Health Screenings You Should Make Time For

In this episode, we delve into the important topic of health screenings and why making time for them should be a priority in our lives. As individuals, we often find ourselves caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily routines, neglecting our health until a problem arises. However, preventative care through regular screenings can be the key to early detection and intervention, potentially saving lives.

Picture a landscape where understanding your health baseline is the foundation for longevity, and where confronting the discomfort of transparency with your doctor is the first step to healing. As a black woman, I'm candid about the initial hesitance to share sensitive information and how breaking past that barrier can lead to empowerment and better health outcomes. From the value of blood pressure readings to the role of breast self-exams and cervical cancer screenings, this conversation is a testament to the power of knowledge and proactive care.

Let's tackle the myriad of health screenings with the courage of self-advocates. In this episode, I also talk about why keeping a medical journal is important and how it isn't just paperwork; it's self-empowerment. And understanding the importance of knowing your blood type goes beyond mere curiosity—it could be life-saving.

This episode tackles the wide range of screenings, from cholesterol and diabetes to dental and eye exams, stressing their interconnectedness with overall health.  

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to Tea with Tanya. I'm your host, tanya Ambrose, an average millennial navigating life as a maternal health professional, non-profit founder and wet student. Join me in the tea tasting mode, where we spill the tea and find and balance and promote a positive living while doing it all. Hey friend, welcome back to another episode of Tea with Tanya. It is always a pleasure, a joy and a privilege to be able to meet you back here in the tea tasting room every week as we continue on our health and wellness journey, as we continue to take our lives to the next level. You know we're in our elevation period, our elevation era, so it's always a pleasure to be in this tea tasting room with you. And today we're going to be talking about health screenings you should make time for. But before I get into that, I am not necessarily drinking any tea. You know, right now, on my ginger tea cake, because you know I'm a little bit, I'm seeing some bloating, because you know I'm at that point in my menstrual cycle right now. So I have been doing some ginger tea. But I want to share because I'm recording this episode after I would have returned from a trip that I took for school for one of my favorite classes this semester and that's my public health systems policy and leadership class. We had a we call it field experience, essentially and that was held in Hubcar, brittany, josh Johnson. So, carolina, and I'm so happy I got the privilege to go and we were able to explore the diverse coastal ecosystems, along with the you know it's, it's historical and cultural influences. We got to learn about Bernard Baruch and Belle Baruch, who essentially and I'm just going to leave that guy up to you guys for you guys to go and Google these people but you know what again, because I'm not going to share much about that, but definitely it was an amazing time.

Speaker 1: 1:51

I, if you don't know, I do go to school online for the most part. My health. I'm getting my MPH, my master's of public health and health services policy and management, and that is primarily online, and I also I'm getting my maternal child health certificate of graduate study as well. So I have that one class with that MPH program in person, but for the most part I've been online and every semester I have at least one class that meets in person. And, luckily, the amazing, my amazing classmates who I met and we were on this trip together with our, with our amazing professors. Some I've had classes with before, like in the spring semester, but however, it was only we only had a conversation, we only would talk in the class. Once that was done, it was I'm going, I'm going home, I'm going to work, while they're probably getting ready to go to the other class as well.

Speaker 1: 2:42

Because, also, I'm not realizing that I had to accept that, that growing up all my life, in primary school and high school, I was usually the youngest in the class and even at some points in my undergrad, but now I am. I'm on that spectrum, on that level where I'm now becoming the older, I'm the big sister in the class to some extent, of course, the other individuals who are older than me in the class as well, but within the I'm so used to being the youngest that now I'm not the youngest anymore. It did feel weird, but I love it and my classmates that I met. So I've had classes with online and, of course, some in person, but, again, like I said, that relationship only stayed when the class was over and I think for this trip, you know, getting to meet some of my classmates who are online and probably only would have heard my name or see my name on vice versa with them online. Being able to sit in person was what I needed to refill my cup. To be honest, the same thing with my professors. Of course, we've spoken by an email. That's basically what it is. You know, I'm also probably seeing your face from the modules that they would record about being able to be in that space with all these amazing scholars.

Speaker 1: 3:47

Like prior to this trip, I was a little bit emotional. I was how should I put it? I guess I would say I was emotionally and mentally stressed, or I don't know what I want to say, but I guess I'll just say that it was an emotional time, a stressful period, those few days prior to going on that trip, and I, honestly, was going to just pull out from the trip. But I'm like you know what? No, because I'm the kind of person like I always try to tell you whenever an opportunity presents itself, you better believe that I'm going to jump on that opportunity. I do not let an opportunity pass by, because you just never know who you're going to meet, what you're going to run into, what you can learn. So, as much as I was not feeling like myself, I and I wanted to remove myself from said trip. I was like you know what? No, I'm going to go on this trip. I'm going to learn, I'm going to get to network because one thing about me you know I'm going to network, I am going to network, you're going to have a podcast, you're going to have a nonprofit You're going to use, going to know as much as you possibly can. You're going to know I'm the island girl with the accent, like I always try to tell them. But anyway, nevertheless, you know, it was just an amazing time being able to be around with my classmates and, of course, I met some T with Tanya. Friends they were there and they're like, oh my gosh, I'm getting to me T with Tanya, it was. It was just. It was so funny and so cool Cause one of my classmates also showed up to a Shanti. She was telling me that as she was driving down cause the period from where we were in South Carolina to the place that we went to, hubcarabiner, it was like almost a two and a half hour drive for me, but it was also four hours for some people as well, depending on where in South Carolina they were coming from. And she was telling me that underway down she was listening to a T with Tanya podcast episode. So that was just so heartwarming and made me feel fuzzy inside to actually see that.

