There are different schools of thought on how often you should visit your OBGYN, and though one side recommends that you pay your doctor a visit once a year, the other side suggests that such frequency may not be necessary. The common ground, however, is that the frequency of OBGYN visits should depend on your overall health, as well as your personal history with gynecological health matters. It also varies among women, as every woman has different needs, and of course depends on age as well.
Age
Here are some recommendations based on age that may help you determine how often you should see your OBGYN, and for what services:
- Younger than 21: Start building a relationship with your OBGYN to feel comfortable asking them any questions.
- 21-29: You should receive a General Women’s Wellness Exam that includes a Pap smear and a pelvic exam once a year.
- 30-65: It is suggested to have a pelvic exam every year, and a Pap smear every other year unless otherwise suggested by your doctor. You should also have an HPV test done at least every 5 years.
- 65 and older: As long as you have had no history of precancerous cells or cervical cancer, you do not need to have Pap smears done. If you have undergone hysterectomy you also do not need a Pap test unless you have had a reproductive cancer in the past.
Other Factors
Though a Pap smear or a pelvic exam may not be necessary every year, keep in mind that the frequency of your OBGYN visits depends on other health factors as well. For example, if you are noticing that your gynecological health is out of the ordinary—such as excessive bleeding, or too little bleeding, abnormal pain, vaginal pain or discomfort, changes in menstrual cycle—you should consult your doctor and schedule a visit even if you are not due for one.
You should also reconsider the frequency of your visits to your OBGYN if it is suggested by your primary physician, if your overall health needs attention, and depending on how sexually active you are. If you are not having a Pap smear and have no other worrisome symptoms, some schools of though suggest that having a pelvic exam done may not be necessary. However, you should remember that a pelvic exam, along with other tests, can detect ovarian cancer early and provides a screening for sexually transmitted infections.
Preventive Reasons
In addition to the age factor and other reasons you may, or may not, need to visit your OBGYN you should be aware of the following, which are preventive services:
- Anemia screening
- Contraception and prenatal care
- STIs and HIV screening
- Diabetes Screening
- UTI screening
- Breast Cancer genetic test and mammography
- Osteoporosis screening
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Pregnant women have unique health needs, as the foods they eat are the main source of nutrients for a growing baby. To cultivate healthy eating during pregnancy, it is important for pregnant women to plan in terms of vitamins and minerals and include foods that meet their unique nutritional needs, while limiting or avoiding certain processed foods, meats, and cheeses.
Foods to avoid:
For starters, pregnant women should avoid: refrigerated meat spreads; unpasteurized juices or milk; store-made salads (chicken, egg, tuna); unpasteurized soft cheeses (brie, feta, blue); raw sprouts; raw fish or refrigerated uncooked seafood (sushi, nova-style, lox, kippered, smoked, jerky); processed meats (hot dogs, deli meats); and certain cooked fish (shark, swordfish, king mackerel).
While fish and shellfish provide many important nutrients, such as iron and omega-3 fatty acids, pregnant women should be careful about both the type and frequency of seafood ingestion. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Women’s Health recommends the following guidelines:
- Avoid fish high in mercury, such as swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel, and shark
- Eat up to six ounces per week of canned albacore or chunk white tuna
- Eat up to 12 ounces per week of cooked fish and shellfish including shrimp, crab, clams, oysters, scallops, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, catfish, cod, and tilapia
Healthy foods to eat:
During pregnancy, women need increased levels of folic acid, iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin B12. Specifically, pregnant women need 400 to 800 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid, 27 mg of iron, 1,000 mg of calcium, 770 mcg of vitamin A, 600 international unit (IU) and 2.6 mcg of vitamin B12. While taking supplements may help to reach these nutrient levels, it is preferable to consume vitamins and minerals through foods as certain supplements can contain higher than recommended levels of nutrients, which can be harmful to pregnant women.
To achieve healthy eating during pregnancy, see the list below of suggested foods per nutrient type especially important for pregnant women. This is not an exhaustive list but rather a starting point to help women plan a healthy diet for themselves and their babies.
Folic Acid/Folate
- Whole grains
- Avocados
- Eggs
- Beets
- Asparagus
- Leafy greens
- Legumes (lentils, peas, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, peanuts)
- Citrus fruits
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Nuts and seeds
- Bananas
Iron
- Seafood (see specific seafood guidelines for pregnancy above)
- Legumes
- Broccoli
- Dark, leafy greens
- Lean meat
- Quinoa
- Nuts and seeds
- Tofu
- Dark chocolate
Calcium
- Dairy products
- Broccoli
- Dark, leafy greens
- Collard greens
- Soy beans
- Bok choy
- Oranges
- Seafood
- Legumes
Vitamin A
- Sweet potatoes
- Broccoli
- Dark, leafy greens
- Carrots
- Black-eyed peas
- Red bell pepper
- Mango
- Melon
- Apricots
- Tomatoes
- Pumpkin seeds
- Berries
Vitamin D
- Dairy products
- Fish liver oil
- Salmon
- Tuna
*Note: Vitamin D is the hardest nutrient to get solely from foods. A vitamin D supplement is recommended.
Vitamin B12
- Beef
- Chicken
- Seafood
- Dairy products
- Fortified breakfast cereal
- Eggs
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Menopause is something only old ladies get, right? At the very least, it’s something your grandmother or your mom goes through.
Actually, approximately 1 in every 1000 women between the ages of 15-29 and 1 in every 100 women between the ages of 30-39 develop premature menopause—that is, menopause that occurs before the age of 40.
Women may hit menopause early due to genetics, illness, or medical procedures. Some common genetic conditions that cause it include a history of the condition among the women in your family or an autoimmune condition such as hypothyroidism, Crohn’s disease, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. But in the vast majority of cases, the cause can’t be found.
Illnesses and medical procedures that can bring on premature menopause include:
- Chemotherapy or pelvic radiation treatments for cancer. These treatments can damage the ovaries and cause your periods to stop.
- Surgery to remove the ovaries. Surgical removal of both ovaries causes menopause right away. A woman’s periods will stop after this surgery, and her hormones drop quickly.
- Surgery to remove the uterus. Some women who have a hysterectomy are able to keep their ovaries, but because their uterus is removed, they no longer have their periods. The surgery can sometimes affect the blood supply to the ovaries, too. Menopause may not be immediate but often occurs a year or two earlier than expected.
How do I know if I have early menopause?
If you are under the age of 40 and haven’t had your period for 12 months in a row, talk to your doctor. The first thing to discuss is whether you’ve had signs like hot flashes, sleep problems and vaginal dryness. The next step is to run some blood tests that can measure estrogen and related hormones. Because your hormone levels change daily, you may need to be tested more than once to know for sure.
Why should I worry about going through early menopause?
Just like any menopausal woman, women in premature menopause experience lowered estrogen levels as the ovaries stop most of their production of this hormone. And these low levels of estrogen can increase your risk for certain medical conditions, such as osteoporosis, colon and ovarian cancer, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth loss and cataract formation. Early menopause means you’ll spend a greater portion of your life without the protective benefits of your own estrogen.
Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello is a premier OB-GYN practice located in Western New York. We were established over 30 years ago with two generations of experience. If you’re worried about any changes you’re noticing in your cycle or your body, contact your doctor or call us here at Chouchani, Sayegh and Bagnarello at 716.633.6363. We’d be happy to discuss your symptoms with you.
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