blue bulletin from bcidaho

Women’s Health Tips

Simple reminders about caring for your health and wellbeing

Many women are busy juggling their lives and it can be hard for them to find time for themselves. But it’s important for everyone to take time to take care of themselves. Finding ways to include healthy habits throughout the day can help you improve your wellbeing and have an active lifestyle.

Wellbeing tips

womens health tipsHere are some simple things that you can do to help improve your health and wellbeing:

  1. Get active by taking a short walk during your lunch break.
  2. Destress with 10 minutes of meditation.
  3. Lower your sugar intake by replacing sugary drinks with drinks that have no added sugar.
  4. Keep a healthy social life by meeting a friend for coffee.
  5. Stick to a bedtime routine that helps you relax and improves your sleep.
  6. Talk to your doctor about annual health screenings.
  7. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water through the day.
  8. Eat a well-balanced diet to support a healthy immune system.

Health screenings

Make sure to talk to your doctor about any health screenings you may need. A great time to do this is at your annual wellness visit, which is available at little to no cost to you or which is covered at no cost to you by most plans. During your annual wellness visit, your doctor can check in on your health and catch any issues early, when they are easier to treat. Your doctor may also recommend some routine preventive screenings.

Breast cancer screenings

Talk to your doctor about when a breast cancer screening may be right for you. Even if you don’t have a history of breast cancer, it’s a good idea to get screened. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends women to get screened every other year starting at age 50. Some women may choose to start screening at age 40, if recommended by their doctor. An annual screening mammogram is covered at no additional cost to you.

Cervical cancer screening

Talk to your doctor about preventive screening for cervical cancer. Screening tests for cervical cancer include cervical cytology tests, or Pap tests, and human papillomavirus (HPV) tests. The USPSTF recommends women ages 21-29 years to get screened for cervical cancer every three years with cervical cytology alone.

Women ages 30-65 are recommended to get screened:

  • Every three years with cervical cytology alone
  • Every five years with high-risk HPV testing alone
  • Every five years with high-risk HPV testing in combination with cytology (co-testing)

Cervical cancer screening is available at no cost to you as part of your preventive care benefits.

Staying the course

By making simple changes to improve your wellbeing and getting necessary screenings, you can build the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. Celebrate the small successes each day as you work to improve your wellbeing. Even if you stumble now and then, these small steps can lead to a healthy lifestyle over time.

Want more healthy tips? Download Sharecare

You now have access to Sharecare, an app to help you eat better, lower stress and be more active! To get the app, visit bcidaho.sharecare.com so you can create your Sharecare account, download the app and take the RealAge® Test. Do not download the Sharecare app directly from the App Store or Google Play.

Disclaimer: This wellness program is administered by Sharecare, Inc., an independent company that provides health improvement management services to Blue Cross of Idaho members. Sharecare, Inc., does not provide Blue Cross of Idaho products or services and is solely responsible for the health improvement management services it provides.

 

Posted: May 10, 2022