If the last couple of years taught us anything it’s that health is, indeed, wealth. When it is all said and done, no amount of money or resources can save us when our bodies are under attack. And with COVID changing her lace front every week, now is a great time to start making appointments to ensure that everything is working properly. No more putting off the things that give us the most anxiety or simply making due through recurring pain, sickness or discomfort—2022 has to be the year that we are more proactive about our wellbeing than ever before. Regardless of age, Black women are unfortunately at a greater health risk for many conditions and; therefore, need to take a more serious role in our own healthcare. If you’re wondering which appointments need to be top of mind for you in the new year, here are a few ideas to get you headed in the right direction. 

Mammogram

If you’re over the age of 35 and/or if you have a family history of breast cancer, a mammogram should definitely be in the cards for you this coming year. The normal age for this screening for our non-Black peers is 45 and up; however, as many Black women run the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer either later into their fight against the disease, it is a good idea for us to start screening earlier in life. The hope is that with early screening comes early detection resulting in less fatalities. 

Allergy screening

Many health concerns are now being linked to our digestive systems and in dealing with the root of many underlying issues, people are discovering more allergies to common foods than ever before. Our bodies go through so many changes as women on a monthly and yearly basis that it’s imperative that we check in with it as often as possible. Finding out if any of the foods you normally consume are causing inflammation in your body can be a discovery with lasting benefits. 

Pap Smear 

After spending a year in quarantine where many of our yearly appointments were cancelled or relegated to virtual screening, a lot of us may be due for a check-in with our woman parts. Especially if your last pap smear produced any abnormalities, 2022 is a great time to follow up on any findings and check-in to make sure all things are a go. For those women who are looking into starting families in the near future, this may also be a good opportunity to talk to your doctor about any family planning tools you want to get off of sooner rather than later. 

Ear, Nose and Throat

With our immune systems working overtime to keep us healthy in the face of an ongoing pandemic, our sinuses, sense of taste/smell and even our hearing may have taken a hit, especially for those who did contract COVID at any point over the last few years. Many people have discussed “long COVID” symptoms and may need an action plan on restoring any of their senses that were affected via the virus. 

Dentist

This may seem like an obvious reminder but far too many of us can drag our feet when it comes to keeping up with our dental health until we run into pain or other issues. Something that we fail to realize is just how many health concerns have roots in our dental health. Heart  disease, digestive issues and even much serious conditions like dementia, can all be linked back to poor dental hygiene. It is important that we are all remembering to say ahhh at least twice a year.

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