a hereditary disease or your chances for getting pregnant? Your doctor is far better able to “predict” the future possibility of breast or cervical cancer or other life-threatening diseases when you take the opportunity to schedule an annual exam.
These yearly check-ups may seem time-consuming or even unnecessary-“I’m feeling fine, I really don’t need to see my doctor this year.” We understand that women will often put themselves lower on the priority list than others in their own family. When you are exhausted, stressed, depressed, and physically run-down, you may be inclined to postpone your exam. But that’s the very time when you need to take care of yourself and make sure you are not putting yourself at risk.
Schedule your annual wellness check for your own peace of mind and your family’s as well. You are the most important person in the lives of your children, spouse, and parents, and an annual exam is a gift you give yourself and those you love.
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