5 Questions To Ask Your Physician For Women Over 40
(continued)
Dr. Donnica's Decisionnaire:
***If you are a woman over age 40 and if any of the
following 7 items are checked, it's time to schedule your next doctor's appointment!
__ I have not had a check-up in more than a year.
__ I have not had a Pap smear in more than a year.
__ I have not yet had a mammogram.
__ I have not had my blood pressure checked in more than a year.
__ I have not had my cholesterol tested in more than 3 years.
__ I am not comfortable with my choice of contraception.
__ I am a smoker and I need help to quit.
Medi-Speak: Clinical terms used in this article and what they mean in English:
--Contraception: birth control
--Immunosuppressed: patients whose immune system is impaired, either
from a disease (e.g. HIV/AIDS, certain cancers, lupus) or from medicine to treat
certain conditions (e.g. post-transplant patients or patients with Rheumatoid
arthritis) or who have had their spleen removed.
--Mammogram: a very low-dose x-ray of the breasts used to evaluate any lumps or to screen
for breast cancer.
--Menopause: literally, the end of menses (periods). This refers to
a stage of life affected by the decreased estrogen (female hormones) that accompanies
menopause. Two thirds of women experience menopausal symptoms (such as hot
flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, mood swings, etc.), and most women
become at increased risk for chronic illnesses such as heart disease and osteoporosis.
--Pap smear: a screening test for cervical
cancer and other conditions which affect the cervix. Done during an internal
or pelvic exam.
--Perimenopause: the 2-10 year period before menopause in which women may get early menopausal
symptoms as a result of significant swings in their female hormone levels (estrogen
and progesterone).
Created: 9/27/2000 - Donnica Moore, M.D.
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 All medical conditions, including wellness, can be discussed in terms of five
primary areas: prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. 
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