Wellness Test For Women

Women’s Health Wellness and Sexuality

As a women ages many changes take place within the body:

-Thyroid changes
-Increased risk of high cholesterol
-Heart disease
-Vitamin and Mineral deficiency
-Drop in iron levels

Just as you think nothing else can go wrong, menopause begins.

What Are the Stages of Menopause?

Menopause is a gradual process. The events proceeding and following menopause amount to a huge change for women both physically and socially. Physically, this process has four stages:

1) Premenopause. Although some doctors may refer to a 32 year-old woman in her childbearing years as premenopausal, this is not really an appropriate label. The term premenopause ideally refers to women on the cusp of menopause. Their periods have just started to get irregular, but they do not yet experience any classic menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes or vaginal dryness. A woman in premenopause is usually in her mid-to-late 40s. If your doctor tells you that you're premenopausal, you might want to ask him or her how he or she is using this term.

2) Perimenopause. This term refers to women who are in the thick of menopause. Their cycles may be erratic, and they may begin to experience hot flashes and vaginal dryness. On average, women are about 47 when they hit the perimenopause stage.

3) Menopause. This refers to your final menstrual period. You will not be able to pinpoint your final period until you've been completely free from periods for one year. Then, you count back to the last period you charted, and that date is the date of your menopause. Note: After more than one year of no menstrual periods due to menopause, any vaginal bleeding is now considered abnormal.

4) Posttmenopausal. This term refers to the last third of most women's lives, ranging from women who have been free of menstrual periods for at least one year to women celebrating their 100th birthday and beyond. In other words, once you're past menopause, you'll be referred to as postmenopausal for the rest of your life.

When menopause occurs naturally, it tends to take place anywhere between the ages of 48 and 52, but it can occur as early as your late 30s, or as late as your mid-50s. When menopause occurs before 35, it is considered premature menopause, which means genetically predetermined. Here is a list of the most common signs and symptoms.

-Mood swings
-Decreased sex drive
-Hot flashes
-Sweating
-Racing heart (palpitations)
-Headaches
-Vaginal dryness and soreness
-Trouble sleeping
-Bone thinning (osteoporosis)

It is very important at this time in a women’s life she takes control and monitor for any changes. Here is a list of some of the recommended blood tests:

CBC (complete blood count)
Lipid Panel
Thyroid Panel with TSH
Hepatic Function Panel
Iron
Uric Acid
C-Reactive Protein
Homocysteine
CA-125
IGF-1
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin
Testosterone, Free and Total
Estradiol

For details, or to purchase any of these tests simply click on the test name for the link to the test page. Or, you can visit the LabSafe home page at www.labsafe.com

For more information, or to speak with a member of our professional Medical Staff, call LabSafe toll free at 1-888-333-LABS.