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The Health Benefits of Body Screening

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The health benefits of body screening

What Is Body Screening?

This is whereby tests are conducted on an individual’s body to establish if there is any disease or condition they might have before seeking actual medical care. It helps to diagnose any disease in your body early enough and start medication immediately.

Generally, screening tests are simple, inexpensive and rapid. Screening is an important aspect of preventative health care. Health screening involves physical tests, medical tests, radiology tests, and laboratory tests.

Screening tests are important as they help diagnose diseases at an early stage where treatment is easy and affordable. Additionally, screening helps us find and prevent cancer. Cancer is treatable when diagnosed at an early stage.  When cancer is detected at early stages doctors will recommend a list of generic or brand names of drugs to use.

Screening helps us change or adopt a new lifestyle as a way of preventing attacks from certain diseases.

The Common Screening Tests

The following are common screening tests conducted on individuals.

Diabetes

According to the American Diabetes Association, regardless of your body weight, you should get a diabetes screening at the age of 45.

Fecal Occult Blood Test:

This screening test is conducted to test the amount of hemoglobin on the stool. It is done using chemical test or microscopic analysis. Three blood samples are taken and tested under the microscope. The presence of blood in the stool can be an indication of cancerous growth in the rectum or colon. It can also occur as a result of hemorrhoids, gastrointestinal bleeding or due to certain foods or medication.

Colonoscopy

This screening is done to establish if there are any problems or diseases in your colon. The common problems associated with the colon are the colon cancer or the colon polyps.

Cholesterol measurements

It is done by taking some blood samples to establish whether you are at a risk of having cardiovascular disease.

Pap test (Pap smears)

This test involves taking cells from the cervix in women to establish if there are any cancerous cells. Sexually active women with less than 65 years should take the test. It helps detect cancerous cells in the cervix when there are no symptoms.

Mammography

This test is conducted to establish cancerous cells in the breast especially where there are no symptoms. Women at the age of 50 should take this medical exam every 2 years.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test

This blood test is taken to establish the level of Prostate Specific Antigen in the blood. It helps identify if you have prostate cancer or other problems such as the benign prostatic hyperplasia which is the enlargement of the prostates or prostatitis which is the inflammation of the prostate.

How Often Should You Do Screening?

When and how often you do the screening, depends on your age, gender, health status, and gender. Your doctor should guide you on how to go about the whole process. The benefits and the shortcomings of conducting the tests.

What Are The Effects Of Screening?

Screening especially at the lower abdomen using x-ray examinations exposes the body to radiation and endoscopy of the bowel. This causes bleeding and sometimes other serious injuries. Therefore, it should be established whether screening outweighs the risks.

According to WHO, detecting a disease early may not always benefit the patient. Sometimes there are no improved health outcomes. This makes people worry about having the illness and have a longer treatment period.

Based on your medical conditions, you need to talk to your doctor regarding the tests that you should take. You can also ask the opinion of different doctors since different doctors have varying opinions in regards to screening.

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