Your 30s: A Health Guide for Women (check-up checklist)

Use this check-up checklist to stay on top of the tests and examinations you need all through your 30s.

• Blood pressure and cholesterol: You're not at too much risk of elevated levels now, especially if you're following healthy heart habits like exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, and not smoking. Anytime you go in for any health care visit, your blood pressure will be gauged, and you should get a cholesterol work-up every few years. If you fall into certain risk groups, your doctor may screen your levels more frequently. You may be at risk if you have diabetes or a large waist circumference, or if you smoke.

• Pap test and pelvic exam: By the time you've hit 20, you should be having routine annual pelvic exams and Pap tests. Pap tests screen for cervical cancer, while the pelvic exam allows your health care provider to examine your cervix and vagina and to get a sense of the health of your uterus. Your health care provider might also look for signs of infections.

• Breast exam: Breast cancer is a very common cancer among women. Your health care provider will likely do an exam when you go in for your annual Pap test and pelvic exam. If not, you should request one at least every three years. You should also become familiar with the look and feel of your breasts so you know what's normal for you.

• Skin check: Anyone at any age can develop skin cancer. In addition to minimizing your risk with healthy sun habits, your health care provider should do a thorough skin check to screen for new or changed moles or marks. You can also do a skin check yourself (or with a helpful partner). Remember the letters ABCD when looking at skin growths:
  • Asymmetry (not round),
  • Border (irregular),
  • Color (uneven, changing, different than other moles), and
  • Diameter (larger than a pencil eraser).
  If anything seems out of the ordinary or alarming, contact your doctor.

• Dental check-ups: Visit your dentist for preventive check-ups and routine cleanings. The frequency of visits will really depend on individual needs, though most authorities on the subject recommend at least once or twice a year.

• Eye exams: Even if your vision is 20/20, you should have your eyes examined every one to two years. After all, optometrists check for other things besides how good your vision is - like signs of glaucoma. If you have a condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of vision problems, your optometrist will let you know if you need more frequent eye exams and check-ups.

• Immunizations: You think shots are just for kids? Certain vaccinations you received as a child may need to be updated, while other immunizations are available that can protect you from needless health issues. Ask your doctor if you're due for any of these:
  
  • Get shots to protect you from measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) if you've never had the vaccination before. Should you find yourself in certain risk situations, you'd also need the MMR vaccination. Those risky situations include working in health care, attending college, and travelling to certain countries.
    
  • The tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine is recommended for anyone whose last Tdap shots were more than 10 years ago. Others who should get the Tdap include those who work in close contact with infants, those who plan on becoming pregnant, and those who have received a "dirty" wound (e.g., from a rusted nail).
    
  • Each year, get the influenza vaccine. The flu shot is especially important if you have medical conditions that put you at risk of complications from the flu.
    
  • Considering world travel? Consider being vaccinated against meningitis and hepatitis A and B, and consult with a travel clinician or your doctor in regards to other risks of particular destinations.
    
  • If you never had chickenpox as a youngster, you should get vaccinated against it now. And if you're unsure whether you did, go ahead and get the vaccination, just in case. It's a good idea to get it, too, if you're hoping to get pregnant sometime in the future. Hold off, though, if you're already pregnant (or hope to be within several weeks of vaccination).

Sun safety: quick tips

Use a sunscreen.
Apply a broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF or sun protection factor of at least 15.

Use it everywhere.
Particularly on the head in frequently missed spots like the tips of ears, nose, and on the lips themselves. These are areas that sustain significant sun damage over the years and where sun-induced skin cancer typically appear as a result.

Apply ahead of time.
Remember to apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before you go outside to allow time for the ingredients to penetrate the skin.

Keep protected.
Reapply sunscreen frequently and liberally following the manufacturer's instructions.

Don't forget sunglasses.
Protect your eyes with sunglasses that offer 100% UV protection. Overexposure to sunlight can cause both short-term and long-term damage to your eyes.

Wear a hat.
Wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your head, neck and ears. These regions are most susceptible to sun damage. A hat with a brim at least 3 inches wide will provide the best protection.

Wear protective clothing.
Use clothing to cover your skin.