Speaker 1: 5:28

Sometimes, to be honest with you, when I I get intimidated, that imposter syndrome is coming up way too often for me. But, like I said, in 2023. We're not going to really deal or give imposter syndrome any sort of credit or any sort of energy. But, to be honest, sometimes it does happen and you know, when I started this podcast I always said that I would. If I can just touch one person or if one person can just listen to my podcast, you know I would have done my job, because that one person is going to tell that other person and then the other person is going to tell that other person and before you know it, I'm having a full tea tasting room of tea tasters listening to Tea with Tanya.

Speaker 1: 6:04

So it was just an amazing time seeing that, but also just being able to network and connect with again my fellow classmates and getting to know them on the level that we left that trip calling each other family. You know that bond and it reminded me of my time being in Girl Guys. It reminded me of my time when I did my study abroad as well, and just how I've, how I've been able to maintain these relations just with people who I don't get to see every day, but being on this trip, being able to talk to my professors so they can put a name or put a face to my name, talking about the work that I do, and just again, each other just pouring into each other. Like I said, my cup was dry, it was on the last drip honey, but being on that trip, it supercharged me, it refilled my cup and I'm just ready to tackle whatever I have, whatever I was putting off and just could not even deal with it. I am back at it because, let me tell you, I needed that my cup is filled to listen. It's running over, it's spilling over. So I hope that you're feeling this energy as I'm recording this episode and you can also probably be refilled from this episode.

Speaker 1: 7:05

So definitely that's my team being able to network, connect with my professors, with my older classmates, and just also learning again about the ecosystem, the coastal system down in Hubcar Barony as well. So that was amazing. Some really cool, interesting facts. I'm not necessarily going to link to that as well, if you're interested, if you know, you're looking at it, it's very, it's a tourist destination. I was like it's very historical. So if you're into history, just want to try something that you've never been before, definitely sure, check out Hubcar Barony in Georgetown. So Carolina and I'm going to give a special shout out to my school as well, the honor school of public health, for essentially sponsoring our trade, for covering everything of this magnitude.

Speaker 1: 7:45

I didn't know what to expect but nevertheless it exceeded whatever expectations I would have had. And you know I always tell you when you are. So we can use social media for good, or we can use it for something negative, or you can also become toxic. And that's the same thing with networking, and I'll do another episode because I'm already blabbing. But nevertheless, this trip, this two, three day trip that I was on, really showed me the power of networking, and I know I've spoken about networking on the podcast many episodes ago, but I thought in the back of my mind somehow I just thought it was key to network more as an undergrad, but I'm realizing that as a grad student that you really have to continue to network and you know you have peers, you're able to work with your professor. So again, being in this environment really, really did help me and just refill the cup that was running an empty, that engine was about to shut off, I was running out of fuel.

Speaker 1: 8:40

I didn't want to say I was literally on E. I was on E, but now I am back on full and I'm hoping to remain there and I think, similar to when I went to Uganda, hold that trip change my mind or change my life for the better. I think this trip, to be honest, change my life and just got me back to where I needed to be. You know, boss, baby Tanya, she's back, okay. So next time you see me, to teach a thing you're gonna be like, since you're glowing yes, that's me, because this trip did that. So definitely, I encourage you also to try and find something that you know pour into yourself in whatever shape or form you can, so you can refill and recharge and refuel your body and your mind and just your spirit and your soul.

Speaker 1: 9:21

All right, I'm done talking, let's get into it. So we're going to talk. You can type by the title of this episode. We're going to be talking about health screenings that you should make time for. And another thing that came up on the trip when I went with my, with my school as well, we were just talking about different health issues that some of us may have had and how hard it is sometimes to even advocate for yourself. So you know it's just facing that I'm recording this episode right after I'm coming from that trip to. Some of these conversations are fresh in my mind. But I really want to talk about health screenings that we should be taking time for because, believe it or not, when we talk about advocating for ourselves, some of us are walking around here not knowing what health screenings we should have or how to advocate to even get tested or get certain things done.

Speaker 1: 10:07

When it comes to your primary care provider, and when I'm talking about health screenings, you know that involves any sort of tests and the exams that is going to be able to detect early any potential health problems one may encounter or any diseases, even before the symptoms itself may may manifest. You know, because I think when it comes to different health screenings, it helps us to identify any sort of issues early on so that we can take any steps. We can be proactive. The goal is to be proactive so we're able to manage our health and prevent any sort of disease as well. So you know we talk about early detections can help to improve any treatment or outcome.

