What happens during a well woman exam?
Your well woman exam is an annual physical that focuses on health issues affecting women. A women’s physical exam also includes screenings for health conditions specific to women. Dr. Gaskill often recommends a:
- Pap test, to look for early signs of cervical cancer
- Breast exam, to assess changes in your breasts and look for abnormal growths
- Pelvic exam, to look for signs of abnormality in your reproductive organs
Dr. Gaskill may suggest other screenings, such as a bone density test and a mammogram.
What tests are performed at a well woman exam?
Dr. Gaskill recommends a series of diagnostic tests to look for signs of cancer, bone loss, and other health issues. These tests include:
Pap smear
Dr. Gaskill takes a small swab of your cervical cells to look for signs of cancer.
Breast cancer screening
A breast exam checks for unusual growths in your breasts, and is performed every 1-3 years, depending on your age. Dr. Gaskill also may recommend an annual mammogram after age 40.
Colon cancer screening
Dr. Gaskill may recommend a colonoscopy after age 50. A colonoscopy is an outpatient medical test to examine your rectum and lower bowel for abnormalities and signs of cancer.
Dr. Gaskill may suggest additional tests to screen for conditions like high cholesterol, diabetes or osteoporosis. If you are experiencing signs of menopause, you can discuss treatment options with her during your well woman exam.
How is menopause treated?
It’s common to lose estrogen during perimenopause and menopause. Dr. Gaskill may recommend tests to assess the level of estrogen and other hormones in your body.
If the tests show your hormones are out of balance, she often suggests bioidentical hormone replacement, which uses plant-based hormones to replace the hormones your body no longer makes. Unlike synthetic hormones, bioidentical hormones are molecularly identical to your body’s natural hormones.
You can take bioidentical hormones in a number of convenient ways, including pellets inserted under your skin. The pellets release hormones over time.
Bioidentical hormone replacement offers many health benefits, based on the type of hormone your body lacks:
- Estrogen: helps alleviate vaginal dryness, mood swings, hot flashes, and night sweats
- Progesterone: helps ease anxiety and promote a good night’s sleep
- Testosterone: helps improve your sex drive, energy, muscle strength, brain fog, anxiety, and depression
If it has been more than a year since your last well woman exam, make an appointment with Leslie S. Gaskill, M.D., today. Call or book a consultation online.
