Take charge of health

TESTING: REGULAR CHECK-UPS CAN DETECT PROBLEMS BEFORE THEY START

Take steps that help your chances for living a longer, healthier life.

IDr Dulcy Rakumakoe

t is important that you take charge of your health, starting now! Schedule an appointment with your health care provider to discuss what screenings and exams you need and when you need them.

Regular health screenings and tests can help find problems before they start.

They also can help find problems early, when your chances for treatment and cure are better.

By getting the right health services, screenings and treatments, you are taking steps that help your chances for living a longer, healthier life.

Your age, health and family history, lifestyle choices and other important factors impact how often you need healthcare.

The following are the generally recommended screenings:

Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection.

The tests are simple and pain free. Mammography is available at most private hospitals and provincial government hospitals. Pap smears can be done at your local Clinic or General Practitioner. Tests can be done once every three years.

Cholesterol

A complete cholesterol test is a blood test that can measure the amount of cholesterol and fats in your blood.

High cholesterol levels usually don’t cause any signs or symptoms, so a cholesterol test is an important tool. High cholesterol levels often are a significant risk factor for heart disease.

Adults should have their cholesterol checked every five years, beginning at age 18.

More frequent testing may be needed if your initial test results were abnormal or if you’re at higher risk of heart disease because you:

Have a family history of high cholesterol or heart attacks Are overweight Are physically inactive Have diabetes Eat a high-fat diet Smoke cigarettes Are a man older than 45 or a woman older than 55

Colorectal Cancer Screening

Screening for colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps should start at age 50 years in both men and women.

The guidelines are different for individuals with any of the following colorectal cancer risk factors, they should undergo colonoscopy at an earlier age and more frequently than average:

Family history of colorectal cancer or polyps

Family history of a hereditary colorectal cancer syndrome

Personal history of colorectal cancer

Personal history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis or Crohn disease

Hypertension and Mellitu Body Weight Diabetes

An important aspect of lowering risk of cardiovascular disease, also called coronary artery disease (CAD), is managing health behaviours and risk factors, such as diet quality, physical activity, smoking, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, total cholesterol or blood glucose.

Blood pressure is one of the most important screenings because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms so it can’t be detected without being measured.

High blood pressure greatly increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Your healthcare provider may ask for your waist circumference or use your body weight to calculate your body mass index (BMI) during your routine visit.

These measurements may tell you and your physician whether you’re at a healthy body weight. Being obese puts you at higher risk for health problems.

Oral Health for Adults

Many people between the sages of 55 and 64 have some or all of their natural teeth, so oral health in adults is important.

Many medications can affect oral and overall health and untreated gum disease can lead to

tooth loss.

Prostate Screening Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men (not counting skin cancer). It is also one of the leading causes of cancer deaths among men. There are some things you can do that might lower your risk of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer can often be found early using a simple blood test, but it’s not clear if the benefits of testing all men for prostate cancer outweigh the risks, such as finding (and treating) cancers that probably never would have caused any problems. Because of this, it’s important to talk to a health care provider about the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits of prostate cancer screening.