The medical world has made some incredible advancements throughout the last few centuries. Technology and science have helped to develop medical devices, treatments, and medicines that offer great solutions for health. However, nothing—not even telehealth—can match the valuable experience of having a well woman exam in person. Well woman exams, also referred to as gynecological or pelvic exams—are routine checkups done by healthcare providers in order to assess a woman’s overall health. Chambers Health offers opportunities for great medical care, including getting a well woman exam at one of their facilities in Chambers and Liberty County. Read on to learn more about what your healthcare provider is looking for at a well woman exam:

• Medical history: Similar to a routine annual checkup, at a well woman exam, your provider will go over your medical history with you. For an exam like this, the review of medical history should include details like your menstrual cycles, past surgeries, pregnancies, and health concerns.

• Vital signs: Your provider should check blood pressure, blood oxygen level and heart rate during this exam. Ensuring these numbers are within normal ranges is essential. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and it tends to make the heart work harder than normal. For women, heart health and blood pressure management have become increasingly important. Without proper treatment high blood pressure can scar and damage arteries, leaving women at risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, or fatty buildups in the arteries. A higher heart rate is associated with high blood pressure. For women, pregnancy, birth control, and menopause can all be factors that contribute to having higher blood pressure. Communicating with your provider about these numbers can be life-saving.

• Breast exams: During a well woman exam, your healthcare provider should examine your breasts for things like lumps, changes in shape or size, or any other issues. Breast cancer has become one of the most common cancers that affects women. These exams can help to detect problems early on. While you should be conducting self-exams at home, being able to communicate with your healthcare provider regarding changes or concerns about breast exams is so important. If necessary, your healthcare provider may recommend an annual mammogram.

• Pelvic exam: A pelvic exam is done in order to check the health of your reproductive organs. Your healthcare provider will examine your uterus, ovaries, cervix, and vagina to check for any abnormalities. There are both external and internal components to this exam. Healthcare providers look for things such as ovarian cysts, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or other infections, uterine fibroids, or even early stage cancers. If you’re a sexually active woman, STI treatment and prevention can be part of the discussion for this exam. A pelvic exam is quite different from a pap smear, but they are both necessary parts of women’s health and wellness.

• Pap smear: A pap smear is a test that checks for abnormal cells in a woman’s cervix. These cells are sent for testing. An abnormal result indicates that there are abnormal cell changes on your cervix. Healthcare providers are looking to help prevent and treat issues such as cervical cancer or HPV, and pap tests can help with this routine test. Recommendations vary, but usually women get these annually or every 3 to 5 years.

• Reproductive health: During a well woman exam, healthcare providers may do a physical examination of your pelvic organs, including your uterus and ovaries. This can check the size and shape of your organs as well as note any tenderness or other issues. If you’re a sexually active woman, it’s a good idea to discuss things like birth control options, fertility concerns, safe sexual practices, and any general reproductive health issues with your healthcare provider.

While the components of each patient’s well woman exam may vary, it is wise to have clear communication with your provider about what you can expect during your exam.

The women’s health services in Chambers and Liberty County provide well woman care that includes family planning, mid-life, and menopause care. Providers at OmniPoint are focused on each patient’s needs, making well woman exams personalized. Chambers Health offers world class care with home town service throughout locations in Chambers and Liberty County. In addition to annual well-woman exams, breast exams, contraceptive counseling, pelvic exams, and pap smears, our health system has many more services to help women as they seek to achieve optimal wellness. Some of these services include more specialized care such as bladder care, blood analysis, colposcopy, contraceptive implant, endometrial biopsies, hormone therapy, urinalysis, and pre-menopausal, peri-menopausal, and menopausal evaluations.

Chambers Health aims for excellence in medical care while maintaining personalized, caring service for well woman exams and all health services. The providers at Chambers keep compassion, ownership, unity, respect, and trust as their core values. Make an appointment to start on a journey to better your health: 281-576-0670.