Alexandria Immediate Care

Primary Care Physicians located in Alexandria, VA

Women are blessed with an extraordinary reproductive system capable of creating and nurturing life, but unfortunately, these incredible systems sometimes develop problems. The caring physicians at Alexandria Immediate Care provide outstanding, compassionate care for women living in Alexandria, Virginia, helping with an extensive range of women’s health issues that include menstruation, menopause, hormones, mental health problems, and well-woman screening. Call Alexandria Immediate Care today to find out more, or book your well-woman visit using the online booking tool.

571-308-6776

Women’s Health Q & A

What is women’s health?

While men and women are susceptible to many of the same health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and infections, there are also health conditions that only affect women because of their unique reproductive anatomy.

Women have more internal organs than men do because of their ability to conceive and carry a child. These organs are:

Uterus
Vagina
Ovaries
Fallopian tubes
Cervix
Vulva

All of these organs can develop problems and directly affect hormones throughout the body. Other systems, such as the urinary and digestive tracts, have differences as well because the pelvic area has to accommodate the reproductive organs.

What’s the best way to look after my health as a woman?

The keys to good health no matter your gender include:

Eating a nutritious, varied diet
Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
Getting plenty of exercise
Quitting smoking
Cutting down on alcohol intake
Learning to manage stress effectively

These actions form the core of good health and help protect you not only from problems specific to women but from serious diseases like cancer and stroke as well.

The other way in which you can safeguard your health is to visit Alexandria Immediate Care for a regular well-woman checkup, where your provider can make sure all your reproductive organs are healthy, and help you with any hormonal issues.

What happens at a well-woman exam?

After looking through your medical history and having a chat with you about your general state of health, your provider carries out an internal exam, checking your vulva, vagina, and cervix for any sign of infection or disease. The most common conditions that affect the female reproductive organs are:

Bacterial vaginosis
Endometriosis
Uterine fibroids
Ovarian cysts
Yeast infections
Chronic pelvic pain
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP)
Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Vaginal dryness

Also, you can discuss any problems you’re having, such as heavy or irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea (painful periods), or symptoms of menopause.

If you’re due for a Pap smear, your provider can carry this out at the same time, taking a sample of cells from your cervix to send for analysis at the lab. This is a vital measure in protecting you against cervical cancer, which is highly treatable if caught in the early stages, but potentially fatal if not picked up soon enough.

If you’re sexually active, your provider may recommend testing for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which don’t always exhibit symptoms. If you have any concerns about your general health, you can also raise these at your well-woman exam, including, emotional problems, headaches, digestive issues, or chronic pain.

To schedule a well-woman exam or discuss any concerns you have about your health, call Alexandria Immediate Care today, or book an appointment online.