Throughout her life, a woman goes through different hormonal processes that affect her physiology, morphology and mood. Each of these stages requires specific monitoring and treatment. We talked to Dr. Torrijo Rodrigo, a specialist in Gynecology and Obstetrics, about the importance for women of having a gynecological check-up at least once a year for a routine check-up.
What are the warning signs to go to the specialist?
In addition to these annual visits, there are certain symptoms for which a woman should consult her gynecologist. These are detailed below:
- Irregularities in the menstrual cycle or sudden interruption of the period.
- Appearance of disorders: metrorrhagia (more abundant bleeding in quantity and duration), occurrence of intermenstrual bleeding…
- Very strong menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea).
- Pain or bleeding, during or after sexual intercourse.
- Abundant vaginal discharge, fluid or thick, with abnormal color or odor.
- Nodules in the breasts, abnormal discharge from the nipples, pain or alteration in the contour of the breasts (lumps, hardness, skin retractions…).
- Vulvar itching, irritation or redness.
- Pain or stinging when urinating or increased frequency of urination.
- Abnormal pain in the abdomen (severe cramping).
- Early detection and control of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) for timely treatment.
Why is it important to have a gynecological check-up?
The purpose of a visit to the gynecologist is, above all, the early diagnosis of possible diseases, which can be very serious or have important consequences for the woman’s reproductive health.
Some women are very strict with these consultations and others prefer to go as little as possible and cross their fingers so as not to be unlucky enough to suffer from any gynecological problem and find out once it is too late. Each woman is the owner of her actions, but even so, each woman should be aware of the risks to her health as a result of her decisions.