HEALTH TESTS

HEALTH TESTS

You need to take in your 30s

By Karen Kwan

1. CA-125 TEST

What is it? A blood test that measures levels of a specific protein, conducted along with a pelvic exam and a transvaginal ultrasound, to help determine whether your persistent symptoms are related to ovarian cancer.
When to get it: According to Ovarian Cancer Canada, see your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms for more than three weeks: abdominal bloating, pelvic discomfort, back pain, fatigue, nausea, indigestion, menstrual irregularities or a significant change in your weight.

2. GLAUCOMA & CATARACT TESTS

What are they? To test for glaucoma (eye disease that damages the optic nerve), an ophthalmologist measures the intraocular pressure and examines the retina and optic nerve. Testing for cataracts includes examining where the natural lens resides with a microscope called a slit lamp.
When to get them: Start booking annual eye exams starting in your 30s if you notice a change in your vision or have a strong family history of glaucoma or cataracts, says Dr. Sheldon Herzig, medical director of the Herzig Eye Institute in Toronto. Think you’re too young for cataracts? Think again. They can develop at any age.

3. BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVEL TEST

What is it? A blood test to check your cholesterol levels to help determine your risk of heart disease (often conducted along with other tests such as blood pressure measurements and screening for Type 2 diabetes).
When to get it: Marco Di Buono, director of research for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, says you should begin talking to your physician about your heart health in your mid-30s. Make it even earlier—in your late 20s—if you have a family history or are of South Asian descent. Two main risk factors? Family history of heart disease and the type of diet and lifestyle you maintain.

4. DEPRESSION SCREENING

If your doctor doesn’t ask about your mental health during your annual checkup, initiate the conversation, says Dr. Suvercha Pasricha, deputy clinical director at the women’s mental health program at Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Women are at higher risk of depression during specific life stages, including during childbearing years. “If you’ve experienced for at least two weeks a low mood, feelings of guilt, low energy or your sleep and appetite patterns have changed, talk to your family doctor about it,” says Dr. Pasricha.

5. THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE TEST

What is it? A test for thyroid disease that measures the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the blood.
When to get it: Starting at the age of 35, women should get the TSH test every five years. Talk to your doctor at any age, says Dr. Norman C.W. Wong, professor of medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Calgary, if you are experiencing symptoms such as increased heart rate, weight loss, hand tremors and persistent sweating (signs of hyperthyroidism, or an overactive thyroid) or fatigue, weight gain, depression, dry skin and brittle hair (symptoms of an underactive thyroid, aka hypothyroidism). Just had a baby? Women often experience thyroid dysfunction after giving birth.

"Health Tests" has been edited for FLARE.com; the complete story appears in the September 2009 issue of FLARE.

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