Health screening – What and Why?

by Uncategorized

Health is wealth

A lot of people are unaware of the health conditions that they might be suffering from. A health screening is a medical test that includes tests or procedures that are done to check for diseases, infections, and other conditions. You may be advised to have a health screening if you are worried about your health or if you want to assess the risk of certain diseases. Screenings are often used to identify conditions that might not have caused any signs or symptoms.

Technology has long been used in helping doctors identify patients who need more specialized care, but now it is being utilized as a tool for diagnosing patients as well. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has found its way into doctors’ offices and is changing how they approach their work with patients. Technology that reads medical records, analyzes symptoms, and is capable.

Managing your health means managing a number of factors in your life. You can get a good idea of how effective this management is by the results of some of the laboratory tests you have done. Some screenings are performed by your doctor in the office, while others require specialized equipment and technicians, so they are performed in hospitals or other clinic settings. 

Why health screening??

Health screenings are performed to detect sickness and its symptoms as soon as possible. When a person first shows symptoms of an illness, the disease may already be advanced in its growth. Regular health checkups can help you feel more secure in your daily activities. When creating health screens, healthcare providers decide which illnesses are common enough to trigger routine tests. In general, those illnesses that are treated successfully with an early diagnosis are among those which providers do screenings. The average patient should be able to afford and easily undertake a health screening.

The objective of medical screening is to identify disease in its early phase. In Nepal, cancer is becoming the second most common cause of mortality among women. Factors responsible for this are delayed diagnosis, limited cancer screening, and lack of knowledge. So, screening for cancer from tests (CEA, APF, CA19.9, CA125 ) has become one of the greatest successes of screening.

What health screenings are recommended for you?

Your doctor might recommend that you get specific health exams based on factors including your sex, age, family history, and risk factors. He will prescribe screenings based on their understanding of you and your overall health. 

Health screening is often recommended at a certain age depending on some factors.

When you have a family history of breast cancer, it is frequently advised to start breast cancer screening at age 40. Cervical cancer screening is recommended every three years beginning at age 25. While cholesterol screening should normally be done once a year and screening for diabetes should start at age 20. If you have a family history of diabetes or other risks, your doctor may advise you to have a fasting blood sugar test.

By having regular health checkups, you can determine if you have any problems before you show any symptoms. One of the most important parts of health screening is getting the information required to make better decisions. If you do this, you’ll be able to get any treatment you need as early as possible.

Blood pressure and sugar testing: Why, when and how?

by Uncategorized

“High blood sugar affects one in 5 people and high blood pressure affects two in 5 people.”

(Dr. Vijaya Prasad Paudel, 2017 )

Nearly two in five Nepali people have high blood sugar, also known as hypertension. Even if your blood pressure is relatively high, you won’t likely have any symptoms, so by the time you start feeling ill, some damage may have already been done. Therefore, it’s crucial to frequently check your blood pressure as part of your “Cardiovascular Risk Assessment“.

Persistent high blood pressure can cause the heart to enlarge and weaken. It also damages the blood vessels, especially if you also have raised blood cholesterol or diabetes, or if you smoke. If blood vessels become narrowed or blocked, a heart attack or stroke may occur. 

Similarly, Diabetes is a serious condition where your blood glucose level is too high. It can happen when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it produces isn’t effective. Managing diabetes can be challenging. Considering that chronic damage to many of the body’s organ systems, such as the liver and kidneys, can take place throughout this time. In order to reduce the damage of diabetes, screening should be an effective strategy.

What are healthy levels for a blood glucose series?

  • Pre-lunch between 4.5 and 7.8mmol
  • 2 hours after lunch between 4.5 and 8.5mmol
  • First thing in the morning (fasting) between 4 and 6mmol.

High blood pressure and sugar: hidden dangers

In the short term, high blood pressure and sugar levels can zap your energy, cause excessive thirst and urination, and blur your vision. High blood sugar levels can also lead to dehydration, dry and itchy skin, and infections. 

Over time, high pressure and blood sugar affect many parts of the body. –

  • Memory problems
  • Vision problems like blurriness, diabetic retinopathy, and blindness
  • Gum disease leads to tooth loss, which can make eating healthy foods difficult due to problems chewing
  • Heart attack and stroke due to increased plaque build-up in the vessels and other vascular issues
  • Kidney disease can lead to the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant
  • Nerve damage can cause decreased sensation in the feet and legs which increases the risk for wounds to turn into serious infections and even amputation.

When should I get my blood pressure checked?

Every adult should have their blood pressure and sugar checked regularly.  It is more common in older age groups but it can affect younger people too. Your doctor will advise you depending on your age, whether you are taking any medications, and your general health. Regular checks are important for:

  • all men aged over 45 and women over 55 years
  • smokers
  • those who are overweight
  • pregnant women and those taking the oral contraceptive pill
  • those with a family history of heart disease.

Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus are both major modifiable risk factors leading to premature death due to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment are a must to reduce mortality due to the following diseases.  In 95% of people with high blood pressure, there is no obvious cause. The remaining 5% generally have a specific cause, such as kidney disease and others. Several laboratory tests like lipid profile, liver function test, thyroid function test, diabetic profile, renal function test, urine analysis) can give you an indication of the level of your diabetes and other diseases. They can also assist you in observing changes over time and determining whether or not the diabetes management techniques you are applying are effective or not.