Yearly exams are an essential part of your health; they can prevent the onset of serious diseases, help keep track of your well-being, and keep yourself healthy with your healthcare providers. Many disorders and illnesses have been discovered because of wellness exams and allow your doctors to measure your recovery progress. These exams create the foundations of medical research and science for new vaccines and help prevent the onset of a current disease from developing further. However, for many who take part in these exams, the question arises: is there a difference between men and women in how they’re examined? We’re here to say yes, and explain how.
Wellness Exams for Women
There are huge factors in how women function. Hormones, reproductive systems, life spans, and chromosomes impact how a person develops over time. Their family and medical history will also influence how the body develops over time in significant ways. Medical exams will generally consist of an overall body exam for women, checking in on the vital parts, including the lungs, throat, stomach, tendons, heart, etc. Other exams will focus specifically on women’s anatomy, including pap smears and breast cancer screenings, to check on the reproductive system.
When it comes to diseases that affect women, some disorders only affect that gender, while others that affect both genders can exhibit different symptoms. For instance, osteoporosis is a condition more often occurring in women due to the decrease in estrogen after menopause, and the thinner bone framework women have compared to men. These biological differences make women’s health all the more critical, especially considering how our current healthcare system treats women.
Wellness Exams for Men
For men, these differences also account for unique conditions and other aspects of their biological makeup. For instance, the prostate, which helps produce seminal fluid and lengthen the lifespan of sperm, can face disorders later on in life as men’s testosterone levels decrease. Men are also susceptible to heart disease, colon cancers, strokes, high blood pressure, and other conditions more so than women, or affect men differently. Mental health disorders are often left undiagnosed in men due to the social ideals surrounding men, and the reluctance to seek help according to their sense of masculinity.
For tracking medical history, exams such as a prostate exam, testicular cancer exams, colon cancer examinations, high blood pressure, and cholesterol examinations are particularly essential in keeping men’s health optimal. Among these exams, tracking medical history and family history can help keep these diseases in mind and help doctors find better treatment forms.
During a wellness exam, you’ll receive a checkup of your height, weight, blood pressure, and pulse to track vital functions and overall state. Vaccines, medications, and screenings will also be taken into account by your physician for discussing preventative health measures for concerns and issues present. A physician’s role in these cases is to begin the process of diagnosis and help treat conditions that affect everyone’s lives.
If you’re searching for a physician, contact Dr. Trang D Nguyen at Conroe Family Doctor in Conroe, TX, to schedule an appointment today.
High blood pressure can become a serious concern if left unchecked, but thankfully there are a number of options available for keeping it down. While the most common involves prescription medication, there are other steps you can take if you’re avoiding medicating your condition. Maintaining healthy blood pressure involves changes in your lifestyle, activity, and food choices. With diligence, you may be able to delay or reduce your need for medication. In some cases, you may be able to prevent the need for the medication entirely.
Steps You Can Take To Keep Your High Blood Pressure Under Control
As we gain weight, its common for our blood pressure to increase alongside it. Among the reasons for this is the increased risk of sleep apnea, a breathing condition that can cause our blood pressure to rise. Losing weight is a powerful tool in preventing our blood pressure from rising, with even small losses showing significant changes in blood pressure levels. On average losing, 2.2 pounds results in a drop of 1mm Hg in your blood pressure.
Regular Exercise Can Help
Along with losing weight, increasing how much exercise you get can have a profound impact on your blood pressure. Taking half an hour a day to exercise can show a reduction in your blood pressure of up to 8mm Hg if done consistently. Maintaining this exercise level will be essential to seeing lasting results, as your blood pressure can rise again if you stop. Walking, swimming, dancing, and jogging are all activities that can help.
Maintain A Healthy Diet
Given these last two tips, it should come as no surprise that diet fits right in with maintaining healthy blood pressure. Avoiding cholesterol and saturated fat, as well as consuming vegetables, fruits, grains, and low-fat dairy products, can see your blood pressure drop by up to 11mm Hg. If you want to learn more about the diet that helps with high blood pressure, check out the DASH diet. (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension).