Speaker 1: 10:43

Sometimes we often hear that word early detection when it comes to, let's say, an STI or STD, or we often hear that when it comes to cancer screenings as well. And, of course, why that is important I encourage you on, I want you to know that any sort of hope, as much as you can, you want to get regular screenings because that's going to end up helping you to have a better health outcome and even a quality of life. You can extend your life expectancy as well by doing these things. Sometimes we screen for medical issues. We want to ensure that we are assessing for any future, you know, or potential medical problems that may arise and, of course, to see if we need to change your lifestyle. So we can again, you know, hear the T-Tasting when we're all about having a healthy lifestyle.

Speaker 1: 11:26

So these screenings are going to help with that and you know it's going to talk about updating our vaccinations or any sort of preventative care services that we can have, and also just to get to know your provider on a one-on-one basis, because I think sometimes we tend to. I know in my experience we got a doctor. You may need your doctor for the first time and you're just doing whatever they tell you to do and then you don't see them again for another year or maybe even six months. I'm just going to say a year because sometimes you know they recommend you getting senior physician once a year, but you only see them once a year, but you don't have that relationship with them. I think you know when you go and you're getting your regular check up. It also helps to create that rapport and that relationship between you and your primary care provider. You know it really pays a pivotal role when it comes to maintaining your overall health and well-being.

Speaker 1: 12:18

And you know there are very there are a lot of different health screenings. Essentially, that's tailored to any sort of speaking age groups your gender, your risk factors. You know, as far as your, your ethnic background, your race, all these different things, and as a Black woman, you know we are most likely prone for many different health issues. For some reason, you know we are the ones that are. We're topping certain categories when it comes to health screening, but some of these health screening could be mammograms. You know all these different things, but I am going to take my time to go through some of them, and this is going to be one for women and, of course, for my mentee tastes as well, because, again, optimal health is for everyone. We should have that so as, as it relates to women and men, but women age 18 to 39, you'll want to ensure that you are having your blood pressure checked at least once or twice a year, and in my opinion, that's that's still a little bit.

Speaker 1: 13:14

But let me stop right here. Before I continue, I do want to say I am not a medical provider. I am a public health professional. Research is my game. I'm not a medical. I'm not a medical provider. So anything that you may hear from me today, I am just here speaking from my personal opinion, of course, some research that I did, but also to get you to understand and to start thinking about the different screenings that you should be asking your care provider for. There's no way, shape or form that this is any medical advice, because, again, I am not a medical provider. I'm not here to give you any medical advice. I'm just helping you so that you can help yourself. Okay, I had to put that disclaimer out there so that we're very clear. Nothing that I'm saying here is any medical advice. Please just take it as you see fit, because I'm here to encourage you to ensure that you're able to have the quality that you deserve. Okay, so you want to ensure that you are Checking your blood pressure at least once or twice a year and if you didn't know, a normal blood pressure usually range from 120 over 80.

Speaker 1: 14:20

Sometimes it can go as you can. The bottom number, because you know the normal range that they tell you, especially in these nursing books as well it's 120 over 80. Sometimes, for me, I, my blood pressure runs Sometimes 110 over 70, or maybe one or six over 60 or nothing, 60. I think my baseline is 110 over 70 and what I mean a baseline. Now, sometimes you go to your doctor or if you you're ill and you end up going to urgent cure the emergency room, the first thing they're gonna do they're gonna take your vitals, and that that includes your heart rate, your pulse, your um, your breath and your blood sugar and, of course, your temperature. But I said blood sugar meant to say blood pressure. But what I Want to point out sometimes and you can tell me if you've experienced this you go to the doctor and the tech is gonna come in and they're gonna take your blood pressure and then they're gonna take your temperature and then they're gonna put that little thing I can't remember the name right now on your finger right and they're taking all these records and when they're done they remove the the blood pressure cough and they're but they're going about the British or they actually probably entering Whatever information that they took in the computer and they probably never even tell you what your blood pressure is, what your heart rate is. I don't know. I've had that happen to me so I'm gonna assume, but I don't want to assume. So you definitely got to give me that feedback to let me know if you've experienced this.

Speaker 1: 15:35

It's very important that anytime you're getting any vitals taken, that you're gonna ask the tech, the nurse, the whoever it is that's taking your, your vital signs. You need to know what your blood pressure is, you need to know what your heart rate is. You need to know what your temperature was. You need to know all these different things because this is how you establish your baseline. So when you, let's say, one day you end up going to the emergency room and your blood pressure is 140 over 80 or 140 over 90, right, you're able to indicate and tell that k provider that you know I usually run A 120 over 80 or 110 over 70. So obviously, 140, which is higher, is out of the normal range. So that is not your baseline. So then, that's that now would encourage them to Run more tests, or we check your blood pressure to see what is causing this elevated blood pressure. So it's very important that you get this blood pressure check once or twice a year, or even more, it doesn't matter, because you can random me.

