Transform your life, one choice at a time
Transform your team, one person at a time
April 2003
When was the last
time you had a complete physical? Do you know how your health is changing, or
not? One of the best ways to monitor your health or success in life is to have
benchmarks for comparison. In the busyness of life, many people are not staying
on top of appointments for their own self-care. Spring time is a terrific time
to clean out closets, open windows (unless allergies are a challenge, see the
second section below) and dust off your lab work. Huh? Lab
work? Yes, no time is better than the present for doing a check-up on
your health.
I often talk about
the importance of having benchmarks/measures so you can effectively monitor
your progress or lifestyle and attitudinal changes. It’s time for that
reminder. I just completed my battery of tests again. Have you had a fasting,
complete blood workup completed? When you have a baseline blood workup, you can
monitor your blood sugar levels (important for determining risks and changes
associated with Type II diabetes), cholesterol levels (watch for a healthy
ratio of HDLs to LDLs and VLDLs—the good versus bad cholesterol), triglyceride levels
(especially important for women) and the monitoring of other body/organ
systems.
Information is power.
Not knowing how well your body is functioning leaves you ill informed and naïve
to your genuine health status. Take charge of your health by saying, “I choose
to have my exams done regularly.” And act on that. Call to make an appointment
today.
Many people are not
familiar with the tests and exams that should be done and when or how often to
do so. Below, you will find a list of those basics.
|
What to Get When |
How Often |
Keep in mind |
|
At 18+ |
|
|
|
Breast self-exam |
Monthly |
Best time: a week
after your period ends. |
|
Dental checkup |
Every six months |
Cleanings should be
a part of the checkup; helps prevent gum disease; floss regularly—plaque from
your mouth is found to attach itself to the arteries to your heart. |
|
Skin exam (with a
dermatologist) |
Recommendations are
for yearly—depends upon your skin type—get a baseline check |
Plus, self-check
(once a month) for moles that are ragged, are multicolored, have changed
shape or are wider than a pencil eraser. |
|
Pelvic exam; Pap
test; Clinical breast exam |
Yearly—make
appointments early—tends to take months to get into doctors |
These can all be
done at the same appointment. These exams screen for cancers and STDs. |
|
Hearing exam |
Every ten years (I went in at 40) |
After age 50, get
tested more often. Esp. Boomers who have blown their ears out for years with their
Walkmans. |
|
HIV |
Pregnant or
planning to be |
Recommended even
for women in monogamous relationships. |
|
At 20+ |
|
|
|
Blood pressure test |
Every two years |
Ask your doctor if you
need one more often; it depends on your health and family history. |
|
Fasting lipoprotein
profile (This is what I was
talking about above.) |
Every five years is
the recommendation (I do it every year) |
This blood test for
cholesterol levels is an easy way to screen for heart disease, the #1 killer. |
|
At 35+ |
|
|
|
Thyroid-stimulating
hormone test (TSH) |
Every five years |
One in eight women
will suffer from a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. |
|
At 40+ |
|
|
|
Mammogram |
Every year (I
schedule mine on the same day I do my fasting blood workup) |
Screen earlier if
there’s a family history of breast cancer. |
|
At 45+ |
|
|
|
Blood sugar levels
test If you have
diabetes—A1C test |
Every three years Twice a year |
A test for Type II
diabetes; high-risk individuals, test earlier. A1C measures
average levels over a three-month period. Those with diabetes are recommended
to keep their level at less than 7 percent. |
|
Bone mineral density
test (for osteoporosis) |
Varies |
Recommended for all
postmenopausal women and those at risk for osteoporosis. |
|
At 50+ |
|
|
|
Fecal occult blood
test Double contrast
barium enema or flexible sigmoidoscopy or
colonoscopy |
Yearly |
Colorectal cancer
is the third most common cancer for women. Start screening earlier if you
have an inflammatory bowel disease or your parent, child, or sibling has had
colorectal cancer. Also be sure to get a digital rectal exam at your regular physical, or with one of the tests to the left. (Virtual
colonoscopies which are less invasive and uncomfortable are now being done
and are showing promise to becoming the “next” way to conduct these
screenings.) |
|
PSA test—detects
prostrate cancer found primarily in men five-ten years earlier than the
digital rectal exam |
Detected mainly in
men over 55 years old—average age of patients at time of diagnosis is 70
years old. |
Family history,
race and lifestyle have shown to play important roles in this cancer. Prostate cancer is
the second most common cancer in American men. |
Once you have this
information
Keep a
personal/family notebook. I use a five-section spiral-bound notebook with
pocket holders in the dividers to keep lab results, tests and important
information and forms. This makes record keeping simple.
You
may have someone in your family or friends that may need to be reminded to have
their tests done. Pass this information along.
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Spring means new
blossoms, open windows, birds singing and pollen flying. Spring, for many,
means allergy season is here again. More than one-third of Americans have
allergies, and thousands of people don't have their symptoms under control. You
may be one of them. Adult-onset allergies are becoming more common.
There are three basic ways to treat allergies: avoiding the allergens that
trigger your symptoms, medications and allergy shots (also called immunotherapy
or immunization).
The National
Institute of Health says, “Environmental
control to reduce exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens is critical. It can
reduce asthma symptoms, the need for medication, and the level of airway hyper
responsiveness." Since we’re all about “taking action,” let’s take a
look at what you can do to start protecting yourself or your loved ones from
allergy aggravation by allergy-proofing your home.
Here are some ideas:
If you go to the web
site for the
When you feel better,
you think better, react better, love more freely and creatively solve life’s
challenges in more positive ways.
Can’t wait to
hear from you. Share your
wealth of wisdom. You’ll discover you will get back far more than you give.
My Best,
Kate
Quote for the month:
“…healthy
living is not just an exercise in abstinence. It's about feeling better,
looking better and living longer. It can be more pleasurable than rich
desserts."
Michael
Craig Miller, M.D.
Newsweek,
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Kate coaches executive & professional women who want to decrease their stress and increase their energy and sense of balance at work and home. Kate works with organizations that want to develop more productive, healthy, stress-resilient employees. Healthy employees achieve greater results at lower costs.
Affiliate coach for The Ken Blanchard Companies
Faculty and Mentor Coach for WellCoaches.com