Women’s Health And Fitness Day

Wednesday is Women’s Health and Fitness Day. This day raises awareness for women to schedule health screenings and check ups.

CRMC Primary Care Doctor Sarah Worley said routine medical work like cancer or risk factor screenings can save lives.

“One thing I always recommend to my patients is it’s always important to put your own health first because as women we tend to be the ones who try and take care of everyone else in the family,” Worley said. “If we’re not able to take care of our health it makes it hard for us to be able to take care of others in our family.”

Worley said screenings for women’s health is mostly based on age. She said women should routinely be screened for cervical, breast, and colon cancer. Risk factors to look after include high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes.

“The purpose of theses screenings is to find a disease before you ever have any signs or symptoms of the illness,” Worley said. “Often times when these diseases are found at an early stage with screenings, that’s the optimal time that we can do something about it.”

Through the pandemic, Worley said women are skipping their annual wellness exams and screenings.  She said higher rates of cancer cases are expected over the next few years due to missing crucial medical work.

Worley said patients should talk with their doctor about any possible medical conditions they could be at risk for.