Many people dread getting health screenings because they think it means needles, waiting in line and having someone poke and prod you. A health screening is much more than that. It’s an opportunity to give you insight into your body and its inner workings. Getting a health screening is important because it helps detect certain illnesses or conditions early on when they are easier to manage and treat.
Health screenings can be general or specific to an area of the body.
General screenings test for common risks in your age group while specific screenings are tests that check for predispositions to particular diseases or disorders.
5 Benefits of Getting a Health Screening
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about your health. Each day you go about your business, meeting responsibilities at work, home and school. Meanwhile, the risk of contracting an illness or developing a medical condition that could shorten your lifespan creeps closer with every tick of the clock. Luckily, there’s something you can do about it.
Getting a health screening is one of the best things you can do to understand how healthy you are right now and what risks you may face in the future. A comprehensive health screening will give you insight into everything from your blood pressure to your body mass index (BMI). And armed with this information, you can take steps to reduce those risks and improve your overall well-being sooner rather than later.
Basics of a Health Screening
A health screening is an examination that measures a range of factors in your health. Screenings are generally highly targeted, meaning you’ll only be tested for factors that are relevant to your age group and risk factors. For example, if you’re 40 years old, a blood test for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) would be completely unnecessary.
But if you’re 20 years old, it would be important for your health and wellbeing. Health screenings are often performed by a medical professional in a dedicated facility. The test is painless and only takes a few minutes. After the examination, the medical professional will review your results and typically give you advice on how to reduce your risks and improve your health.
Why You Should Get a Health Screening
You might be wondering why you should get a health screening in the first place. Why not just stay healthy and avoid diseases as they arise? In truth, that’s a great plan if you’re superhuman. Unfortunately, none of us are perfect, and the majority of us will face some degree of illness or condition in our lifetimes.
The sooner you understand what might be coming your way, the better equipped you’ll be to fight it off and keep yourself healthy. With that in mind, here are some of the most common reasons why you should get a health screening.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Assessment
Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body. Without it, you would die. Because of its vital function, it’s also one of the first organs in your body to show signs of disease. That’s why a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment is one of the most important things you can have at your next health screening.
Also known as cardiac risk assessment, this test measures your risk for developing heart disease. It does this by taking into account a number of factors including your age, diet, family history, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. With this information, your medical professional can give you an idea of how likely it is you’ll suffer from CVD in the future.
Blood Pressure Check
Your blood pressure is one of the most important indicators of your health. If it’s too high, you’re at a significantly greater risk of contracting a range of diseases and conditions including heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. That’s why it’s essential that you have this checked at your next health screening.
There are a few methods that medical professionals typically use to assess blood pressure. Most commonly, they will use a blood pressure machine to take several readings. They may also take your pulse as a secondary indicator of your blood pressure. Your blood pressure reading will fall somewhere within a normal range. The higher your blood pressure, the higher your risk for a range of diseases and conditions is.
Body Mass Index Calculation
If you’ve ever stepped on a scale and cringed, you might have dreaded reckoning with your weight. It can be challenging to know how much you should weigh and how you can get there. Thankfully, your health screening will tell you everything you need to know. It will calculate your body mass index (BMI) and let you know if you’re at a healthy weight.
The BMI is a measurement used to assess whether you’re underweight, overweight or at a healthy weight. Your weight, age and gender are used to calculate your BMI. A high BMI can indicate you may be overweight and at risk for a range of diseases and conditions.
Colonoscopy
Your colon is responsible for helping you digest food and removing waste from your system. If you eat too much and don’t move enough, it can become blocked with food and bacteria. When that happens, it’s called a colonic fermentation, and it can be dangerous. Your colonic fermentation levels will be tested during your health screening.
If they’re too high, your medical professional will likely recommend you get a colonoscopy. It’s a procedure that lets your doctor see inside your colon. During the procedure, your doctor will insert a long, thin tube into your anus and up through your gastrointestinal tract. The tube will be fitted with a camera that lets your doctor see inside your colon and rectum. A colonoscopy can catch diseases and conditions that would otherwise go unnoticed and cause serious damage to your health.
BMI Calculation for Adults
If you’re under 40 years old, your BMI will be calculated based on your weight and height. If you’re 40 or older, your BMI will be calculated based on your weight, height and waist circumference.
Your BMI is an important measurement because it can help you understand if you have an unhealthy weight. An unhealthy weight can lead to a number of diseases and conditions like heart disease, diabetes and obesity. A healthy weight for you is different from someone else. Your healthy weight is based on your health, genetics, lifestyle and what you can do with your body.
Lung Function Test
Your lungs are responsible for taking oxygen into your body and releasing carbon dioxide out. You need them to live, which is why they’re also known as your respiratory system. Your respiratory system can be affected by a number of factors including genetics, environment, diet and stress.
A lung function test will help you determine whether you have any issues with your respiratory system. Your lung function test will be based on your age and lifestyle. A medical professional will look at your breathing patterns, lung capacity and more to determine whether you have any issues with your respiratory system. If a problem is detected, your medical professional will recommend treatment.
Conclusion
Getting a health screening is the best way to know what’s going on with your body and how to fix it. A health screening can uncover a wide range of factors that could affect your health and quality of life.
From your blood pressure to your BMI, there’s a lot your health screening can tell you about your current state of health and what you can do to improve it. And that’s why it’s so important to get a health screening. It’s the best way to understand your current state of health and what you can do to improve it.