If you are over 40 and giving yourself any of these easy outs, you could be headed for health trouble.
Improve Your Health Over 40
Until now, we may have been able to skate by on good luck and good genes. But when we turn 40, reality sets in. As Judi Chervenak, MD, of New York's Montefiore Medical Center, says: "Women should do everything possible to maximize their health before they start the menopause transition, because that is when the risk for so many chronic -- and life-threatening -- conditions increases."
It's time to stop avoiding checkups and the health advice we know, deep down, we should heed. Listen to what health experts told MORE are the most common excuses of patients over 40. We realize, even as we hear our own voices echoing those rationalizations, that we can no longer afford to believe them.
1."I don't need to see a doctor if I'm not sick."
"Skipping annual exams means you may be neglecting routine tests that might detect a problem early -- like a blood pressure check for hypertension or a lipid profile that could identify heart problems," Chervenak says. "Caught early, these conditions are not only more treatable, but often curable."
Even if you're feeling fine, now's the time to start monitoring your vital statistics. "Most women don't realize they begin the perimenopausal phase before they turn 50," says family practitioner Laura Burlen, MD, director of the Balencia Wellness Spa, in Luna Pier, Michigan. "Screening for high cholesterol, thyroid disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and bone loss should begin early so problems don't escalate." Getting screened in your early 40s gives your doctor a baseline -- a reference point to work from if you start experiencing symptoms later. In addition, Burlen says, establishing baseline hormone levels before they change significantly can greatly help you make the transition through menopause.
You should also start looking at medical tests differently. "Disease testing shouldn't be cookie-cutter medicine," Burlen says. "Discuss your risk factors with your physician to decide how often you need to be screened for various conditions, no matter what the guidelines say." For a basic template of recommended screening tests, go to the Web site of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
2. "It's probably just menopause -- it'll go away."
Think all that ails you can be chalked up to fluctuating hormones? "Such problems as fatigue, chest pain, and flushing could be hormone related, but they could also signal other medical conditions, including diabetic or cardiac issues, that should be actively pursued," Burlen says. "Menopausal women shouldn't minimize their symptoms." She also cautions that symptoms of thyroid disorders and parathyroid tumors can mimic those of menopause: insomnia, anxiety, distracted thoughts, and a racing heart. (A calcium blood test and a TSH blood test can screen for these problems.)
Many vague symptoms, such as headaches and fatigue, have benign causes like tension or allergies. Still, isn't it best to rule out catastrophic illness? "If you've already assumed the worst, things will most likely only improve after you've been examined by your doctor," says Dawn Calderon, DO, of the Deborah Heart and Lung Center, in Browns Mills, New Jersey. "You can put your mind at ease. Or if there's bad news, you can often fix things before they aren't fixable."