Speaker 1: 16:28

If you're in the United States, you can go into a pharmacy and Get your blood pressure taken. If you're in an T, go in the Caribbean. I know we have many different clinics around that we can go in and get our blood pressure taken as well. And wherever you are listening this word, I know at some point in time you should have the capacity. And even if you don't, you know again, we gotta be what, we gotta work in that. But you want to know your baseline when it comes to your blood pressure and the your vital signs. So that's that's gonna be key. So you know your baseline, so you're you're better able to advocate for yourself.

Speaker 1: 16:57

Now. Is something worth to change with that baseline? No, of course you know. If you're a black, you want to know your, your family history when it comes to blood pressure, because we know that that can lead to Heart disease. It can also lead to kidney problems. You know, if you are overweight, you may have, you may tend to have, elevated blood pressure that is not always the case what it could be. And you know, of course I'm not gonna leave up my pregnant girlies or my girlies trying to conceive because, again, knowing your baseline, especially when it comes to being pregnant during pregnancy, you need to know what that baseline is before you get pregnant and what your baseline is during your pregnancy. That way, that's how your capability can test to see maybe you're having any Preclaims to your side, any signs or symptoms that is concerning as it relates to you, on your pregnant and your pregnancy. So you definitely want to know that baseline, like I said, if you are a black woman, even if you're not black, but again, like I mentioned earlier, a lot of these issues tend to happen primarily within the black community as well. So you want to ensure that you know your family history and if you have a family history of High blood pressure, you definitely need to be getting your blood pressure check as often as possible. I kind of express that to you enough.

Speaker 1: 18:08

Another screening I want to talk about is the breast cancer. Screening Is very important that we practice Our self-exam. I, I'm gonna be honest. I went to my OBGYN A few weeks ago for my annual checkup and she was asking me you know I was telling about some different things, but she was asking me you know, when was the last time you did a self-abressed self-exam? I was like I'm not gonna need my ideal because I want to be honest. Yet. I'm gonna be transparent with you. I want to keep this episode short, but you know I'm gonna blab, but I am gonna be transparent.

Speaker 1: 18:38

I've been Guilty of when I'm going to see my K provider. Sometimes I'm not always honest. I know if you're listening to me, I don't want you judging me because I'm. I have not always been honest Because out of sheer embarrassment. And then sometimes you know, living in this country, you know you're already a black woman, I got so many other battles I gotta fight. It's like why? Why tell you certain things if you're not going to listen to me? But I had to. I quickly realized that that was not a way for me to continue living my life. So I'm encouraging you. You want to be honest with your kid provider, but anyway, she's like you know.

Speaker 1: 19:11

Miss Ambrose, have you been doing your breast-self exam? I was like no, to be honest, I don't do it as often as I should, I know, but sometimes I'm just lazy. I don't want to be doing all that right now For transparency. I love my boobs, you know, but the fact of the matter is sometimes I'm just under go, I don't have time to I was not making time rather for my, my breast-self exam. So I definitely want to encourage you to do that because as you're doing that again, you're being in tune with your body and it's how you are able to check for check your breast for any lumps or any changes as well, depending again on your, your health history. And if your doctor is encouraging you to do yourself breast exam, you definitely want to do that. And this is a way also for you to learn about your, your breasts. You know how they would normally look, how they would feel, so that you can see when there's a big difference. Now You're able to explain to your kid provider what the difference is.

Speaker 1: 20:03

I will say this. You know, again, doing yourself breast exam is not replacing doing a mammogram, but when you're able to have these Consistent self-exam is how it helps you and your care provider to know about any abnormalities that may may occur, and it's recommended that you know. If we're under 40, we're not necessarily recommended to do a mammogram but, again, depending on your family history, if your mother or your sister were diagnosed early, you definitely want to ensure that you're getting these exams done as frequently as you need to, given the family history. But again, I'm encouraging you to practice your breast self-exam so you can know when something is off in your body. And this goes up to the men too, because, as we know, men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer as well. So you should be getting your breast checked at least once to twice a year, or every once every one to two years.

Speaker 1: 20:57

The other thing I want to talk about is cervical cancer screening. We just celebrated I think it was cervical cancer awareness month back in January, but several months ago. Cervical cancer awareness screening that essentially should start at age 21. According to the Mayo Clinic, it should be starting at age 21, unless it's otherwise advised again by your care provider and again, we're checking for this because that is how a lot of these tests are preventative measures, so that you can know what is happening within your body. So when there's a change, both you and your provider will know what course of action to take as well. So you definitely want to factor in cervical cancer screening and again, that should start at age 21 years and up, unless it is told by your provider that you need to be taking it earlier or as often as they may require.

Speaker 1: 21:45

And if you're a woman listening to this podcast, you know if your age is 21 to 29,. Again, you want to ensure that you are having a pop test. So even if you're an individual with a vagina, you want to ensure that you're having a pop test at least every three years. So you're between the ages of 21 and 29. Some providers may not agree.

