You’re busy, and if you’re feeling well, it’s easy to push your annual well-woman visit to the bottom of your to-do list. However, many women’s health issues don’t cause symptoms in their early stages. Preventive health screenings are the best way to catch these diseases early and treat them before they interfere with your life.
Here at Apple Hill Gynecology, in York, Pennsylvania, Marsha D. Bornt, MD, Donna Lamson, CRNP, MSN, WHNP-BC, and their all-women team encourage all patients to schedule their annual well-woman exams and prioritize their health.
In addition to providing essential health screenings, our team offers comprehensive care for women of all ages. Here are just some of the issues we can diagnose and treat to help you lead a healthy and fulfilling life.
Cancer is often insidious, developing gradually and not causing symptoms in its early stages when it’s more easily treated. During your well-woman exam, we perform Pap smears as necessary to screen for cervical cancer. We also provide pelvic and breast exams to check for abnormal lumps that you might not feel yourself. If we discover anything suspect during your exam, we can order additional testing such as biopsies to confirm your diagnosis.
Your birth control needs can change throughout your life. You might find that oral contraceptives cause intolerable side effects. Or maybe you’re getting ready to start a family and need to stop taking hormone-based contraceptives and restore your regular menstrual cycles. We provide customized advice to help you choose the best birth control to fit into your lifestyle and family planning needs.
We review your sexual health and habits each year to make sure we provide tailored advice to help keep you safe and healthy. For example, you might benefit from an STD screening, a conversation about barrier methods of contraception, and other sexual health counseling.
Menopause might officially occur when you haven’t had a period for 12 months, but your hormones can fluctuate and cause disruptive symptoms for years prior to this point. Most women begin to experience perimenopause in their 40s, although some may start as early as their 30s. If you notice any changes in your wellbeing or signs of declining estrogen, such as hot flashes, insomnia, weight gain, or irritability, talk to your provider about your concerns during your annual well-woman exam.
We might focus on your reproductive health, but we often identify other health issues during your annual well-woman exam. For example, we might notice weight gain, increased blood pressure, or mood changes. We ask about your health concerns and discuss any changes we detect. Depending on your needs, we can provide treatment or medication or recommend that you schedule an appointment with your primary care provider to follow up on health changes.
Call our office, or make an appointment online today if you’re due for your annual well-woman exam. Our team offers comprehensive, compassionate care to help you protect and maintain your health.
