Staying healthy before your wedding is crucial. Follow these tips for brides-to-be as well as for the groom. You should get some medical testing done before your marriage so that you can stay healthy through-out as well as after your wedding. The tests are not mandatory nor are there any specific pre-marital test, however, it is a good idea to do some tests for anemia, thyroid or sugar problems to check your general well-being. Tests can be individualized as per your medical history and your family history of health problems.
Pap Smear
If you haven’t already been having yearly Pap smears and gynecology exams, now is a good time to schedule a visit. Pap testing is a method of screening of the cervix that is used to detect potentially pre-cancerous and cancerous tumors in the female reproductive system. You should have a Pap smear, and a complete pelvic exam to check for any abnormalities
Now is a good time to discuss your plans for either contraception or potential pregnancies. Your doctor can also help you decide which type of birth control is best for you and your future fertility.
Genetic Testing
Genetic testing is sometimes desired before marriage for certain couples whose plans include the possibility of having children. Your health care providers can help you and your spouse decide if genetic testing is necessary.
Some couples choose to be childless and may decide that they desire either tubal ligation or vasectomy, even before the marriage takes place. Other couples who have previously undergone permanent sterilization, and who now want to have children, may wish to have either tubal ligation or vasectomy reversal.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Now is an excellent time, if either of you have had previous sexual relationships, to be tested for HIV, syphilis and other STDs. Undiagnosed sexually transmitted diseases such as pelvic inflammatory disease can have a devastating effect on your future fertility.
General Physical Exam
A complete general physical exam that includes laboratory testing and a discussion about your family medical history and potential health risks is important for both you and your future spouse. Make sure that your immunizations are up-to-date at this appointment. Tests can be done to screen for thalassemia gene, sickle cell anemia, and hepatitis.
Other tests would include a test for blood group and Rh factor. Majority of the population is Rh positive but a small percentage of people are Rh Negative. Rh incompatibility in the couple can cause problems for the baby and there are remedial measures available. Each person’s blood is one of four major types: A, B, AB, or O. Blood types are determined by the types of antigens on the blood cells. Antigens are proteins on the surface of blood cells that can cause a response from the immune system.
The Rh factor is a type of protein on the surface of red blood cells. Most people who have the Rh factor are Rh-positive. Those who do not have the Rh factor are Rh-negative. If your blood lacks the Rh antigen, it is called Rh-negative. If it has the antigen, it is called Rh-positive. When the mother is Rh-negative and the father is Rh-positive, the fetus can inherit the Rh factor from the father. This makes the fetus Rh-positive too. Problems can arise when the fetus’s blood has the Rh factor and the mother’s blood does not.
If you are Rh-negative, you may develop antibodies to an Rh-positive baby. If a small amount of the baby’s blood mixes with your blood, which often happens, your body may respond as if it were allergic to the baby. Your body may make antibodies to the Rh antigens in the baby’s blood. This means you have become sensitized and your antibodies can cross the placenta and attack your baby’s blood. They break down the fetus’s red blood cells and produce anemia (the blood has a low number of red blood cells). This condition is called hemolytic disease or hemolytic anemia. It can become severe enough to cause serious illness, brain damage, or even death in the fetus or newborn.
If you plan to honeymoon outside Pakistan, you should discuss any special precautions that you may need to take. If after all your wedding planning is done, you discover that your period is due during your honeymoon, talk to your health care provider several months in advance about using contraceptives to delay the onset of menstruation. Many health care providers now prescribe long-term use of the Pill to reduce or eliminate menstruation.
Ways Marriage Can Keep You Healthy
Many different research studies are discovering that being married can help you stay healthy. Here are the health benefits that can result from tying the knot with your spouse.
- A marriage can help you live a longer life
- Married individuals will probably have less surgeries and stays in the hospital
- There will always be a support system between the spouses
- Many married couples exercise together
- Having a spouse helps you stay more committed to a healthy diet plan
- Married folks are less likely to die from stroke, pneumonia and other accidents
- If you suffer from congestive heart failure and other diseases, you’ll have a better recovery
- The health habits of married couples are less risky than single folks
Ways an Unhappy Marriage Can Ruin Your Health
An unhappy marriage is of course not desired by any couple. It can lead to some serious health concerns for both males and females, such as:
Changes in Systems
Unhappy married individuals, especially women, can experience changes in their endocrine and immune systems. These changes can affect your thyroid and adrenal glands as well as cause inflammation due to the weakened immune system.
Hormones
You may have elevated levels of epinephrine and cortisol hormones. Elevated cortisol levels can increase stress.
Blood Pressure
Stressed individuals often show increases in blood pressure readings.
Influenza and Common Cold
Lack of harmony in marriage can cause couples to have a higher incidence of influenza and the common cold as a result of your weak immune system.
Faster Heart Rates
A faster heart rate that doesn’t mean you are excited about seeing your spouse, could be a sign that you are not so eager to be with your spouse.
Heart Disease, Cancer, and Arthritis
Individuals in unhappy, troubled marriages may experience an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and arthritis and joint pain (inflammation).
If you as a couple are experiencing trouble in a marriage, get couples counseling and communicate your issues with each other. A happy marriage is all about communication and trust.
