Must-Have Health checks for women over 40

As you get older, you need to pay more attention to your health, and going for regular health checks is essential. If you haven’t been for any in a while, then perhaps it’s time to find out how healthy you are and what your current health state is. Things you should be checking are:

Your Blood Sugar

We’re all guilty of eating the wrong food and drinking sugary drinks, which causes us to gain weight plus weight gain and can cause damage to your pancreas. If your pancreas can’t keep up, then this can lead to diabetes. So, by age 45, it’s essential that you get fasting blood sugar tests once every three years or more regularly if your doctor recommends it. 

Your Breasts

While it’s always a good idea to check your breast at home regularly, once you are over the age of 40, it’s important to go to the doctor for an annual breast exam just to be sure. Most experts also recommend adding a mammogram after age 40, as well. Speak to your doctor to decide, as different people are at a higher risk of breast cancer for various reasons.

Your Blood Pressure

Once you hit the fab 40, it can be quite common for your blood pressure to start rising. Luckily, you can lower your blood pressure with a good, healthy diet, plenty of exercises, and medication. It’s definitely worth making an effort for a long and healthy life. 

Your Cholesterol

So many people have high cholesterol levels, which can cause heart attacks or strokes, and these diseases claim a life every 40 seconds! If you have high cholesterol, you should protect yourself by changing your diet and taking medications prescribed by your doctor.

Your Weight

When you were younger, you were probably able to enjoy eating whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. However, as you get older, it’s important to keep an eye on your waistline, and if you’ve not been on the scales for a while, then perhaps you need to. Being overweight puts you at high risk for developing several diseases, including diabetes and heart disease, so it’s good to know where you’re at and what your BMI is. 

Your Skin

Check your skin for moles because all those years when you were younger of lying out in the sun and getting “a healthy tan” could have lead to something not so healthy such as skin cancer. However, most skin cancers are curable, so if you can catch a mole early, then go and get it checked out as soon as possible. Ask your doctor to check your skin if you find skin changes as well, don’t put it off.

Your Eyes

If you’re having difficulty reading or working on the computer, then this it’s not unusual. Make sure you get your eyes checked regularly, it’s recommended that you do this every one to two years until you are 60. It’s not just for your eyesight deteriorating either but for conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.