Take Charge of Your Health

Take Charge of Your Health

You exercise and eat right, but are you doing everything you should to stay healthy? "We women don't always make time for our health," says Mellanie True Hills, author of A Woman's Guide to Saving Her Own Life: The HEART Program for Health and Longevity. Hills should know. After an EKG in 2003 sent this self-described "road warrior" to the ER with a 95 percent blockage in her coronary artery at age 51, she made her health a priority. But you shouldn't wait until your 50s. With more advances than ever in medical testing and technology, it's easy to be proactive. Here are the must-have tests and checkups, whether you're 25 or 55, that will help ensure you stay healthy.

Your 20s

What's going on? Physically, your body is at its strongest, and what you do now may seem like it doesn't affect your health. Truth is, your choices today will influence your wellbeing for years to come. Tests and Checkups Ensure that your youth sticks around for a while. By always wearing sunscreen, young women have a chance to ward off skin cancer and unattractive sun damage that appears later in life. Schedule a skin cancer screening, and talk to your dermatologist about how often you need an exam. Heart disease can affect women even in their 20s, so it's important to know your cholesterol and blood levels, reports the American Heart Association. Other basic health tests at this age should include Pap tests and screenings for sexually transmitted diseases. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that girls and women ages 11 through 26 get vaccinated for the human papillomavirus (HPV), a precursor to cervical cancer. Women who know that breast cancer runs in their families have more power than ever to detect the disease early. According to the National Cancer Institute, about 10 percent of all breast cancer cases are hereditary, and inherited alterations in the genes--BRCA1 and BRCA2--are present in many cases. Now there's a test to identify these genes, allowing young women at high risk the option to plan more aggressive surveillance or even preventative surgeries.

Your 30s

What's going on? Thirty-something women are usually in the throes of career and life changes. If there's ever a time when we need energy, this is it. "A 35-year-old woman is really the caretaker of the family, so supplements and vitamins are good," says Dr. Steven Lamm, clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University. "Women are also trying to do it all, so getting enough sleep becomes even more important." Tests and Checkups The regular physical exams you started in your 20s need to continue annually in your 30s, as do other basic health measures, such as cholesterol and blood sugar tests. If you’re at a higher than average risk of breast cancer, talk with your doctor about whether to have mammograms before age 40 and how often to have them. Paying attention to your reproductive health is vital. Regular Pap tests ensure uterine health, and ultrasounds can detect any abnormalities--like endometriosis, fibroids or cysts--that lead to infertility. Consuming enough calcium becomes more important to prevent osteoporosis--good sources include dairy products, soybeans, broccoli and spinach. It's also critical if you're pregnant or planning a family.

Your 40s

What's going on? A pivotal decade for a lot of women, your 40s are the time when you start to come into your own. While your self-confidence abounds, you might think that your metabolism has come to a screeching halt. It hasn't, but it's time to pay attention to portion control and to incorporate strength training into your schedule. "There's an accelerated breakdown of tissues as we age, so you have to be more strategic with your workouts," says Wendy Bazilian, R.D. Tests and Checkups Regular mammograms are critical now; women in their 40s need one every year. Continue regular Pap smears, annual eye exams and physicals. Avoid heart disease by maintaining an active lifestyle and choosing vegetables and high-fiber, low-fat foods. And don't neglect your bones. If you haven't already, "now's the time to get your bone density and vitamin D levels checked," says Lamm. Being proactive also means paying closer attention to your weight--if you're gaining or losing at an abnormal rate, you could have thyroid issues. More than half of American women over age 40 have three or more common symptoms of thyroid disorder, but most don't talk about it with their doctor. Also, ovarian cancers are more common in this decade--and usually aren't detected until advanced stages because symptoms aren't acute. The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition recommends a transvaginal sonogram/ultrasound and CA-125 blood test for women at high risk.

50s and Beyond

What's going on? It becomes ever more crucial in your 50s and beyond to use the wisdom of experience you've gained to know what's normal for your body--and what isn't. Simply being proactive will go a long way toward continued health. Tests and Checkups In these decades, heart health becomes more important, especially since heart disease is the biggest killer of women over age 35, and the risk of both heart disease and stroke increases with age, according to AHA statistics. The signs of a heart attack are drastically different for women than for men: unusual fatigue, shortness of breath and minor chest discomfort. The AHA advises getting a stress test, EKG and blood tests. Dr. Judith Stanton, who specializes in women's health at the California Healing Institute, recommends getting a colonoscopy at age 50 and then every 10 years thereafter. "Colon cancer is the third most common cancer in both men and women," she says, "and it is entirely preventable with routine screening." Menopause usually arrives at this age. Symptoms (called perimenopause) can start as early as your late 30s. It occurs around age 50 for most women, but everyone's different. It's not something women need treatment for unless symptoms (like hot flashes and night sweats) from decreasing hormone levels become severe. Calcium intake is also critical to prevent osteoporosis; take a supplement if you're not getting enough calcium through food. Postmenopausal women older than 50 need 1,500 milligrams per day. As for when you can quit those Pap tests, the American Cancer Society says that, if you're at least 70, have had at least three normal Pap tests and no abnormal results in the last 10 years, you can finally stop putting those feet in the stirrups.