Healthcare – Your Essential Gynae Visit Checklist
Posted on | November 21, 2009 | No Comments
I’ts one appointment you dread and in the rush to get out of your gynaecologist’s office, you may miss out discussing potentially crucial health issues from cancer tests to sexual satisfaction. Use this checklist and your next annual check – up will be more relaxed and informative.
List Your Thoughts.
Being in a sterile room amidst shiny, sometimes obscene – looking instruments, it’s natural to feel anxious during your gynae visit. You may even forget what you’ve planned to discuss, so note down all your concerns and queries before your next check – up.
Patients tend to get flustered and tense during their gynae check – up. They may have a lot of questions they want to ask before the visit but during consultation, they draw a blank and leave with questions unanswered.
Keeping a diary of unusual symptoms as well as complaints is helpful. Things to note down depend on what the presenting problem is. For example, if there is a menstrual disorder, then the frequency of menses, amount of bleeding, number of pads used in a day, associated pain, and type of medication taken would be useful information for the doctor.
Bring Records.
If you’ve doctor – hopped, be sure to bring past medical records to your new gynae. Knowing your medical history allows the doctor to give you proper care. Further – more, medical records, especially of Pap tests or biopsy results, can help you avoid repeat tests or misdiagnoses. Take, foe example, Pap test results: As cervical cancer is usually slow – growing, some doctors adopt a wait – and – see approach after one inconclusive Pap; if your next Pap is normal, you won’t need further treatment. But if your records aren’t seen by your new doctor, she will not know about your prior abnormal Pap and may not be overly alarmed by your second abnormal results.
The best thing to do is to keep at least two years’ worth of gynae – related records. Test results and scans are usually returned to the patient. Be sure to file them as you will need them for future reference. For a formal medical report, some doctors charge a reporting fee depending on how complicated the report is.
Know The Basics.
Each check – up lasts 20 to 30 minutes. It should include history taking, physical breast exam, manual pelvic exam, and an ultrasound of pelvic organs to check for cysts or fibroids.
If you’re under 30, get a Pap test to check for cervical cancer. If you’re older and have had abnormal test results, you’ll need to get one annually too. Otherwise you need one every two to three years.
During a Pap test, a spatula or brush is used to scrape the cervix. The cells are then transferred onto a slide for a lab examination.
Tell The Truth.
Women are known to lie about whether they’re sexually active, the number of pregnancies they have had, or whether they’re had an abortion. But honesty is the best policy if you want a healthy relationship with your gynae.
What Your Gynae Wants To Know.
- The Start Date Of Your Last Period.
Everything your gynae is concerned with – from breast lumps to vaginal secretions – is linked to hormones released by your ovaries; what’s normal at one time of the month may not be so at other times. This info could suggest a missed period, pregnancy or tubal pregnancy. - Your Medical History.
If you won’t recall when you had that cyst removed or the name of the Pill that gave you nausea by the time of your next gynae visit, note it down. Keep a medical diary and bring it along. - Your Family’s Medical History.
Instead of saying in passing that your aunt has this illness that her daughter has too, get proper info, so your gynae will do the proper screenings when you’re pregnant.
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