Health Care Institute understands your health care needs, from preventive care to primary, specialty or hospital care. Our services for women include but are not limited to:

Cancer Screening

Breast cancer

Lower your risks by not smoking, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol use and controlling your weight. In your 20s and 30s, have clinical breast exams every three years, and at age 40, start getting yearly mammograms.

You may need earlier, more frequent screening if you have breast cancer in the family or other risk factors. Be sure to ingest enough vitamin D.

Cervical cancer

Get your periodic Pap test to screen for cervical cancer and ask about getting tested for HPV at the age 30. If your pap is normal and you do not carry HPV, you can space out pap smears of the cervix to every 5 years.

Colon cancer

Start screening with a colonoscopy at age 50. If it’s normal, repeat every 10 years.

Cardiovascular Disease / High Blood Pressure & Cholesterol

If cardiovascular disease runs in your family, or if your blood pressure or cholesterol levels are high, ask your doctor about taking medications to control blood pressure and cholesterol. Your doctor can also advise you about whether you’ll benefit from taking a daily aspirin. For women, this is usually by age 65.

Osteoporosis

To preserve bone mass, avoid all tobacco products, limit your alcohol intake, get adequate calcium and Vitamin D, and do weight-bearing exercises such as walking. Risks of bone fragility are greatest after menopause, so supplement your diet with 1,200 mg of calcium plus at least 1,000 IU of Vitamin D3 starting at age 50.

Begin bone-mineral density screenings at age 65, or earlier if you have one or more risk factors (at age 50 if you’ve suffered a bone fracture.) Screening every two or three years will detect any bone-thinning, and you can take bone-building medications on a weekly, monthly or annual (intravenous) basis if needed.

Menopause

If lack of sleep, continuous hot flashes or severe mood swings are disrupting your life, consider menopausal hormone therapy. Your physician will guide you to the right hormone combination and best mode of administration. For many women, the benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risks.

Weight Management

Eat smaller portions and healthier foods, and exercise more as your metabolism slows down with age. This will help prevent type 2 diabetes, arthritis and other weight-related problems.

Many medical problems can be controlled with relative ease by eating well, exercising regularly, protecting the skin from sun damage, taking the right vitamins and supplements and staying actively involved in life as you work with your physician to design a personalized regimen.