Speaker 1: 22:06

For me, I go. I think I get mine done every year because, of course, you know insurance that's another thing and you know your insurance would pay for it. It's not, it would pay for it. So for me, I don't pay to get a pop smear done. However, what is recommended? To get it done? Every two to three years, given the type of health insurance you may have in the United States. It may be wise, or your doctor may just recommend you getting it every year as well, but again, once from ages 21 and up you should, or 20 to 29, you should be getting a pop smear every three years, and of course, that's the time to have the conversation which I talked about, the HPV vaccine. Of course, that depends on what your stance is when it comes to vaccination, but again, these are some things you should be looking out for.

Speaker 1: 22:48

Another screening, or another thing that you should be doing, is the colorectal cancer screening and with this screening is testing for polyps, and sometimes you may end up doing a colonoscopy. They recommend that we do a colonoscopy every five years, but that may not be the case, depending on your medical history as well. So, again, all what I'm listening here are things that I've actively done or are currently in the process of getting done, because, I've said again, whatever my health history may be, so you definitely want to ensure that you're factoring in these into your screenings that you should be getting done as you're doing your checkup every year. The other one is and it's funny because this is, I say, my favorite, but in a way, because the next thing that you should be doing is your cholesterol getting tested for your cholesterol According to research and study. You know, woman, age 40, if you have no known factors, then you know you should be getting it done once a year. If you have no known factors for any sort of chronic disease, and if you're age 20 and up, if you're known for any risk factors, then you want to get tested at least every five years, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Speaker 1: 23:54

But let me tell you this I am a damn strain. My age. I am a 33 year old black woman and Caribbean black woman. Okay, I'm an island girl and I was essentially diagnosed with high cholesterol when I was in like my mid twenties, right, I want to say that I was devastated because I'm like here I am, this slim girl you know was once an athlete, playing sports, do whatever I gotta do, and why is my cholesterol level that high? In my mid twenties? Right, and with that I had to. My doctor was like you know, we got to eliminate, we got to work on your lifestyle changes. For me I wasn't eating as healthy as I am now. I want to say healthy, I'm not necessarily. I wasn't eating like a balance Me or that that contains, you know, your proteins, your carbs, your healthy fats and these different things, and I had to do a drastic. The eye call it drastic. It may not be drastic to you, but I had to end up doing a lifestyle change. I started getting more active, I started eating cleaner or started eating better, because I was determined to have these cholesterol levels go down, because what I'm not going to do is be on a cholesterol medication at age 33 or at the time between ages 25 and 30. It was not going to be.

Speaker 1: 25:12

So I definitely you want to ensure that you're checking your cholesterol as well and especially, again based on your family history, if you're known to have heart disease or anything, this is something that you should be getting checked regularly, because sometimes some of these things cholesterol does require, like a lifestyle changes the type of food that you eat, depending on your weight, and, of course, you need to have like that change in your diet and be more physically active as well. So you should be screening and get it tested for your cholesterol. Another thing that I want to mention is you know you want to check your thyroid as well. A friend of mine mentioned that, because we live in a society where things are changing, changing in our environment. You just never know. Sometimes, for me, in my opinion, we rely on our family history but, as we're seeing in today's society, sometimes you don't even have to have a history of anything in your family for you to become, you know, ill and these different things, and that's why it's important for us to know our baseline follow up with these different screenings, so we can know what is going on within our body. So, if you want to get your thyroid checked as well, if you're having any hormonal issues, if you're having drastic weight gain or drastic weight loss as well, so you want to encourage your doctor to also give you like a thyroid test just to make sure everything is working and functioning, you know, in your body.

Speaker 1: 26:28

You also want to get screening for diabetes. Now, I will say, from doing my research, you know screenings are typically they typically start at like 35 years old or every three years. However, again, like I'm going to keep stressing, because a lot of these screenings have to do with your family history. So if you know someone who may be diagnosed with diabetes or even pre-diabetes, you want to ensure, again, a lot of this. This is a lifestyle change that you need to make. But you want to have that conversation with your healthcare provider so that they can look at the family history, look at your weight, look at whatever it is, to see if you are pre-diabetic or you are diabetic as well. And, of course, if you're planning to get pregnant, we need to know if you are either pre-diabetic or diabetic so that way, your provider can provide you with a course of action as you continue that pregnancy, because gestational diabetes is a thing and we also want to ensure that you're having a safe pregnancy and your fetus is also your baby is also healthy as well. So you want to get these screenings as well. Just the industry that you're on the street. And now, because sometimes I know funny story when a lot of people would say, oh, you're going to get diabetes if you eat too much sweets, but it's a do we know that it's not only sweets that's going to give you diabetes If they're fast. There's so many different things. Again, that lifestyle change, being mindful of what you're putting in your body. You're never too young. You're definitely never too young to have diabetes, because we've not individuals who may have type one or type two or develop a gestational diabetes. So you want to do this screenings to make sure that you are okay, so you can continue to practice and make these different lifestyle changes.

