There are many types of health screening. Among the most commonly performed health tests are those that check for signs of cancer, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Health screening tests are can be useful for determining whether or not a person has diabetes.
Depending on their age and other factors, women may see their doctors for health screening tests that detect cancers common in females. For example, many women have yearly pap smears to help detect abnormal cells in the cervix, which is the neck of a woman’s uterus. Abnormal cervical cells may be an early sign of developing cervical cancer. Women may also have mammograms, which look for breast changes that may indicate breast cancer.
Men may see their doctors for prostate exams. Prostate exams are usually recommended as a yearly health screening for men who are over 50 years old. During this exam, a doctor feels for lumps on the prostate gland that could indicate the development of cancer.
People of both genders see their doctors for blood pressure screenings. For this screening, medical professionals use a device called a blood pressure cuff to determine whether the patient has a high blood pressure reading. While anyone can have an occasional high blood pressure reading, blood pressure that remains high is typically the result of a condition called hypertension. If a person has hypertension, or high blood pressure, the blood in his body moves too forcefully against his artery walls. Left untreated, high blood pressure increases a person’s risk of heart attack, stroke, and even kidney failure.
Sometimes health screenings require medical professionals to draw and test a patient’s blood. For example, a doctor may draw a person’s blood to check for cholesterol, which is a fatty, wax-like substance. The body naturally produces cholesterol, and it is found in many types of food. Having some cholesterol is normal and even healthy for the body. Having too much of it can put a person at increased risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Blood test health screenings are also used to detect diabetes. After a person eats, a hormone called insulin helps glucose, also called blood sugar, to get into the body’s cells, where it is used for energy. If a person has diabetes, he may not have enough insulin to handle glucose properly, or he may not have the hormone at all. Some people with diabetes have enough insulin, but their bodies fail to respond to it appropriately. To determine whether a person has diabetes, a doctor usually has the patient fast before drawing his blood and testing his blood glucose levels.