Have You Had A Medical Check-up Lately?

In the real world, no one really enjoys going to visit the doctor, particularly when all feels fit and well. It is however important not to put or shrug it off. Don’t procrastinate just because you have no symptoms or your family has no medical history. The earlier those pre-cancerous abnormalities or that cancer are detected, the better and more effective treatment will be.

Cervical screening

Cervical cancers may be prevented by 90% through regular pap smears which do very early screening for abnormalities and any changes to the cervix cells. It is recommended that a woman should have a pap smear every 2 years from age18 or within 2 years of initiating sexual activity active. It is still recommended that one undergoes regular pap smears even if one has gotten the HPV vaccine. The human papillomavirus vaccine does not prevent all strains/types of the HPV that cause cervical cancer.

Breast cancer screening

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by the age of 85; an estimated 14,940 Australian women were diagnosed with the disease in 2013. This is the most common type of cancer in women. One out of eight women will by age 85 be diagnosed with it; in 2013, an estimated 14,940 Australian women got diagnosed with it.

In Australia, women over the age of 40 are eligible every 2 years for free mammograms through the national program. A kind of an x-ray, mammograms detect abnormalities and very early breast cancers before they can have any noticeable symptoms. Regular ones may reduce the breast cancer associated risk of dying by 25 per cent in woman between 50 and 60 years of age

Prostate cancer

There is no single and easy test for screening prostate cancer. The doctor may however suspect prostate cancer during a digital rectal examination or if the blood test shows that your level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) is above the levels typical for your age. You may be referred for a biopsy if cancer is suspected.

Because it typically grows very slowly, and you are an over 50 male even with no family history or symptoms, it is worthwhile to consider the advantages of having the digital examination or PSA test. The Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation has recommended that men over 50 or 40 with a family cancer history should organize to have regular checks.

Bowel cancer

By age 85, 1 in every 12 Australians has been diagnosed with some form of bowel cancer. This is a lethal and insidious disease and the earlier it is detected, the greater the chance of it being treated successfully. If you are over 50, you should get tested every 2 years as it increases with advancing age.

Using a simple method known as FOBT, the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program screens for any hidden blood contained in the stool and it is free. People aged between 50 and 65 years are eligible without charge for the program, while turning 70 to be will added in 2015.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) informs that in the U.S, men on the average live 6 years less when compared to women. They are also at a greater heart disease risk, cancer, stroke and injuries. Men are also less likely to have taken health insurance cover or even look out preventive care as compared to women.

There is a big variety of ailments that affect men which have few or no symptoms during their early growth stages and the wait and see or feel ill male attitude is dangerous. Some of these diseases are easier to treat when they are at their early stages. The myth that men grudgingly only schedule that visit to the doctor when things are bad is not stereotyping and should be debunked.

Final word!

Every man must undergo a full physical exam. During a physical exam, the doctor will screen for underlying conditions that you may even be unaware of, assess your future risks, check blood pressure, and perform any other additional testing taking into consideration on your age. Additional of significance include monitoring your level of cholesterol, screening for STDs, assessing thyroid and kidney function and checking for pre-diabetes or diabetes.

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