Sodium Reduction
Some people who experience high blood pressure do so as the result of having sodium-sensitive hypertension. This means that they are given to developing high blood pressure if they consume high levels of salt. Patients who have this condition should reduce the amount of salt they consume below 2,300mg a day, though less than 1,500mg is ideal for most of us. You can help accomplish this goal by reading labels, reducing how many processed foods you eat, and not adding salt to your diet.
If you have high blood pressure and want to know more ways you can help prevent the need for medication to control it, call our offices today. Dr. Trang D Nguyen has been helping patients like you battle high blood pressure from their clinic in Conroe, TX. At Conroe Family Doctor, we’re proud to teach our patient family how to maintain their health and enjoy life to the fullest. Don’t let hypertension take control of your life, take steps to reduce it, and your dependence on medication to treat it. Call today!
Conroe Family Doctor-In these COVID-19 times we are still open for in office visits as well as telehealth visits! In these COVID-19 times make sure you are making your routine follow up appointments for existing conditions! Please give us a call at (936) 441-2012 to schedule an appointment today. Thank you, Stay Safe & Stay Healthy!
Conroe Family Doctor-We are open for in office visits as well as telehealth visits! Stay Safe, Stay Healthy in these times and make sure you are making your routine follow up appointments for existing conditions! Please give us a call at (936) 441-2012 to schedule an appointment today.
Your spinal column has a lot of responsibility, serving as the primary support for the structure of your body. Not only does it have to be resilient enough to keep you standing tall, but it also needs to have the flexibility to allow your body to move freely. With all that’s asked of it back, pain is a common experience for people of every age. From sore muscles and herniated discs to fractured vertebrae, there’s a host of reasons your back may be experiencing pain. In most cases, those who experience back pain have developed it over time.
What Causes Back Pain To Develop?
Throughout our lives, we can develop back pain gradually, or it can come on quite suddenly due to trauma. The most frequent source of back pain include repetitive motion, poor posture, and utilizing poor body mechanics when moving heavy loads. Back pain occurs when the spinal cord, a connected system of 24 vertebrae, moves out of alignment, develops problems with discs, or is otherwise negatively impacted.
A common source of back pain is the result of muscle strain. The spine is supported by muscle bands that can experience pain when overextended. This can be the result of accidents, sports, falls, any activity where the muscle can become overworked or stretched too far. Pregnancy also puts a remarkable strain on the spine, and back pain is a common result.
How Is Back Pain Diagnosed?
When you’re experiencing back pain, the first step is going to be speaking to Dr. Trang D Nguyen about it. The method of reaching a diagnosis will depend on how you describe your pain and how you experience it. Diagnosis methods can include:
X-Rays used to check bones for damage
CT or MRI’s can be used to check for herniated discs or other soft-tissue damage
Nerve and Muscle Damage is identified with EMG (Electromyogram)
Blood and Urine tests can identify kidney stones, infections, and other causes
The results of these tests will help identify the origin of your pain and provide information about the appropriate treatment steps to follow. Another factor that will determine what tests are done is how many times you’ve experienced this pain.
How Will my Back Pain be Treated?
Mild back pain often responds well to ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, or other over the counter medications. Ice packs and heating pads can also be applied to help ease occasional back pain. Chronic back pain may call for a firmer or softer mattress. In more severe cases, physical therapy or surgery will be called for. Dr. Nguyen will help you determine the proper next steps.
If you’re experiencing ongoing back pain, it’s time to schedule an appointment with Conroe Family Doctor in Conroe, TX. We’re proud to be serving our community with routine medical care in a family-oriented environment. Don’t let your back pain impact your quality of life, call us today to start getting answers that can help eliminate back pain and let you get back to living!
