You, like most people, probably won’t go to the doctor until you are sick. Consequently, you end up spending much more fixing a problem that you could have prevented in the first place. Often, you can avoid emergency visits with different forms of preventive care, including vaccinations and early intervention. Although most healthcare reforms have made many records of preventative care Haverford more accessible, few people take advantage of available care. Below are some of the tactics health professionals use to minimize the number of emergency visits.
Diabetes screening
Diabetes is a common chronic condition in the United States, affecting over 100 million Americans. When left uncontrolled, diabetes can cause complications such as heart disease, vision loss, kidney disease, and nerve damage. Diabetes screening is vital since most types of diabetes don’t cause obvious symptoms during their onset. As such, many people living with diabetes do not know they have the condition until during a routine checkup with the doctor. Diabetes has no cure, but when detected earlier, prediabetes is reversible. Usually, lifestyle changes in diet and physical activity are enough to treat prediabetes.
STI screenings
Many people live with sexually transmitted infections without knowing since some conditions don’t cause symptoms until months or years later. As such, the disease advances, and they also spread it to others without knowing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states STI screenings are among the most important ways to ensure good health, especially for sexually active individuals. Unfortunately, despite STIs being common and treatable, there is still a social stigma around them that often influences people’s decisions to take an STI screening. However, early detection and treatment are important to avoid poor health outcomes, including infertility. If you are sexually active, consider taking an STI test anywhere from three months to annually, depending on your risk factors.
Cancer screening
Cancer screening means checking for abnormal cells that may become cancerous; it is done in people without symptoms. The most common cancer screenings include mammograms (screening for breast cancer and colonoscopies (screening for colorectal cancer). Breast cancer is quite common; one in eight women in America will get this disease during their life. Breast cancer screening (mammograms) takes approximately 20 minutes and can detect abnormal cells in breasts that can spread to other body areas, which can be difficult to treat. Screening allows early detection, which reduces the chances of dying from breast cancer.
Colonoscopies allow your doctor to detect early signs of colorectal cancer, increasing the treatment success rate. Like most cancer types, successful treatment of colorectal cancer also depends on early detection of the disease. Depending on a person’s risk, healthcare providers can use other tests, such as stool tests or CT colonography, to screen for colorectal cancer.
Mental health screening
Depression and anxiety are among the leading mental health problems in the United States. Many of the afflicted individuals may be dealing with relatively mild symptoms, but if left untreated, mental illness can have severe consequences for individuals. But with early detection, your specialist may prescribe medications or recommend counseling to treat the condition.
Book a consultation with your healthcare provider at LSR Wellness to learn how to benefit from preventive care.