Choose the proper clothing.
Do the lightbulb test when selecting the hat and clothing you plan to use for protection. If you hold the fabric up to a lightbulb and light filters through, it will be less effective than material that does not allow light to filter through. The material will act as a physical block to prevent UV rays from penetrating the skin.

Seek the shade and avoid the noonday sun.
Try to stay out of the sun between 11 am and 4 pm. This is when the sun's ultraviolet B radiation is strongest. It is safer to be outside in the early morning or late afternoon.

Think ahead.
Do not rely on your skin to tell you when to get out of the sun. If you are burnt, your skin has already been severely sun damaged.

Use sunscreen all year.
Protect your skin from spring to early fall, and exposed skin areas in the winter if you participate in winter sports.

Be careful all year.
Remember that reflected light from snow, sand, and cement can cause skin damage.

Don't forget sun after care.
Moisturize your skin after sun exposure to replenish lost moisture.

Ask a health professional.
If you are taking medication check with your physician or pharmacist before seeking the sun. Some medications can make your skin more sensitive.

Watch for the signs of skin cancer.
These include moles or birthmarks that change color, size, or texture, skin growths that increase in size, spots that continue to itch, crust, hurt, scab, or erode or any open sore or wound that does not heal in 4 weeks or one that heals and reopens - see your doctor immediately if you have any of these signs.

Keep your workplace safe

In 1998, 15% of injuries and illnesses that resulted in lost time from work occurred in workers under the age 24. Machine injuries and electrocutions are among the leading causes of death in young people.

As a worker in the United States, you have rights and responsibilities to ensure that your workplace environment is safe. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Act protects you against dangers on the job. This law outlines the rights and responsibilities of the Government of the United States, the employer, and you, the worker.

There are three keys to maintaining a safe workplace:

• Know how to recognize and be aware of hazards in the workplace:
  • If you're uncertain about the safe use or operation of anything you work with, insist on getting proper training.
  • Be aware of things that may injure you or damage your health, including not only any heavy or sharp objects but also such things as cleaning fluids, poor posture, and sources of stress.
  • If you work with chemicals, attend health and safety training sessions.
  • If you are an employer, you are required to inform and train your workers about hazardous materials used in the workplace.
• Participate in workplace health and safety:
  • Take charge of your own safety - don't expect others to look out for you.
  • Use proper safety equipment.
  • Adjust your workspace to minimize strain and bad posture.
  • Pay attention to air quality and noise levels.
  • Report unsafe conditions to your supervisor.
  • Know who to go to for help if you have any questions about the safety of your workplace or job.
• Refuse unsafe work: Stop working or using the equipment if you think that you are at risk of injury, and talk to your supervisor. Unless you are told that the situation is corrected, and you are no longer at risk of injury, do not continue to work. This also applies to any work condition that may damage your health over the long term, whether poor air quality, a work arrangement that puts you at risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, or an unusually stressful environment.

It is in the best interests of employers to maintain safe Workplaces. Healthy, happy workers may mean more profitable businesses and will help keep workplace insurance costs down. And, of course, it is in the best interests of workers to stay healthy!

Gardening safety tips

Got a green thumb and a sore back? Your tomato vines may climb higher, but your knees may suffer when you climb that ladder.

A productive garden grows with proper sunlight, irrigation, and the strenuous effort of a dedicated gardener. And a gardener can stay safe and healthy by following these good gardening guidelines:

Warm up. Treat gardening like a workout and warm up first. Stroll through your garden doing gentle stretches or take a walk around the neighborhood. Gardening can challenge your joints, so choose a few stretches to loosen and warm your knees, elbows, wrists, and shoulders.

Be nice to your knees. To get closer to the earth, gardeners often find themselves on their knees. Busy gardeners may be benched by bursitis, a painful inflammation of the joints. Reduce the strain to your knees and to your back by working with only one knee on the ground at a time. Your back should be straight as you kneel, and kneepads provide additional cushion on rough or rocky terrain. Change your position if it becomes uncomfortable.

