Essential Screening Tests
To Avoid Potential Health Emergencies
Between the age of 35 and 65, women should request their healthcare providers to carry out some essential screening tests. These tests are done to look out for risk of disease and to catch any potential health problem before it starts or gets worse.
The risk of specific diseases increases after a certain age and therefore screening tests are recommended to check for signs of those disease in middle-aged women.
What are screening tests?
Screening tests are medical exams that health care providers recommend to look for people who may be at a higher risk of a disease. They are not diagnostic tests. if you have specific symptoms health care providers may carry out these tests to screen for potential disease. The test would also show if you are at risk of disease in the future so you can keep a close eye on your health status.
How screening tests can help
Screening tests can be more helpful if you have specific symptoms or have crossed a certain age when you are at greater risk of certain diseases. Sometimes test results can be confusing as some diseases have overlapping symptoms. The health care provider may recommend further testing to rule out disease.
The underlying justification for screening tests is that a potential health hazard may be detected early so that if disease is found, treatment at an early stage of the disease may be possible.
Common Screening Tests
Breast
Breast is a mass of tissues that can normally go through changes. Therefore, a breast self-exam is recommended for women after the age of 20 on a monthly basis. This familiarizes women with the anatomy of their breast and notice any changes like a lump, mass or stiffening as soon as it forms. However, women aged 40 and above should have an annual mammogram, according to the Johns Hopkins Medical Imaging.
Mammography
This is a breast screening test which can detect changes in the breast tissue. An annual mammogram is helpful in the early detection of cancer tissue in the breast. Early detection leads to early treatment and increases the chance of survival. The limitation of this test comes where the breast tissue is dense. Such tissue might mask or hide cancer. Still, 3-D mammogram give a better picture of the breast from different angles as compared to the 2-D mammogram.
Women should get this screening yearly from the age of 40, even if they have no symptoms or if their last mammogram was normal.
Vaginal/ Cervical health
Reproductive health encompasses uterine, cervical and vaginal health and it is important to ensure your reproductive organs are disease free. Just as the uterus can develop fibroids or benign or malignant cysts, similarly the cervix and vagina can develop cysts both benign or malignant.
Pap smear
Therefore, a pap smear is recommended every 2 years to detect conditions and diseases of the vagina and cervix. The health care provider scrapes off a few cells from the cervix or vagina to detect any abnormal cells or tissue growth; look for infections; or other conditions.
Colon
Colon or the large intestine is a hollow tube which is part of the digestive system that makes and stores stool. Diseases of the colon are common. These include hemorrhoids, fissures, polyps, ulcers, colon cancer etc. Some disorders make require diet adjustment, medicines or even surgery.
Colonoscopy
This is a procedure during which your health care provider puts a colonoscope into your rectum and colon to look for polyps (growth), ulcers, irritated tissue or cancerous growth or tissue, collect such tissue and send for labs. This is also a screening test so that any disease can be detected at an earlier stage and treated timely. The doctor will prescribe a colonoscopy only if there are symptoms or you are in a high-risk group for diseases like colon cancer.
Diabetes/ Prediabetes screening
Diabetes is the inability of the body to produce or effectively use insulin that regulates sugar level in the blood. It can be managed through dietary and lifestyle changes for some, while others need medicines or insulin to regulate it. Prediabetes is when your blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Prediabetics are at higher risk of developing diabetes. However, prediabetes is often reversible with dietary and lifestyle changes. That is why screening for prediabetes and diabetes is important for people who have a family history of diabetes, mundane lifestyle or belong to a certain demography i.e Asians, Hispanics.
Blood test while fasting
From the age of 35, if you have any of the following risk factors you should get tested for prediabetes and diabetes. This is done through getting blood sugar level tested through a simple blood test taken while fasting. The risk factors include being overweight, having an inactive lifestyle, large waist size, eating too much red meat, smoking, having a family member, parent or sibling, who has diabetes, having polycystic ovarian syndrome, or having had gestational diabetes.
Cholesterol
High cholesterol in the blood is a high-risk factor for heart attacks, heart disease and coronary artery disease. High level of cholesterol builds up fatty deposits in the arteries, blocking them and leading to disease. There are usually no symptoms for high cholesterol, which is why screening is essential.
Just as with diabetes screening, cholesterol screening is done for people with a predisposition for risk factors. People who have a family history of high cholesterol or heart attacks, or are overweight, have diabetes, smoke or eat unhealthily or are inactive should get their cholesterol screening. While men should get their screening every 1 or 2 years from the age of 45, women should get theirs from the age of 55, but much earlier if they have any of the risk factors. People who are already on cholesterol-lowering medication need a screening more frequently to make sure their medication is working effectively.
Complete cholesterol test or lipid profile
A lipid profile or complete cholesterol test is a blood test that measures the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. This test measures three types of fats in the blood as well as the total cholesterol content in the blood. These fats include LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or the bad cholesterol which builds up in the arteries causing them to narrow or become blocked; HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or good cholesterol carries away the bad cholesterol in the blood keeping a check on the fat buildup in the arteries. Thirdly, the triglycerides are fats in the blood which are converted from extra calorie and stored in fat cells. Risk factors like being overweight, inactive, having diabetes can cause high triglyceride levels.
Vitamin D levels
Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium in the body. It is important for strong bones, muscles and to fight osteoporosis. Women belonging to certain demographics, including Asians and people with darker skin, are prone to have lower vitamin D levels. Therefore, it is important to get vitamin D levels checked. Especially if women have any of the symptoms like muscle weakness or pain, bone or joint pains, low bone density, fractures etc or risk factors such as being older than 60, obese, having less exposure to the sun, digestive disorders such as celiac disease or Crohn’s disease.
25-Hydroxy vitamin D test and the bone density scan (DEXA scan)
The vitamin D levels can be tested through a blood test called the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. This test indicates whether the vitamin D level is low or high. This will help women, who are more prone than men to have lower levels, to adjust their diets and exposure to sun rays. Dexa scan is an x-ray which measures bone density by showing its thickness and strength. This is useful to show who is at risk of osteoporosis and weak bones before the condition gets worse. These should be done every 1 or 2 years especially if you are taking medication for osteoporosis or medication that affects bone density. Some researches recommend these tests from the age of 50.
Vitamin D deficiency is considered an epidemic and worldwide public health problem by some researchers. Therefore, this screening is essential for women to have normal vitamin D levels and effective calcium absorption to have healthy bones, no muscle or bone and joint pain or backaches and don’t have brittle bones or fractures.
From their late thirties, women should have an active lifestyle and keep an eye on their health status. They should ensure all the above screening tests are done and they maintain healthy levels of required nutrients or those that need to be avoided.
https://www.webmd.com/women/ss/slideshow-screening-tests-women
Written By: Amna Saadat Ali
