An Ounce of Screening
Prevention
In almost every case, prevention is better than later treatment. Part of prevention is health screenings. Especially as we age, health screenings can surface problems before they become major diseases.
As you read each section, check the box after the heading if you need to update your screening in that area.
Basic Blood Tests ☐
Start with a basic blood panel. When you turn 40, you should check your cholesterol levels, get your blood sugar tested, and test your kidney and liver functions. These are simple blood tests. If all the tests come back as normal---excellent. Now you have a baseline. We recommend doing these blood tests every year or two. They are easy and cheap.
Blood Pressure ☐
You can quickly check your blood pressure at home with a simple device. Because blood pressure varies depending on the time of day, stress levels, and other factors, we recommend getting a home blood pressure device or using a public blood pressure cuff monthly. Home tests give you a baseline, and if you see it rising, you can take action. Maybe its time to reduce stress, get more exercise, and eat better. You can’t tell if you have high blood pressure unless you test it. There are no symptoms. High blood pressure can cause organ damage, so check it.
Weigh In ☐
Tracking your weight can be done at home. Don’t obsess over your weight, but it’s good to monitor to see if it changes. Nowadays, smart scales are available that track and chart your weight over time. They can also track your body’s fat level, which is more important than your weight. Monitor your weight weekly.
Plumbing Checks ☐
Once you hit 50, you should get a colonoscopy. This checks for colon cancer. Because colon cancer tends to grow very slowly, this is usually only required every 10 years. If your doctor removes some growths from the colon, he may have you come back sooner.
Thyroid ☐
As we age, our thyroid often loses its potency. As many as 1 out of 7 older people have low thyroid levels. At first, the symptoms are very slight. It is good to get your thyroid levels checked every 5 years with a simple blood test. Sometimes the levels are low but not low enough to be considered a disease. You can treat reduced thyroid levels to keep them in the optimal range.
Lungs ☐
If you are over 50 and have smoked for more than 20 years, you should get screened for lung cancer. Screening involves a CT scan that takes an image of your lungs.
Skin ☐
Skin cancer is by far the most common type of cancer. Thankfully, when caught early, it is treatable. You should have your skin checked for cancer every 3 years. This is especially important if you have light skin and burn easily. If you’ve had more than 5 sunburns, your risk of skin cancer doubles, so it’s more important to get checked. If you’re over 30 and have never had a skin check, talk to your doctor scheduling one.
Teeth ☐
We may think dental checkups are for looks, but problems with our gums and teeth can spread to other organs. Having an undetected dental infection increases the risk of heart disease by almost 3 times! We recommend getting a dental cleaning every year and a checkup from a dentist with X-rays every two years.
Eyes ☐
As we age, our eyes change. You should see an optometrist every two years, more often if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of eye disease. In addition to checking your vision, an optometrist can screen for eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Ears ☐
If you notice any trouble hearing or understanding conversations, you should get your hearing checked. Once your reach 60, you should have your hearing checked even if you don’t have hearing loss. It’s good to set a baseline. After that, you should get your hearing checked every 5 years.
Vaccines ☐
Some vaccines can reduce our risk of disease. Flu vaccines, usually given in the fall, can reduce the risk of death from flu by half. And because the flu is a bit different every year, and the vaccine protection only lasts a few months, you need a flu shot every year. For people over 65, especially if you have other health conditions, it might make sense. Although the flu is not as deadly as COVID, for a 70-year-old, it is about as risky as dying in an accident. Think of a flu vaccine as a seatbelt. It helps in most cases. Similarly, with COVID vaccines, depending of regional COVID levels, an annual booster might be in order. See the COVID article in this issue for more info.
Rash-inal Pain ☐
Shingles won’t kill you, but you may wish you were dead. Shingles can cause long-term nerve damage. The shingles rash only lasts a few weeks, but one 1 in 10 people get nerve pain that can last for years. If you are over 50, it might make sense to get the shingles vaccine. It is very effective at preventing nerve pain. The vaccine is given in 2 doses over a few months. The side effects, such as headache, nausea, and fatigue, tend to be a bit stronger than the flu vaccine’s, but the shingles vaccine lasts about 5 years.
Lady Parts ☐
Women should start getting checked for breast cancer at 50 every two years until age 75. If you have family members with breast cancer, get checked earlier and more often. Also, every three years, women should get tested for cervical cancer. This means a Pap test or a test for the HPV virus. Women over 65 should also get a bone density scan.
Man’s Equipment ☐
Every month, check the family jewels for lumps. Take each one between your thumb and a finger and check for lumps or hard spots. If you notice any, make a doctor’s appointment. And between ages 50 and 70, every 2 years, you should get a PSA blood test. It can detect prostate cancer early enough that it is easy to treat.
Downsides
Everything is a tradeoff. The downside to getting screened is getting a false test result that shows a disease. Overly sensitive tests can cause unnecessary stress and, in the worst case, result in unnecessary treatment. With any health screening, don’t overreact to potentially negative news. Usually, screening only shows if more investigation is necessary.
Ramp Up Prevention
Your body is complex with lots of systems to keep healthy. Stay up to date on your maintenance schedule. If there are some health screenings that you are behind on, make an appointment. An ounce of screening is worth a pound of treatment.