Take turns. Weed or dig for too long, and the repetition can cause strain. Alternate your gardening tasks to avoid repetitive strain injuries. Mix it up: pull weeds for 5 minutes, and then follow it up with a task that's a bit gentler on your hands, like raking. Switch again to digging, and then back to raking. This way, you don't overstrain any one part of your body, and you avoid the obsessive marathon sessions that can result when you focus too much on one task. You'll never get rid of all of that bindweed in one afternoon! Take breaks between tasks to rest or do some light stretches. Sit in the shade for awhile and sip some water.

Handle with care. As a gardener, you use a lot of tools, but your hands are among your most precious. Shield them from harm with sturdy, well-fitted gardening gloves. Sure, you'll feel a visceral pleasure when you yank up that main, gnarled root of some nasty weed, but you may also dredge up bits of broken glass or shards of old metal along with it. Bare hands risk cuts, scrapes, blisters, as well as exposure to chemicals, pests, and potential allergens or irritants. Even with gloves, your hands will need a thorough washing-up once you've finished your tasks.

No tooling around. Tools should make a gardener's life easier, not more painful or dangerous. Gardening tools come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of sharpness, so always use them with care and caution. Choose the right tool for the job, and read and follow all the instructions included with the tool before using it. With stand-up tools - rakes, hoes, or shovels, for instance - select one that allows you to keep your back straight as you work. If a task calls for a hand tool, maintain a straight line between your wrist and hand. A bent wrist equals a weak grip, is less efficient, and puts you at greater risk of injury. For electrical tools, make sure the power switch is "off" before you plug them in, and never use them in wet conditions.

Safely coexist with nature. When you work outdoors on your garden, strike a balance between yourself and the elements. Are you prone to allergies? Wear a protective face mask or nix your gardening plans on days with a high pollen count. The sun's light provides you some vitamin D, but shield yourself from overexposure. Work during early morning or later in the afternoon to avoid peak sunlight. Wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and light and protective clothing. And remember to drink plenty of water, especially on warmer days. Proper garden clothing should also provide some defense against bug bites.

Do a cosmetic case clear-out

Expiry dates are required on some over-the-counter personal care products that have therapeutic properties - think antiperspirants, dandruff shampoo, and sunscreen - because their therapeutic effects diminish over time.

Cosmetics, on the other hand, don't require an expiry date. But even though that powder compact doesn't bear a best-by date like a cup of yogurt, that doesn't mean it will last forever!

Sometimes makeup will bear a date stamp, but most of the time it won't. You can usually use your senses - including your common sense - to tell if a cosmetic product needs to be tossed out. Dispose of products with dark spots, fuzzy patches, color changes, or a change in texture or scent. These sorts of changes often just mean a product won't work as well, but using outdated cosmetics may sometimes lead to skin irritations and eye infections.

Mascara is a special case. Since it's a water-based product, it is especially prone to bacteria growth. And since you use it so close to your vulnerable eyes, mascara should be thrown out after 3 months. Toss the tube sooner if you notice a change in smell or color or if you've had an eye infection. To keep it safe for longer use, keep air out of the tube. Seal it up tight and avoid pumping the wand up and down in the tube. But you should continue to replace mascara every 3 months, no matter how many times you've used the tube.

In general, be careful about any products you use near your eyes. Keep eye pencils sharpened and clean, and they should stay hygienic, but treat liquid eyeliner the same way you would mascara.

One type of liquid cosmetic you don't need to worry about is nail polish. Sure, nail polish can dry up and become unusable, but it would take a long time for nail polish to "go bad." Bacteria stand no chance in the chemical stew of nail polish - isopropyl alcohol, formaldehyde resin, and butyl acetate, to name a few of the ingredients.

You could also contact cosmetics manufacturers and ask about when a product was made. To do this, you'll need the company's contact information and the product lot number, usually found as an alphanumeric code on the container. A law in Europe requires its cosmetic products to be labelled with a period after opening (PAO) symbol that can tell you how many months the product is good after you first start using it.

Still unsure about a product? Better to be safe than sorry and throw it out! Avoid future cosmetic confusion by marking product containers with your date of purchase. And then follow the cosmetic scientists' guideline to toss most makeup after a year.

Thinking of trying hiking?

