You At Your Best

by KaRen RiCe nWa DemoCRat-Gazette While healthy diets, daily exercise and emotional balance are hallmarks of healthy people, routine wellness exams are just as important. See your doctor regularly, and keep up with these important screenings. Often, the earlier a disease is detected, the more easily it is treated. Annual wellness exam. Get a well- woman visit (annual physical) every year. Wellness visits include a physical exam, making sure you are up to date with your vaccinations, and screenings to check for diseases. Your healthcare provider may review healthy habits with you like diet and exercise or avoiding tobacco. If you have a chronic medical condition, more frequent visits may be necessary. Blood pressure. Doctors will typically test blood pressure at every visit. Women whose blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg can go every two years between blood pressure readings up until age 20, advises The American Heart Association. Adults 40 or older, or those with conditions that put them at risk for hypertension, should go annually or as advised by a doctor. Cervical cytology. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends routine pelvic examinations with cervical testing that includes Pap testing and HPV testing. Consult with an OB-GYN for testing frequency, which depends on age. Cholesterol. Cholesterol levels alone are not indicative of one's overall health. However, a complete cholesterol test can determine a person's risk for heart disease. If levels are consistently normal, this test may only need to be performed every five years, advises the National Institutes of Health. Clinical breast exams and mammograms. Talk to your doctor about current recommendations depending on your age, risk factors and family history. Blood-glucose test. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases says women should be screened regularly for prediabetes or diabetes beginning around age 45. Women can speak with their physicians to determine how often they should receive these screenings. Osteoporosis screenings. Bone density can be measured starting at age 65 or earlier if a woman has a high fracture risk. Colonoscopy. If you are 50 or older, you should have a colonoscopy every 10 years, a stool test every year, or sigmoidoscopy every five years with a stool test every three years. Other colon cancer screening options are available; ask your doctor what may be best for you. Your healthcare provider may recommend that you have them before age 50 if you have a family history of colorectal cancer. Eye exam. By age 40, all adults should receive a comprehensive eye evaluation. But see an ophthalmologist before age 40 if you have a preexisting eye disease, a family history of eye disease, or if you are at risk for a chronic condition such as glaucoma, high blood pressure, or diabetes, and if you experience visual changes, injury, or other ocular symptoms. If you are 65 years or older, be sure to have your Conception is a very delicate process that relies on the good reproductive health of both partners. The male partner must be able to produce enough healthy sperm to fertilize an egg, while the woman must regularly release an egg. To meet, both the man's sperm and the woman's egg must be able to travel through their respective reproductive tracts without hindrance. Finally, the uterus must be able to provide a nourishing environment for the embryo to implant and thrive. There are several women's infertility problems that are treatable. Ovulation Problems: Infrequent or irregular ovulation is usually caused by one or more of the following factors: • Pituitary dysfunction: occurs when the pituitary gland does not secrete the right amount of FSH and LH hormones. • Polycystic ovaries: occurs when the ovaries develop a series of small cysts and fail to produce mature eggs. • Luteal phase dysfunction: when the body does not produce enough progesterone and the uterine lining is not able to sustain a fertilized egg. • Premature menopause: menstrual periods cease at an early age secondary to early loss of ovarian function. Other women's fertility problems: • Lack of cervical mucus: Some women may not have enough cervical mucus to allow for the passage of sperm into the cervix. Treatment may include estrogen or intrauterine insemination. • Sperm antibodies: Sometimes sperm antibodies are present in the cervix which destroy the sperm. In vitro fertilization may be required. • Adhesions: Sometimes scar tissue that results from disease or infection may damage or block the fallopian tubes or occur inside the uterus. Surgical treatment may be used. • Tubal sterilization: If sterilization took place within the recent past, reversal is often possible. • Mucus plug: In some cases, a mucus plug forms which blocks a fallopian tube. A thin catheter can be inserted through the cervix to unblock the tube. • Fibroid tumors: These non-cancerous growths, which occasionally grow in and around the uterus, may be removed by abdominal or hysteroscopic surgery. The staff at Tulsa Fertility Center has experience in dealing with a variety of fertility issues in both men and women. Contact us today for a consultation, at (918) 359-2229. Health screenings for women Causes of female infertility sPonsoR Content 6 | YOU AT YOUR BEST | nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST OcTOBER - wOmEn'S HEAlTH | SATURdAY, SEpTEmBER 28, 2019 Can't get pregnant? We'll get to the bottom of it. Hope Starts Here InfertIlIty fertIlIty treatment IVf Donor Program Call 918.359.2229 (BABY) for an appointment today! 115 east 15th Street • tulsa, oK www.TulsaFertilityCenter.com

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