How many women
above the age of 40 reading this article have done a mammogram?Studies have
shown that women generally spend more money on cosmetics, shoes and clothes
than they do on their health.
Given a choice, it is no exaggeration to say that many Nigerian women
would rather spend N30,000 on ‘aso-ebi’ (party cloth) than pay the same amount
for a cervical cancer vaccine.
Experts, however, warn that women are at a greater risk of dying of
quite a number of diseases compared to men. Examples abound that more women die
of breast cancer compared to the number of men that die of prostate cancer.
Statistics show that 26 Nigerian women die daily of cervical cancer;
yet the disease is preventable and curable.
Doctors note that detecting these diseases at an early stage makes them
easy to cure. Therefore, every woman must take responsibility and ensure her
own safety and wellbeing.
Here are the lists of screenings doctors recommend every woman must
undergo.
Self-breast
examination
Oncologists (cancer care specialists), note that the diagnosis of
breast cancer starts with the woman, who is observant and takes action when
necessary.
Professor of Oncology and Radiation at the College of Medicine,
University Of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Ifeoma Okoye, notes that a major
reason why women who had breast cancer in the past died in spite of access to
treatment is late presentation at the hospital with the disease.
The oncologist recommends that women of all ages should examine their
breasts every month and report unusual changes to a doctor for medical
examination.
She states, “It is important for every woman to perform self-breast
examination every month. If you notice anything that is odd, especially a lump
that hurts you while you are doing it, you need to see the doctor.
“If it is painless, you should also see the doctor. There are painless
lumps that are also cancerous. Early detection starts in your youth.
“Breast cancer is no longer a disease of the old. There are young women
with breast cancer and this explains why every mother should teach their female
children how to carry out the examination.”
Pap smear test
The Pap smear test checks the cervix and the vagina of a woman for any
abnormal cells that could develop into cancerous cells. Ideally, the test
should be conducted as soon as a woman turns 21 and should be repeated every
three years. Once she turns 30, she can wait five years between tests unless
she senses any abnormal changes in her body.
Mammograms
Doctors recommend that every woman should undergo a mammogram screening
after the age of 40. Mammograms are a low-dose X-ray that screens your breast
and other surrounding tissues for cancerous lumps that may be too small to feel
during a regular breast exam. Always remember that early detection of breast
cancer can lead to a cure.
Osteoporosis
X-ray
Many women face weakened bones after menopause. This puts them at a
greater risk of osteoporosis where weakened bones begin to deteriorate. The
osteoporosis X-ray is recommended for women after the age of 65. The screening
includes a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry that measures the bone marrow
density and determines the risk for osteoporosis before the fracture occurs.
Ovarian cancer
screening
Ovarian cancer affects women between the ages of 50 and 75. It kills
approximately 15,000 women each year. Therefore, women should do this exercise
regularly. During the exercise, the doctor performs a pelvic examination to
check for ovarian cancer in the exposed vulva and then proceeds inwards to
check the uterus and ovaries for the same.
Heart disease
screening
Heart disease is the number one killer of women. A future president,
mother, wife, scientist, sister, and boss dies roughly every minute from it.
More disheartening still: most, if not all of these deaths are preventable,
trailing a wake of modern preventative care, drugs and surgery.
Heart disease rates among men have been steadily declining, while
women’s rate of decline has been slower. A very important factor?Women’s heart
disease symptoms can look starkly different from men’s. Contrary to the
pervasive myth that you have to go down on a shag rug clutching your chest and
wailing in pain to be having a heart attack, women frequently experience subtle
and often dismissible symptoms they’re trained to ignore, like problems
breathing, fatigue, stomach aches, and a vague sense of uneasiness. Many women
think they have the flu, acid reflux, or are just plain exhausted.
Statistically, women are significantly more likely than men to have
their heart disease symptoms ignored by a health care provider or hospital.
They are also twice as likely to die in the first year after a heart attack.
Heart disease kills more women than men each year. Therefore, it
becomes important that women above the age of 50 along with women who have a
family history of the disease should undergo yearly Electrocardiography
screening to monitor their heart for any abnormalities.
Source:
punchng
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