The story behind hiking

Hiking has to be the most natural workout out there. It combines some of the best elements of several workouts while allowing you to scale mountainsides and roam across picturesque fields, forests, and seascapes. Advanced hikers may trek through treacherous terrain for many miles. Beginners can enjoy wandering on a leisurely stroll off the beaten track. You may choose to get all geared-up, with special hiking boots, backpacks, and walking poles. Or you may just hoof it along a short creek-side trail clad in jeans, t-shirt, sneakers, and a fanny-pack. So, if you're tired of the treadmill's endless walk to nowhere, hit the trail and cover some real ground.

The benefits of hiking

Cresting cardio. Walk across variable terrain for more than 20 minutes or so, and you're bound to break a sweat or at least get your heart pumping. A trail with changes in elevation will offer up even more of a cardiovascular challenge. If you were to hike briskly for half an hour and for several times a week, you could significantly reduce your risks of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. You can even stop and enjoy the scenery every now and then and still enjoy the same benefits.

Get in peak form. Regular hiking tones muscles, strengthens bones, improves circulation, and keeps joints mobile and flexible. Folks who hike regularly can enjoy the benefits of stronger leg muscles, which in turn will support the hip and knee joints. Add walking poles to your routine and you'll get your shoulders, chest, upper back, and arms in on the action.

Sticks and stones may build your bones. Walking improves bone density and slows down calcium loss. So, while trails strewn with errant twigs could be a hazard, the hiking path may actually lead you to stronger bones.

Tension trails off. You can leave your worries at the trail-head. If you trek along at a good clip, your brain will begin releasing feel-good endorphins. At the same time, your body will discharge some of its pent-up adrenaline and free you from feelings of anxiety and muscle tension. Combine these effects with the tremendous terrain and awe-inspiring vistas, and your feet may lead you farther and farther away from your worries.

The warnings about hiking

Mother Nature. She's lovely, but she can sting you, bite you, burn you, and twist your ankle around a knotted stump along the trail. A good hike can be impromptu and surprising, but it helps to plan ahead to avert the usual hazards, including allergies, sunburn, dehydration, and insect bites. Look around and savor the setting but keep an eye along the trail for things like poison ivy, poison oak, or gnarled roots emerging from the soil.

Get lost, but not too lost. Even on a reliable, well-maintained trail, you can ramble a bit too far out and become disoriented. If you're hiking in a large and contained area, take a look at a map before setting off to get your bearings. A compass and map would be good to pack in your kit. Along the way, spy landmarks and stash them in your memory in case you reach an uncertain fork in the trail.

Friction and fatigue. Track your body's signals and heed its warnings. You may be halfway into a 5 mile hike and feel a painful blister begin to form on your heel. Or you could be midway up a mountain path and notice a wheezing in your breath. Take breaks when you need it, as walking too fast or too far can lead to fatigue.

What you need for hiking

Protection from the elements. Dress for the weather, but expect the unexpected. To be best outfitted for whatever the skies bring, wear light layers that keep most of your skin covered to minimize the area where the sun and bugs can get at. A hat and sunglasses will shield you from UV rays, and sunscreen is a must no matter how cloudy or sunny the skies.

Hiker's etiquette. You may be out in the wilderness, but it doesn't mean you leave your manners behind. Respect the natural surroundings, and follow the global rule of trekking: leave no trace. Observe any signs or warnings along the trail. Yield to other hikers along the trail, and greet them with at least a friendly, quiet hello or nod of the head.

The gear to get you there and back. If your hike is a short, well-defined circle of a campsite or your neighbourhood park, you won't need as much gear. Out in wider and wilder territory, bring along as much food and water as you'll need for the time you'll be out, plus a little extra in case of emergency. Wear appropriate footwear that comfortably and properly fit your feet to prevent foot injuries such as blisters. Pack a map, compass, and a whistle to send out a signal in case you get lost or injured. Even if you don't plan a night hike or a camp-out, stash a flashlight, first aid kit, and a fire-starter.

Inspiration to get you going

• When you have worn out your shoes, the strength of the shoe leather has passed into the fiber of your body. I measure your health by the number of shoes and hats and clothes you have worn out." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
• In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." - John Muir