Women's Health

Presentation at For Women Only
Oct. 2006

Reminders on Taking Care

by Dr. Elaine Samuel

Looking & Feeling Better

What helps women feel better…

• Feeling like we are doing a “good job” at taking care of our family, our home, our job and ourselves
• Healthy lifestyle            
  • adequate rest,
  • exercise,
  • diet,
  • stress reduction,
  • Healthy choices

What helps us look better…

• Healthy choices
• Don’t smoke
  • Smoke = wrinkles, heart and lung disease, etc…
• Use sunscreen
  • Excessive sun exposure = wrinkles and cancer
• Alcohol in moderation
  • Heavy drinking = liver disease, bad skin, malnutrition
• Adequate sleep
  • Sleep disorders = obesity, heart and lung disease, diabetes
• Exercise in moderation
  • Not enough = miss out on benefits
  • Compulsive exercise = injuries, anorexia, mental health problems
• Adequate nutrition, healthy choices in moderation
  • Too much food and the wrong types = obesity, diabetes
  • Anorexia and bulimia = bad hair, bad skin, bad teeth, bad bones
     (not a pretty sight!)
• Good medical care of ongoing conditions
• Stress reduction

What you should tell your doctor…

• Main reason for scheduling the appointment
• Other questions and concerns
• Current prescriptions and any supplements or over the counter medications
• Current medical problems and diagnoses
• Previous physicians, hospitalizations, and surgeries
• Family history
• Allergies to medications
• What symptoms are bothering at this time.
• Any recent travel, changes in your life or living situation occupation, educations, habits (smoking, alcohol, etc), lifestyle choices

The best way to keep track of this information

• Keep a notebook or three ring binder containing the following information:
  • Medications
  • Dates of surgeries, hospitalizations, tests and results
  • Allergies
  • Family history
  • Names, addresses, phone numbers of physicians who have provided care, performed tests and operations
  • Dates of immunizations
  • Travel history
• Keep copies of op report, test results, and consultation reports
• Do this for your children, your spouse, your parents and yourself.

Health screening for men and women

• Physical exam
  • every 1-5 years depending on risk factors
• Blood pressure check
  • every health contact or at least every 2 years
• Cholesterol/lipid testing
  • baseline at age 20
  • every 5 years if normal
• Immunizations
• Skin exam
• Rectal exam
  • beginning at age 40
• Stool occult testing
  • yearly at age 50
• Colonoscopy
  • baseline at age 50
  • earlier if family history for colon cancer

Women:

• Pap and pelvic exam yearly
• Breast exam
• Mammogram
  • baseline at age 40
  • yearly thereafter

Men:

• Prostate exam yearly
• PSA lab test

Special considerations

• Consider family history
• Occupation history
• Personal habits and risk factors
  • Drug or alcohol use
  • Sexual preference
  • HIV testing
  • STD Testing
    • Chlamydia,
    • GC,
    • Hepatitis B and C

Things to Think About For the Appointment

If your or your spouse is the patient…

• Why are you going to the doctor?
  • Screening exam symptoms
  • Ongoing medical condition
    • Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease
    • Risk factors for chronic disease
• Who is at the appointment?
  • Alone
  • With spouse
  • Other family members or friends

Special considerations if your child is the patient…

• New immunizations
• Social pressures
  • Drugs and alcohol
  • School performance
  • Athletic performance
  • Dating and sex
  • Physical and sexual assault
    • Bullying, school violence
    • Date rape and sexual predators

If your parent is the patient…

• Help your parent get the most out of the appointment
  • Bring all medications, not just a list
  • If possible, bring copies of medical records from other physicians to the appointment
• Confidentiality issues
• What are your parent’s concerns or problems?
• What are your concerns for your parent?

Resources

Ask your doctor about:

• Referral or additional evaluations or testing
• Consultation or second opinion
• Cardiologist, pulmonologist, neurologist, orthopedist, oncologist, orthopedist
• Diabetic educators
• Cardiac or pulmonary rehab
• Physical therapy
• Education handouts
• Any other questions you still have

Chronic disease management

• Diabetes
  • includes recommendations about blood sugar and A1c goals, cholesterol levels, vascular disease screening, eye exams, etc…
• Pulmonary disease
  • management of asthma and COPD
  • Sleep apnea
  • C pap and risk factor modification
• Management of special conditions such as MS, stroke prevention, risk factor modification for heart disease and stroke
• Risk factor management for HIV, STD
• Treatment guidelines and goals
• Pain management

Suggested Reading

Mary Pipher, psychologist

• Reviving Ophelia
• Another Country

Jerome Groopman, physician

• Second Opinions
• Anatomy of Hope

Pamela Peek, physician

• Fighting Fat after Forty

Larry Dossey, physician

• Healing Words