Prioritize Women's Health on Mother's Day and beyond
Baptist Health Paducah wants to empower all women to show themselves some love by prioritizing their health.
(PADUCAH, KY) May 11 - Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate the love and sacrifices all moms make for their families. However, their health should not be one of these sacrifices. Oftentimes, moms are too busy caring for others that they forget to care for themselves. This May, for both Mother’s Day and Women’s Health Month, Baptist Health Paducah wants to empower all women to show themselves some love by prioritizing their health.
Annual wellness visits are crucial to prioritizing one’s health. At these visits, screenings are performed to ensure everything looks normal, and if not, to aide in early detection. “Staying on top of appropriate screenings can help find certain diseases or cancer early,” said Baptist Health Medical Group Primary Care provider J. Eric Fleming, MD. “If you are able to detect issues early, there can be more treatment options and improved survival rates.”
There are age-specific tests that may not be needed every year, as well as specific tests just for women. Baptist Health has put together a complete guide of women’s screenings for each age group below.
18-39 years old
Annual health screenings at this age are often missed due to busy work and family lives, however, it is important that young women see their primary care provider annually to ensure early detection and overall health.
Annual screenings for this age group include weight and height, blood pressure, cholesterol check, skin screening, historical illness screenings, diabetes screenings, immunizations, depression screenings and blood work.
Extra screenings for women in this group include a cervical cancer screening (pap smear) every three years and a breast exam.
40-69 years old
Screenings for women in this age range will continue annually based on medical history. It is important for women to work with a primary care provider to determine when they should begin these screenings and how often they need to be performed.
Screenings needed for these individuals include a mammogram (age 40 and up), pelvic exam, colorectal screening (age 50 and up), colonoscopy (age 45 and up), lung cancer screenings (if a past smoker) and a mental health assessment.
65 years and older
Many tests that were optional in other age ranges, will become recommended by age 65 and more readily covered by insurance companies. The screenings for this age group will be decided upon in partnership with the patient and their primary care provider.
Extra screenings for women in this age group are an Osteoporosis screening with bone measurement to prevent osteoporotic fractures.
Annual health screenings are your opportunity to take control of your health and work with your provider to make shared decisions. If you don’t currently have a primary care provider, Baptist Health Medical Group has many providers in Paducah and surrounding areas.
Dr. Fleming is accepting new patients at Baptist Health Medical Group Primary Care located at 4620 Village Square Drive. To schedule an appointment, call 270.442.8575. To learn more about Baptist Health Medical Group Primary Care locations and providers, visit Primary Care Providers | Baptist Health Paducah, KY.