Health Screening

Today I am going to talk about Health Screening. So, do you know what is health screening? Why is it important? What are the types of screens available? I am going to cover them today.

What is Health Screening?


Health Screening is the use of tests, physical examinations or other procedures to detect disease early in people who look or feel well. This is different from diagnostic tests which are done when someone is already showing signs and/or symptoms of a disease. It detects diseases earlier than diagnostic tests.




Why should you go for Health Screening?


Health screening helps you find out if you have a particular disease or condition even if you feel perfectly well, without any symptoms and/or signs of disease. Early detection, followed by treatment and good control of the condition can result in better outcomes, and lowers the risk of serious complications. It is therefore important to get yourself screened even if you feel perfectly healthy.


What are the types of Screens available?

Recommended for	To screen for	Screening test	Screening frequency
Individuals aged 18 yrs and above	Obesity	Body Mass Index (BMI)	Once a year
		Waist circumference
Individuals aged 18 yrs and above	Hypertension (High blood pressure)	Blood pressure measurement	Once every two years or more frequently as advised by your doctor.
Individuals aged 40 yrs and above	Diabetes mellitus	Fasting blood glucose	Once every three years or more frequently as advised by your doctor
	Hyperlipidaemia(High blood cholesterol)	Fasting lipids
Individuals aged 50 yrs and above	Colorectal cancer	Faecal immunochemical test(to test for blood in stools) OR	Once a year
		Colonoscopy	Once every ten years
Additional Tests for Women
Women aged 25-69 yrs, who have had sexual intercourse	Cervical cancer	Pap smear	Once every three years
Women aged 50-69 yrs	Breast cancer	Mammogram	Once every two years.

These are just the Screens more beneficial to everyone. For more Screens, check with a hospital or just search "health screening" at google

What should you do after a health screening?

If your screening results are normal, you should continue to go for regular screening at the recommended frequency because screening only detects health conditions that are present at the time of screening. If you develop signs or symptoms after your screening, please see your doctor do not wait for your next screening appointment.

If your screening results are abnormal, you should follow-up with your doctor immediately even if you feel perfectly well. Early treatment and good control of disease can result in better outcomes and prevent or delay serious complications.

Why should you go for regular Screening at the recommended frequency?

A one-off screening will only pick up health conditions that are present at the time of screening. Regular screening helps to detect conditions that may develop after the previous screening. Hence, it is important for you to go for regular screening tests at the recommended frequency.

-QiZhi