senior care services to take some of the burden

Posted on: 14 October 2015

Are you an adult woman? Are you wondering whether it's worth it to try to find a gynecologist or if you should simply continue seeing only your general practitioner? While your general doctor can help you with many things, also seeing a doctor who focused on gynecology in school can be an asset. One of the best reasons to visit a gynecologist is for specialized cancer screenings. Here are some of the different types of cancer that they may look for:

Vaginal cancer: Perhaps one of the most well-known potential risk factors for getting vaginal cancer is being infected by the human papilloma virus. Although there is now a vaccine, you may be old enough to have become infected by this virus before the vaccine came out. Another risk factor, one that you may not have known about, is having had a hysterectomy. Some symptoms of vaginal cancer include pain, excessive bleeding and abnormal lumps or growths in the vagina. Since not everyone experiences the exact same list of symptoms, it's important for your gynecologist to set up regular cancer checks, especially if you have a family history of cancer or multiple risk factors.

Endometrial cancer: While you may have heard of vaginal cancer and you have certainly heard of breast cancer, chances are that you may not have heard of endometrial cancer. It is, however, the fourth most common cancer in women. Because it affects a woman's uterus, often necessitating a hysterectomy, it can be a seldom-discussed and taboo topic. It is most commonly found in women in their 50s and 60s, but around a fourth of the cases are in women who have yet to hit menopause. Because endometrial cancer symptoms can be extremely similar to the symptoms of painful, but non-cancerous, endometriosis, the signs may be ignored by some women until it's too late. A doctor whose focus is gynecology can help you to determine whether or not your pain is a result of cancer or if you only need to be treated for endometriosis.

Ovarian cancer: Ovarian cancer is another type of cancer that can have very vague and confusing symptoms. Although ovarian cancer can cause pain, you may simply feel bloated or unable to eat a full meal. While you may be tempted to dismiss these symptoms as unimportant, a constant feeling of being bloated or needing to urinate much more frequently than usual can be important reasons to visit your gynecologist. Although you may initially feel silly for setting up a doctor's appointment because you're no longer able to finish lunch, a cancer is more easily treated the sooner it gets detected. If it turns out to be nothing, you won't have to deal with the nagging doubt that you might have had if you didn't set up the appointment at all.

For professional gynecological services, contact a company such as Central Iowa OB/Gyn Specialists, PLC.