
Health Screening: What Tests You Need and When
A health screening is a little something that you should invest in due to the importance that it brings. With it, you can detect ailments during their early stages; as such, it’s essential if you want to achieve preventive care. It’s way better than diagnostic tests that are only done when a patient is already experiencing symptoms of a certain condition.
On the one hand, a health screening package in Singapore is well worth your money, time, and effort because of the wide array of benefits that they bring. On the other hand, what are the tests that you need to undergo and why? Well, continue reading to find out what they are.
- Blood pressure
Hypertension or high blood pressure is known to many health care practitioners as the silent killer because there are times when even severe cases don’t show any symptom. If left uncontrolled, it may lead to stroke that is caused by damaged or weakened blood vessels. That being said, it’s best to have your blood pressure checked every two years.
- Cholesterol
Inappropriate cholesterol levels can clog your arteries; then increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, or heart attack. With these things in mind, it’s best to have regular cholesterol checks starting at age 45 for women and 35 for men. Those who have a history of heart disease and/or diabetes are encouraged to have them as early as age 20.
- Diabetes
According to studies, some of the most common causes of diabetes are family history, environmental factors, inactivity, unhealthy weight, and so on. Therefore, it’s best to have tests regularly, especially if you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
- Sexually Transmitted Disease
Sexually Transmitted Disease screening is a must (regardless of your gender) if you’re a sexually active individual. Now, there’s no specific timetable for this and it’s best to ask your doctor about tests for HIV, chlamydia, and others.
- Depression
Feeling down or lonely from time to time is normal, but if you’re experiencing it for two weeks straight, it may already be a case of clinical depression. So talk to your doctor if you encounter the said symptom or other similar ones.
- Pap Smear
If you’re a woman, you need to have a pap smear annually or every 3 years, regardless if you’re sexually active or otherwise.
- Prostate Cancer Screening
Prostate cancer affects a significant number of men and failure to address this can lead to health scare or in worst cases, even death. The good news is the said ailment has a nearly 100% cure rate. That’s why it’s best to have prostate cancer screening starting at the age of 50.
Summing up
These are only some of the tests that you need to have if you want to make sure that you’re in tip-top shape and in optimum health. While some prefer to have them after the age of 50, this shouldn’t be the case and it’s best to refer to the ages that were noted in this article to avoid certain health risks.