Key Points: Your Body, Your Health

Written by: Ramon Tran Tang

Haven’t seen it yet?

If you missed the live stream, you can now view it on YouTube here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVAOWt2ED68&t=2722s&ab_channel=Gateway

Health and wellness plays a critical role how you function physically or mentally at the work place or at a social setting. It is important to understand how you can better care for yourself so you can live your life to the fullest.

Key Points

1. Tips to help with stress or burnout

• Recognize the symptoms
• Turn to other people or professionals for help
• Relook how you look at work
• Re-evaluate your priorities

2. Maximize your time at the doctor’s office

Make your visit to your doctor’s office valuable by being honest with your provider. Any notable irregularity that you observed within your physical or mental well being may be reported to your provider. There is no stupid questions or observations. Providers won’t shame you. You are helping the provider come up with a diagnosis to treat you. So ask as many questions as you want.

3. Preventative Health

It is imperative to take measures to prevent future diseases. Your diet, genetics and age will affect how you function in time. It is better to start now and be happy and health in the long run rather than unhealthy and miserable.

Men or Fully Transitioned men

• Yearly physical exam including vital signs, cholesterol, sugar, testosterone, thyroid, liver enzymes, complete blood count screening
• Yearly visit to the dentist
• Per the American Academy of Ophthalmology, if your eyes are healthy and vision is good, you should have a complete exam by your ophthalmologist once in your 20s and twice in your 30s and once in 40s. There are exceptions though.
• Yearly flu vaccine, tetanus shot every 10 years, shingles shot (2 doses) >50 years of age, pneumonia vaccine, HPV and MMR(measles, mump, rubella) vaccine if you didn’t get it
• Bone scans for men greater than 50 yo who are at clinical risk for fractures or 70 yo or older per National Osteoporosis Foundation
• The USPSTF recommends screening for colorectal cancer in all adults aged 50 to 75 years. Men are more likely to get it but women should also be screened
• The USPSTSF recommends men between the ages of 50–69 should be given information about prostate screening. The decision to be screen should be an individual one.
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day
• Incorporate fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, protein meats including lean meats, healthy oils in your diet
• Limit food intake with added sugars(<10% of calories per day), high sodium (limit to <2.4 g/d), saturated fat (<10% of calories per day)
• Limit to 2 alcoholic drinks per day
• Avoid smoking
• Wear sun screen
• Per CDC, test for Hep B if you or one of your parents are born in countries with high rates of Hep B.
• Per CDC, test for Hep C if you haven’t been tested

Women or Fully Transitioned women

• Yearly physical exam including vital signs, cholesterol, sugar, testosterone, thyroid, liver enzymes, complete blood count screening
• Yearly visit to the dentist
• Per the American Academy of Ophthalmology, if your eyes are healthy and vision is good, you should have a complete exam by your ophthalmologist once in your 20s and twice in your 30s and once in 40s. There are exceptions though.
• Yearly flu vaccine, tetanus shot every 10 years, shingles shot (2 doses) >50 years of age, pneumonia vaccine, HPV and MMR(measles, mump, rubella) vaccine if you didn’t get it
• Bone scans for women greater than 50 yo who are at clinical risk for fractures, greater than 65 yo, younger post-menopausal women or women in menopause transition per National Osteoporosis Foundation
• The USPSTF recommends biennial mammography screening for women age 50 to 74. ACS recommends starting at 45 yo. Women are to be screened every 1–2 years depending on risk factors and preference
• The USPSTF recommends screening for colorectal cancer in all adults aged 50 to 75 years. Men are more likely to get it but women should also be screened
• The USPSTF recommends women between 21 yo to 30 yo recommends cervical cancer screening with Pap testing every 3 years
• The USPSTF recommends women between 30 yo to 65 yo recommends cervical cancer screening with HPV testing every 5 years, HPV and Pap test every 5 years or Pap test every 3 years. Talk to your doctor about type of screening that would work for you
• Pregnancy screening: gestational diabetes screening (>24th week), gonorrhea/syphilis screening, hepatitis b, Rh incompatibility screening, preeclampsia prevention and screening, maternal depression screening
• Exercise at least 30 minutes a day
• Incorporate fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, protein meats including lean meats, healthy oils in your diet
• Limit food intake with added sugars(<10% of calories per day), high sodium (limit to <2.4 g/d), saturated fat (<10% of calories per day)
• Limit to 1 alcoholic drink per day
• Avoid smoking
• Wear sun screen
• Per CDC, test for Hep B if you or one of your parents are born in countries with high rates of Hep B.
• Per CDC, test for Hep C if you haven’t been tested