Personalized Bastrop preventive health care is essential for your overall long-term wellness. Unfortunately, it is common for people not to visit the doctor unless they are sick. But the importance of preventive care cannot be overstated; it helps detect health problems earlier when you have better chances of recovery. Other preventive care benefits include reduced cost of disease management, avoiding or treating illness symptoms, and improved quality of life. Below are some of the standard preventive care services.
Diabetes screening
Diabetes screening involves testing your blood sugar to establish if you have prediabetes, gestational diabetes, type 1 diabetes, or type 2 diabetes. The doctor may use one or a combination of tests such as fasting blood sugar test, A1C test, glucose tolerance test, and random blood sugar test. Most people live with diabetes without knowing it since the symptoms may not be present. For example, type 2 diabetes develops gradually, and symptoms appear as the disease progresses. But diabetes screening can help you prevent type 2 diabetes with simple treatments such as lifestyle changes in physical activity and diet.
STI screenings
Sexually transmitted infections may not exhibit symptoms until later; therefore, most people live with STIs and spread the disease to others without knowing. Specialists recommend screening anyone sexually active to avoid spreading the infection. Although most sexually transmitted infections are common and treatable, social stigma may influence someone’s decision to get an STI screening. Unfortunately, when left undetected and untreated, STIs can cause significant problems, including infertility. Testing for STI is necessary every three months to once each year; how often you require testing depends on risk factors.
Blood pressure test
A blood pressure test measures the pressure in your arteries as the heart pumps. It is a routine part of most doctors; appointments but a blood pressure test can also be used to screen for hypertension. Adults with normal blood pressure and no risk of heart disease should get screened every two to five years, but annual testing is necessary for adults above 40. Specialists recommend regular blood pressure tests for individuals with chronic health conditions. Screening for high blood pressure reduces the incidents of heart failure and stroke.
Cancer screenings
Cancer screening means checking your body for cancer before signs and symptoms of the illness are present. Regular screening can help detect cervical, breast, lung, and colorectal cancer earlier when the success rate for treatment is higher. For example, mammograms screen for breast cancer; the test takes about 20 minutes and can help detect breast cancer before spreading to other body parts. When detected and treated early, most women recover and survive breast cancer. The same applies to different types of cancer, such as colorectal and cervical.
Mental health screenings
Your mental health is essential as your physical health, so it is vital to ensure your mental health is in check. Mental health screening allows your specialist to detect mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression and offer treatment. Unfortunately, most people with mental health disorders may not realize that they have an illness that needs treatment. Any untreated mental disorder can have devastating effects on individuals and the community.
Discuss with your provider at Pompeyo C Chavez, MD, how you can benefit from preventive health care.