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| Wise and Wonderful: The Mature Woman
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| Many
women look and feel their best at midlife. While it's true that your
body is changing, this natural process can be your stepping-stone
to a healthy future, depending on the choices you make now. Learn
as much as you can about this life stage and use this knowledge to
do what's best for you. Here are some tips to get you started: |
| SAFETY |
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Continue to be safety conscious; for example,
always buckle up in the car. |
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Use condoms to reduce risk of sexually
transmitted diseases. |
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Learn the early-warning signs of heart attack and stroke in women. Call 911 immediately if you notice symptoms.
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Take medications exactly as prescribed, don't
use anyone else's prescriptions and inform your health care professional and pharmacist of all medications you are taking.
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| NUTRITION AND EXERCISE |
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Eat
fruits, vegetables, whole grains and complex carbohydrates such as
pasta, cereal and beans daily. Consume foods containing omega-3 fatty
acids, such as salmon, albacore tuna and walnuts, and soy-rich foods
such as tofu. Avoid foods high in saturated fat. |
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Get
between 1,000 and 1,200 mg of calcium and 400 to 800 international
units (IU) of vitamin D daily (for calcium absorption). Also take
B-complex vitamins to help fight osteoporosis and heart disease. |
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Walk
or do other aerobic activity on most days of the week for 30 to 60
minutes. Lift weights regularly to increase muscle strength and bone
density. Talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise regime. |
| WELLNESS |
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Get
checkups annually and health screenings as appropriate. |
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Discuss
any menopausal symptoms you may experience with your health care professional.
Irregular menstrual periods, hot flashes, mood changes, vaginal dryness
and insomnia are common symptoms. If your symptoms become overwhelming,
a variety of treatment options are available. Ask your health care
professional for guidance. |
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Stay physically active and connected to friends and activities you enjoy. |
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Quit smoking. Discuss nicotine replacement
therapy products and self-help programs with your doctor. |
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Seek a second medical opinion if you need surgery or treatment for a chronic illness.
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Sources:
National Women's Health Resource Center; the National Osteoporosis
Foundation; and the American Heart Association |
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| Women's Health Screening Guidelines |
| Continue preventive health screenings as you age. These guidelines are for women at low risk for conditions associated with the screenings suggested. If you are at high risk for a condition, such as diabetes, your health care professional may recommend other screening tests possibly at
more frequent intervals.
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| TYPE OF TEST/ WHEN & HOW OFTEN |
| Blood pressure reading:
Every two years for women over age 21; more frequently if borderline-high or high blood pressure is indicated, or if there is a history of high blood pressure. |
| Bone
mineral density test: Routine screenings are recommended for premenopausal
women who have risk factors for osteoporosis and for all women over
65. |
| Breast examination:
Women ages 20 to 39* should have their breasts examined by their doctor every three years and once a year beginning at age 40. |
| Cholesterol
check: All women age 20 or older should have a fasting lipoprotein
profile every five years or more often if there is a family history
of high cholesterol. |
| Colon cancer screening:
Beginning at age 50, women should have an annual fecal occult blood test and a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years; women with a family history of colon cancer or polyps should ask their doctor when and how often to have screenings.
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| Dental checkups: Adult women should have their teeth cleaned and examined twice a year by their dentist or dental hygienist. |
| Hearing
test: Between ages 18 and 49, women should have a hearing test
every 10 years; at age 50, discuss with your doctor how often hearing
tests should be done. |
| Mammography:
Women ages 40 and older should have a mammogram every year. |
| Pap
test: Get tested every year within three years of becoming sexually
active but no later than age 21. Women age 30 and older at low risk
for cervical cancer may be tested every two to three years after three
normal Pap tests in a row. At age 70 and older, women may choose to
stop Pap tests if they have had three or more normal Pap test results
in a row and no abnormal results in the past 10 years. |
| Pelvic examination:Any woman who is or has ever been sexually active should have a pelvic exam every year until age 70.
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| Skin examination: Visual inspection of the skin for abnormal or precancerous conditions should be done every three years between ages 20 to 40, and yearly for women age 40 and older. Skin self-exams should also be performed monthly. |
| Vision examination: Women ages 40 to 64 should have routine eye exams every two to four years; after age 65, exams should be yearly. |
| *
Most major medical organizations continue to support clinical breast
examination in cancer screening guidelines; however, several organizations
no longer include breast self-examination (BSE) as an early detection
strategy in their guidelines because research has not demonstrated
that BSE saves lives. |
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Sources:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality;American Cancer Society; American College of Obstetricians and
Gynecologists;American Academy of Family Physicians; American Heart Association; American Academy of Ophthalmology; American Geriatric Society; American Medical Association; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; National Cancer Institute; National Women's Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
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