A well-woman exam is an important part of your long-term health. This is why resolving to get your annual exam early is a smart move. The longer you delay in scheduling, the more likely the needs of other family members, work, and life can creep in and cause you to skip this visit altogether.
Start this new year by contacting Capital Women’s Care in Silver Spring and Laurel, Maryland, to schedule your well-woman exam right away. The OB/GYN team can’t wait to care for you. Here’s why the annual well-woman exam is so important.
This annual exam focuses on your reproductive and pelvic organs. The exam’s purpose is to assess your current health, make sure you have no underlying problems, and help you develop a lifestyle plan to maximize your health.
Your doctor talks with you to get a better understanding of your health, family health history, and current living situation. You’ll talk about your lifestyle, relationships, and health goals.
During the pelvic exam portion of your visit, your provider checks your reproductive and pelvic organs to make sure everything is in order. They can sometimes detect sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), uterine fibroids, or other irregularities.
Your annual well-woman appointment also includes a clinical breast exam, which can ensure your breasts are free of notable lumps.
Your provider may also run a Pap smear to screen for cervical cancer. Up to 93% of cervical cancer cases are entirely preventable with screenings and vaccinations for human papillomavirus (HPV).
We recommend a mammogram for women older than 40 or those who have a family history of breast cancer. We may also recommend that women who are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis schedule a bone scan.
Staying on top of these screenings means you can rest assured that you’re healthy, and that if you do have a problem, it gets caught early, when treatment is most effective.
For women who are considering expanding their family in the near future, our team may offer fertility advice and pre-pregnancy support in the form of prenatal vitamins and dietary advice.
A primary goal of your well-woman exam is to help you improve or maintain a healthy lifestyle so you prevent future health problems.
We may discuss:
If you have immediate needs to address symptoms like heavy periods or pelvic pain, we can recommend additional screenings like blood tests and ultrasounds.
When you’re approaching menopause, our providers here at Capital Women’s Care can help you adapt to the physical effects caused by your changing hormones. We offer treatments to ease hot flashes, painful intercourse, and weight gain.
Once you’ve passed through menopause, your well-woman exam focuses on health problems that become more front-and-center, including heart disease, urinary incontinence, and osteoporosis.
The new year is the perfect time to schedule your well-woman exam. Call or use this website to set up your visit at Capital Women’s Care.
