What are women’s health issues?
Estrogen helps to regulate your menstrual cycle and causes women to experience unique health issues and conditions. Dr. Farah Khan treats women’s health issues associated with estrogen’s effects on your musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems and your brain. Some of the symptoms that often accompany women’s health issues include:
- Irritability and menstrual cramps associated with PMS
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
What happens during a women’s health examination?
It’s best to visit Millennium Park Medical Associates for your first women’s health exam when symptoms become an issue. Your provider will discuss your period, especially if it’s heavy, painful, or irregular.
Well-women exams begin around age 21 and include:
Pelvic exam
Dr. Khan looks for cysts and other issues by examining your vulva and the opening of your vagina. Your ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus are checked using a speculum to separate the walls of your vagina and gloved lubricated fingers.
Pap smear
Your doctor will also perform a Pap smear during your women’s health visit. This exam collects cells from your cervix and tests them for changes resulting from the sexually transmitted disease HPV.
Breast exam
When you visit Millennium Park Medical Associates for a women’s health exam, your doctor examines your breasts, nipples, and armpits. This clinical breast exam helps detect lumps in your breasts.
Mammogram
Through the use of a special X-ray, mammograms help detect breast cancer early by finding lumps too tiny to be felt during a clinical breast exam.
Your annual exam is an excellent time to talk to your provider about birth control and STD testing, as well as other issues related to women’s health and wellness, including:
- Disabilities and their unique challenges
- Osteoporosis and bone health
- Menopause
To discuss your women’s health issues, call or make an appointment online today at Millennium Park Medical Associates in The Loop and Lakeview in Chicago, Illinois
