Archives for September 2015

According to Madison, Wisconsin based women’s health expert Marla Ahlgrimm, one of the causes of changes in the breasts as a woman ages is a natural decline of the female reproductive hormone estrogen. This decline of estrogen causes the skin to become to become less elastic. With less elasticity, the breasts lose firmness, shape, size, and fullness, and develop a saggy and stretched appearance. In fact, it is not uncommon for an older woman to have changes in her cup size due to these physical changes, reports Marla Ahlgrimm.

Common changes that occur in the breast due to age include nipple displacement, stretch marks, an elongated, stretched, or flattened appearance, wider space between the breasts, or lumpiness, which may be due to fibrocystic changes in the breast or serious conditions such as breast cancer.

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Since 2012, the Affordable Care Act has expanded access to preventive care for women. Through this legislation, women have been provided wellness checks and preventive screenings at no out-of-pocket cost, reports women’s health expert and pharmacist Marla Ahlgrimm.  Women no longer have to forego possible early detection of problems such as cervical cysts or cervical cancer because of high co-payments.

Preventive screenings include pap smears, mammograms, and contraceptives. All of the FDA-approved methods of contraception are paid for and included in a health plan. Coverage also includes screenings for sexually transmitted diseases. Identifying HPV – the most common sexually transmitted infection – early on not only decreases a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer but also reduces the cost of medical treatment significantly later on.

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