Speaker 1: 28:09

Another one that sometimes we seem to forget is getting our dental. When it comes to dental, oral health is very important, and oral health is connected to so many different things that you would be amazed as to what that is connected to. You can connect to your gut, you can connect to any sort of disease, pneumonia, any sort of heart disease as well so you definitely want to ensure that you are senior dentist minimum of two twice a year, unless they tell you otherwise Because you want to get those cleanings. You want to get those exams so that you can ensure that there's no bacteria, because some of these bacteria in your mouth can lead to heart disease, pneumonia and so many other life changing issues. So you definitely want to practice oral hygiene and ensure that you're senior doctor. One of the questions that I have to collect for my job, especially when it comes to our pregnant moms, is asking what have you seen a doctor, a dentist within the last six months to one year or less than six months? Is it more than one year or two years and then, of course, if it's more than a year or two, we will definitely try to connect them with some resources to assist with that. But again, our oral health is very important. You want to ensure that your senior dentist at least twice a year to get those dental exams going and to get those bacteria and to get your cleanings. Like for me, I had my appointment a few days ago as well for my cleaning, because one thing I'm going to do, I'm going to get this mouth clean and also ensure that my exams and everything in my mouth is going very important. It's very important because, again, it's connected to so many different things in our body. So you want to do that dental check once or twice a year.

Speaker 1: 29:49

Another one and I'm guilty of this is getting our eye exam. Now, I do wear reading glasses. Do I wear the reading glasses when I read it all the time? Absolutely not, because sometimes I'm just too lazy and sometimes I'm like you know what, I don't need my reading glasses. But you know I'm getting older and it's turning out right. I do need my reading glasses more and more. But what I'm trying to say is you want to ensure that you're doing an eye exam. I advise again, this is not medical advice but for me, for me I try to get my eyes checked once a year. Now this has been the longest that I've gone. It's been at least, probably almost as crazy I'm going to say on two and a half years, because then, of course, of COVID and the pandemic but it's been two and a half years since I've gone to my eye doctor and that is not good, especially for someone who works behind the screen Pretty often. You know I definitely need to be doing that and can't just keep lying. I'm pretty sure I need to up my glasses as it relates to the lens, but definitely want to get your eye exam. They recommend every two years. But again, you know you use your discretion and if you're someone who may have some issues or eye problems as well, your doctor would of course recommend you come in more frequently than some others.

Speaker 1: 30:58

You want to get tested for any infectious disease, such as STI or STDs. You know, if you're sexually active, you want to ensure that you're getting screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea, especially, you know, from age 25 as well, is what the medical clinic would have recommended. But you definitely want to ensure that you are getting tested for these STIs. You know you have chlamydia gonorrhea, especially if you're sexually active and you're having unprotected sex. Okay, you want to also think about maybe, hepatitis C, you know, from ages 18 to 79. That's a one time test and, of course, if you are pregnant, they do recommend you have that hepatitis screen every year as well. You want to check for HIV or the STIs?

Speaker 1: 31:42

And while I'm here and just talking about these other tests, you know, when it comes to immunizations, you know, or vaccines I don't know what set of the spectrum you're on, but that's your personal choice, but some of the most common needed vaccines that we, that they're recommending is the flu shot, which you know you get once a year, the COVID vaccine. Of course you want to ask your provider what is best for you and of course you got to wait an option as to what you think is best for you and what your decision would be. And I will talk about the TDA vaccine. We should be having one, I think, at least after the age of 19. And if you, if you, did not receive it as an adolescent, I know for us growing up in Antigua, I remember I think we were in third form I think that's going to be grade nine here in the US or wherever you are but we had nurses come to our schools and we would get the. We got the TDA and the other shots as well, again, because it was a requirement to be in school as well. So you want to get your tetanus shot. That's once every 10 years.

Speaker 1: 32:43

You want to do the virus cellar vaccine and the vaccine for chicken path. That should be two doses as well. You want to think about the hepatitis B vaccine that you should receive at least two to four doses, depending on your circumstances. And you want to get your MMR vaccine, and that's the measles, mumps and rubella, which we should receive one to two doses if you're not already immune to MMR. Again, I'm just listing these immunizations. You do what you think is best for you, but as we're on this healthcare journey again, I'm not here to argue with all. The vaccine is doing, this vaccine is doing that. That's not what I'm trying to tell you. I'm just trying to get it to understand the things that you need to consider when it comes to your health and wellness. And if you're in a woman with a vagina, of course you want to think about HPV or just if you're sexually active. These are some vaccines that again, you want to have that conversation with your healthcare provider.

Speaker 1: 33:35

Of course, the physical exam that's usually once a year. We do this well woman visit or well check up, where it doesn't matter where you are, what you are as an individual. We do these physical exams so that we can assess for any potential medical problems, so we can see how best we can give, we can move towards a healthier lifestyle. And also, this is how you're able to advocate for yourself. Like I mentioned earlier, when you're taking your vital signs, you need to know what your baseline is, and the purpose of some of these physical exams is for you to know so you can advocate and you can be honest with your provider, as someone told me recently that they had a provider that was not listening to them and they took another provider, or two other providers, for them to actually listen to her and give her the necessary tests that she needed. So again, I will talk about advocacy and I'll do another podcast episode on that.

