6 Important Facts About Women’s Health That Every Woman Should Know

Women’s Health 

Women are frequently the care takers of the family. Sometimes they spend so much time taking care of others that they don’t take good care of themselves. Take a few minutes and read this post to find out how well you are taking care of your health.

1. Know Your Family History – In 1976 my grandfather experienced terrible pain is his stomach area. He went to the hospital and within a few weeks, he died. They never knew for sure what exactly had killed him because they didn’t do an autopsy. He was 72 years old and had a history of heart problems, so the pain in his stomach remained a mystery.

Fast forward to 1989 and his daughter, my mother, is diagnosed with advanced colon cancer at the age of 50. She died the next year. I am convinced that my grandfather had colon cancer too and that if she had known that he had colon cancer perhaps her doctor would have treated her differently. She might have had regularly scheduled colonoscopies and perhaps her cancer could have been caught early.

When it’s possible it is important to know your family’s medical history. Write it down for future generations. There may be a pattern that might alert a younger generation to possible health concerns.

2. Have Regular Checkups

I know a lady who hasn’t been to a doctor in years because she’s afraid of what he might tell her. Instead of being pro-active about her health care, she’s being reactive. If she would go for regular checkups she might be able to catch a problem early and head off a major health crisis.

3. Get The Best Care Possible

I wasn’t a big fan of the doctor my mother was seeing when she was diagnosed with colon cancer. He was treating her for depression and knew she had lots of issues with her stomach. When he came to her hospital room to tell her she had advanced colon cancer he told a story about how his decision to become a doctor came about. Not only was he self-centered, his lack of attention to all of my mother’s symptoms cost her her life.

4. You owe it to yourself and your family to find the best doctor and medical care available. You are trusting them with your life. Don’t just take someone’s recommendation that Dr. So and So is really nice; do some research. And while bedside manner is important, it’s certainly not the only skills a doctor needs to have. In this day and age you have a world of information available at your fingertips but beware, some reviews of doctors you may stumble upon online are done by patients who wouldn’t know a good doctor if he or she lived next door to them.

If you need help finding the best doctor for you here are some articles that will help.

How to Find the Best Primary Care Doctor

Healthgrades on Finding a Doctor

9 Steps to Finding a Good Doctor

5. Take Time To Get A Second Opionion

It’s worth your time to get a second opinion. Why?

If for no other reason consider what a new study from the Mayo Clinic discovered. According to their data, 1 out of 5 patients who got a second opinion were incorrectly diagnosed in the first place. Only 12 percent of patients received confirmation that the original diagnosis was complete and correct. 66 percent of patients were given a more refined or modified diagnosis after the second opinion. You can read more about the importance of getting a second opinion  here.

6. Stay on Top of Advances in Health Care 

A friend of mine was given a grim diagnosis concerning his cancer. He went to a different state and a clinic that specializes in his type of cancer. After receiving experimental treatment he is now in remission.

Here’s a great article with lots of information about medical advances that are on the horizon. Two of ten innovations discussed are an artificial pancreas to help diabetics and a pacemaker for sleep apnea. Now that’s exciting news for people with diabetes and those folks like my husband who have sleep apnea.

And finally…..preventive care is important but so is your attitude about your health. Stay positive and follow your doctor’s advice for maintaining your health, including their recommendations for your diet and amount the amount of exercise you need.

You are a very important person! Don’t ever forget it!