For some reason, people are afraid of the doctor. They create all types of excuses to push back any visit. They only set foot in a hospital when they’re already sick. That’s one of the worse ideas anyone can have. Doctors and hospitals are not scary. They are not here to probe and touch unnecessary places. They are here to help. The cost may be the scariest part of the medical field.
Even then, everyone should try their best to visit a doctor at least once a year. There are many diseases that can be detected early and prevent any serious issues. Along with the basic tests, here are some screens to consider on the next health checkup.
Vision Exam
Eyes are more than just windows to the soul. They are very important to a person’s overall well-being and comfort. For this reason, it’s vital to get them check every 1-3 years. People’s vision is not stable like every other aspects of their health. There are many environmental and lifestyle factors that can affect them at any moments. While there, the doctor may decide to check for glaucoma.
Glaucoma is a group of related eye diseases caused by too high pressure in the eyes. It doesn’t always come with major symptoms but, it can lead to vision loss. It’s treatable if it’s detected early. If not, eye surgery may be necessary.
Depression
Currently, depression is one of the leading cause of death. It’s even worse among teens. Often times it goes undetected especially in men. More than 30% of men are affected by depression at some point of their lives but, most will never get screened.
There are no recommended time slot to get screened but, most doctors and hospital screen at every annual visit. It starts with a simple questionnaire that the doctor will assess and determine whether a referral to a mental health specialist is needed. It’s important to answer the questionnaire as honestly as possible to get the best results.
Blood Pressure and blood sugar
Blood pressure should be checked every three to five years on healthy people with no personal nor family history of blood pressure. People with a history should be checked at least yearly or every doctor’s visit. People with high or low blood pressure should be checked at least once a week. Treatment for blood pressure problems include exercising, healthy diet, and certain medications.
Under 40 years of age, blood sugar screening is unnecessary for someone with no history of diabetes. The annual screening for healthy people starts at age 45. People with the history or have a body mass index greater than 25 – 23 for Asian Americans – should be checked yearly.
Cholesterol and heart problems
Cholesterol screening involves checking the levels of both good and bad cholesterol. The cholesterol panel often also includes the levels of triglycerides. Triglycerides is a type of fat in humans and other animals.
Cholesterol should be checked every five years. High cholesterol can lead to stroke and other heart diseases. If someone has a history of cholesterol, he should be checked more often. Medications for cholesterol includes aspirin but check with a doctor before taking it because it comes with many negative side effects.
HIV
Getting tested for HIV is really important for a person’s health. It involves more than a person sexual health. It should be checked even if the person doesn’t engage in risky behaviors like needle sharing and sexual intercourse with multiple partners or with someone who have multiple partners.
If the person is engaged in risky behaviors, they should get checked more often. The frequency depends on the person’s level of risks. There are plenty of sites that provide free HIV testing.
Colon cancer
Colon cancer screening doesn’t start until the person is at least 50 years old. Younger people get screened only if they have history of colon cancer in the family or if they have certain risk factors including inflammatory bowel disease.
There are different types of colon cancer screening. A colonoscopy is performed every ten year while the stool-based test is done yearly. There’s also the Flexible sigmoidoscopy performed every ten years. The frequency of all increase if the person has risk factors.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a bone disease. The bones lose their density, become fragile and easier to break. It’s more common with bodybuilders. It’s cause by long-term used of steroid, smoking, low body weight, or heavy drinking. It can also happen when someone older than 50 years old fracture their bones. A doctor will suggest whether someone should be screened for osteoporosis or not.
Testicular Cancer
Men often do self-exams on their testicles. However, it’s proving that it’s not very effective at detecting cancer any other problems even when done correctly. It should only be the first stage at detecting problems, not the only stage. While most other cancers have a higher risk around 40s-50s, testicular cancer happen quite often to men in their late 20s.
Testicular cancer is what breast cancer is to women. Men do get breast cancer but testicular cancer is more common among them. It should be performed at every annual check-up. If the doctor noticed anything unusual, he will recommend an ultrasound.
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is one of the most common type of cancer out there. However, it has ceased to be part of the routine cancer for men with no symptom. If a man is worried about prostate cancer, he should as his health provide to perform a prostate cancer screening. The blood test is continuously being done more often.
It is mostly performed on men older than 50 years old. It’s recommend for men with a family history of cancer to check earlier and more often. It is recommended for African Americans to start at age 45.
The doctor’s visit is not a horror should. It’s a task that has an important impact in everybody’s health. As we age, there are many other screenings being added. They each have their functions and should not be neglected. Discuss with a health provided about which health screening to have done.