Speaker 1: 34:27

You want to be able to know about your body, know what you've done, know what is right, what is not wrong, what is not right. So then, that way you're better to advocate for yourself. Let me just say this, because sometimes, like I mentioned earlier, I was guilty of lying or just not telling the full truth to my provider because I just did not want to be maybe put on a medication or not listen to, because sometimes some medical providers, they tend to shut us down and just think, okay, you know what this is, what the problem is, let me just put your medication, let me just do this and think that's all, when in fact, you know we're the ones who are living with our bodies, we know what's right, what feels right and what feels wrong. So definitely encourage you to not be afraid to advocate for yourself. Another thing that you want to think about is something that I don't often think about what I did recently, because I noticed something.

Speaker 1: 35:16

What you want to do is skin self-exam. You know, if the chief, your son, wouldn't, you're immune to compromise. These are things that you want to do. You want to ensure that everything is intact with your skin. You know we're taught to wear sunscreen every day. I know, as black women something, or black people, we're oh, we don't need sunscreen. Yes, we do. So definitely want to do a skin self-exam as well. You want to ensure that you know how your body look, how your skin looks, so if there's any sort of abnormalities, you can communicate that with your care provider. That's very, very important. You also want to do if you're an older individual, you know osteoporosis screening, like you want to test for bone density, because sometimes you know we may have some risk factors. As we get older, our, our bones are changing. They get weaker as we age, so you definitely want to also test for that. So I know, I know and on my age range when it comes to my listeners, they range from young to the older population, but you definitely, as we continue to get older, we want to be able to get that screening to test our bone density so we can know what to do. And some of these factors can come from small game. You know heavy alcohol use as well, so you definitely want to factor these things in when it comes to your screening.

Speaker 1: 36:27

And the last thing I'm going to say as well is your mental health, and I know everything that we talk about mental health, mental health, mental health in society and social media, but you definitely, when we're talking about overall health and wellness, you definitely want to check in with your mental health as well. On some of your visits with your primary care provider, they may be asking you about your, your mental health. They may be trying to see you know where you are as well. Are you depressed? Do you have anxiety? What is your diet and exercise looking like? What is your alcohol and tobacco use like? Do you have any safety issues? You know, are you wearing seat belts? Is this what the text was in your house? Is there any sort of, let's say, intimate partner violence? You know your medicines well, all these different things. So all that contribute again, once you know, to your mental health and to your overall well-being.

Speaker 1: 37:16

I remember one time I was asked um, whatever the question was as it relates to, I guess, if it was something that we intimate partner. But I got offended at one point. You know, young and naive, I'm like why would I be in this? But as you continue to grow, you realize that these are some challenges that so many of us may face at some point in our life. So of course, you want to ensure that you are taking care of your mental health. You know, if you are someone who you're in the position to, or you're you, it's possible for you to see, see a therapist. You want to do that and I know sometimes many of us we don't know how we can start therapy or what to do. And I will say I have an upcoming episode about how to start therapy because sometimes, especially in my community, sometimes we we tend to label having any mental issues as if someone is crazy or is something negative. But we all could use someone or a trusted individual so that we can ensure that our mental health is intact, because the world is the way in the world. It's too much. A lot is going on and we we do need that support and of course, we may have like siblings or a close friend, but sometimes, again, it just takes the help from a professional and that's how you've been in that rapport.

Speaker 1: 38:26

I also recommend you get in your getting a blood test one, of course, for these other different tests. But you also need to know what your blood type is. That is very important, especially if you are, if something were to happen to you, where you need blood. It's very important that you know what your blood type is and I'm gonna be honest, I'm telling you this right now in the back of my mind. I'm thinking what is my blood type again? I know what it is because it's in my phone written down, because sometimes, when I can't remember, I just have to text my father, daddy, what, what is your blood type again, and he'll tell me okay, I got it. But it's very important that you know what your blood type is as well, so that that way you can better advocate for yourself as well.

Speaker 1: 39:03

As I wrap up, I would recommend you keeping a how should I put it? I want you to keep a medical journal. Keep a medical journal. I will say I was inspired because I do. I take mental notes and I do journal and I do write things down when it comes to my health. So I don't forget what.

Speaker 1: 39:19

I remember having a client she's having her baby and she was, when I say the most organized client it do like in every need. She had everything in that folder she had, from the blood type to this, to that, to what she was experiencing, because, again, she was someone who was immune to compromise as well. But she had everything organized and I took that from her and I said you know what, going forward for someone who suffered with, who suffers from chronic migraines and other gastro issues. I do definitely need to make sure I'm keeping that journal so I can know what's going on. So you're not going to just put any sort of medication on me, but I can advocate for myself based on how I feel with my body. So I do advise you to get a medical journal. It doesn't have to be anything big, it can just be a book, a notepad that you have, that you write down if you know there's something is off, because this is going to get us to pay more attention to our bodies and our health. We cannot talk about health and wellness and just think it just. It just requires taking drinking more water, you know? No, we have to have that medical journal so that if you're someone who may have an immune or compromised system, or you have other issues or you're just starting to notice again, our environment does play a role in our health issues as well. So it's important for us to keep that journal so then that way, when something goes wrong, we can revert back to that journal so we can explain to our primary care provider and better advocate for ourselves.

Speaker 1: 40:40

So as I go, you want to ensure that you're getting your blood tested so you know what your blood type is. You want to also get your blood pressure checked, at least one to three times a year, and know what your blood pressure is so you can know what is your baseline, what is your normal, so that way you can be more in tuned in, knowing if your blood pressure can be too high, if it's out of the normal range as well. You know, and it helps to determine and prevent any sort of heart disease or kidney problems as well, and, of course, pre-coms there if you're pregnant or going to postpartum as well. You want to do breast cancer screening. You definitely want to practice your breast self-examined regularly so you can test for any abnormalities, whether it's lumps or any changes in your breast as well. You want to do cervical cancer screening. That should start at 21 years, otherwise advised by your provider, but you also want to do that. You also want to do a collect colorectal cancer screening as well to check with any polyps or anything that could be going on in your gastro area as well. You also want to get your cholesterol checked. Don't be like me. You want to get your cholesterol checked so in that way you can know what lifestyle changes you need to make. You also want to get tested or get that diabetes screening to see if you're pre-diabetic or if you're diabetic or if you may end up even developing gestational diabetes as well. So you definitely want to get that screening for diabetes.

Speaker 1: 42:01

You want to ensure that you're practicing proper oral hygiene.

Speaker 1: 42:05

You want to do your, you know, oral cancer screening.

Speaker 1: 42:07

That's the thing as well. I got one done a few years ago. I think that's recommended, I think every five to ten years, but again, don't quote me but you the ensure. You want to ensure that you are actually going to your dentist at least once or twice a year to get the clean in, so that you can ensure that everything is going well in that department. Because, again, your oral health is linked to so many other things in our bodies and that's something that we often times forget. So you want to do that.

Speaker 1: 42:32

You want to also get your eye exam every two years because, of course, given our environment that we live in and you just never know and it's best to know what's going on with your eyes as well, because we're doing it with our eyes it's very important and if we're blessed to have vision, you want to ensure that we are taking care of that. You also want to do any testing for any infectious disease screenings such as STISTDs. If you're sexually active, you want to be screened for chlamydia and gonorrhea, and then you know, of course, hepatitis C. You want to make sure that you're up to date with your vaccination. If that's something that you do, you also want to ensure that you're having your physical exam done every year with your primary care provider to assess for any future or potential medical problems, to know what sort of lifestyle changes you can make for you.

Speaker 1: 43:17

And I want to point out out really quick, because sometimes we are on our social media and we are seeing people. We see what works for other people. The lifestyle changes that limit. But we have to understand that not every lifestyle, not everything that we see, means it's going to work for us. We have to know our body and know what works for us. So that's why you got to ensure that you're doing that physical exam so you can get a when you're changing that lifestyle or you're making that lifestyle change. It's tailored specifically for you as an individual. You know you want to know your height, your weight, your BMI. You want to be able to advocate for yourself. I don't care what that white code comes in to say. You want to ensure that you're advocating for yourself. If you're not feeling hurt, then you know it's okay also to switch your care provider as well and be honest with your care provider as you build that relationship.

Speaker 1: 44:04

You want to do a test for skin cancer. Do those skin self-exam, know what your body looks like. If something different pops up, it's abnormal. So you know you can go to your doctor to get that screening as well. You also want to check. Well, you know as we age, our bones are going to get weaker. So you want to do an osteoporosis screening to test for your bone density. And, of course, you want to ensure that you are seeking the help of a therapist or a trusted individual as it relates to your mental health, because, again, we kind of talk about all the things physically and not talk about our mental health Knowing to take breaks, knowing something is too much, know how to create your boundaries as well.

Speaker 1: 44:45

But I definitely want to thank you, my friend, for joining me here in the Tea Tasting Room and I hope this helps. If you know of any other screenings that we should be doing as individuals, feel free to tag me on Instagram at tea with Tanya podcast or hop into my DMs and let me know what you should be, what I miss. I will see you in the Tea Tasting Room Next week. We're going to be talking about all things bird control. I know that's going to be a very spicy, juicy, tasty episode. I will see you next week. I love you for listening. Thank you for joining me for another episode of Tea with Tanya. If you like this episode, be sure to share it with a friend. Don't forget to follow on Instagram at Tea with Tanya podcast. Be sure to subscribe to the weekly Tea Talk newsletter and, of course, rate on Apple or Spotify and subscribe wherever you listen. See you next time. I love you for listening.