Health Screenings are very important! Health Screenings are procedures and tests that look for abnormal health conditions and disease before you have noticeable symptoms, or you may have minor symptoms. Screenings can help the doctor find diseases early; this is important because the earlier you catch a disease or problem, the sooner it can be treated!
AS A MATTER OF FACT, DISEASE CAUGHT EARLY IS EASIER TO TREAT!!
In addition, if you know someone in your family who has a medical condition or disease, especially mother, father, sister or brother, you may need to get a screening to make sure you have not inherited the same condition or disease.
Depending on your age, sex, and medical history you may need additional screenings…
Getting recommended screening tests is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Depending on your age, sex, and medical history, you may need to be screened for a number of things; BlackPink recommends the following to help you on your journey to rethinking your health and your screenings.
Physical Exam
All age groups should have a yearly physical, a physical should entail the doctor asking questions about your health and checking you out from head to toe. What’s important to know is
YOU HAVE TO ASK FOR A PHYSICAL
It is NOT just done with an annual doctor’s appointment. Here are some things a physical might detect:
- Certain types of cancer
- High blood pressure or high cholesterol
- Thyroid
- Diabetes
- Osteoporosis (weak bones)
- Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
- Hearing loss, dental problems or vision loss
- Mental health conditions, like depression
Recommended screenings start at age 50, this is the key to preventing colorectal cancer. If polyps are found, removing the polyp(s) help most from getting colorectal cancer. If you have a family history or have abnormal bile movement, consult with your physician, you may need a colonoscopy to rule out problems.
Early Detection is important to all cancers, particularly colon cancers.
This exam is MOST important because it truly can save a life and most of us are not getting it done! The exam takes a picture or Xray of our breasts; the first test gives doctors a base line (what your breast usually looks like or what a normal breast looks like). This test may not catch all breast cancers, but it will alert doctors to abnormal things that may need further tests.
It is extremely important to Note, Afro- Descendant (Black) women get breast cancer at one of the lowest rates, however Afro- Descendants tend to die at a much higher rate, because of the aggressiveness and the late stage of diagnosis.
For specific risk factors and age guidelines – http://www.sistersnetworkinc.org/moreinfo.html
Breast cancer is a disease in which cells in the breast grow out of control. These cells usually form a tumor that can often be seen on an x-ray or felt as a lump at touch. There are different kinds of breast cancer. The kind of breast cancer depends on which cells in the breast turn into cancer.
Breast cancer can begin in different parts of the breast. A breast is made up of three main parts: lobules, ducts, and connective tissue. The lobules are the glands that produce milk. The ducts are tubes that carry milk to the nipple. The connective tissue (which consists of fibrous and fatty tissue) surrounds and holds everything together. Most breast cancers begin in the ducts or lobules.
Breast cancer can spread outside the breast through blood vessels and lymph vessels. When breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body, it is said to have metastasized.
Afro-descendants get breast cancer less than any race; however Afro-descendants tend to die from the disease at a higher rate. Afro-descendant women are more likely than white women to get a form of breast cancer called “triple-negative breast cancer”, a kind of breast cancer in most cases is aggressive and often comes back after treatment.
Public health agencies are working to make sure all women are screened for breast cancer as recommended, and those who are diagnosed with breast cancer can get the best treatments. They also are helping women reduce the risk factors that raise their chances of getting breast cancer. Together, these efforts could reduce racial disparities in breast cancer.
Get your annual mammogram and remember to check your breast every month at the same time each month.
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Women ages 40 to 44 should have the choice to start annual breast cancer screening with mammograms (x-rays of the breast) if they wish to do so.
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Women age 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year.
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Women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years, or can continue yearly screening.
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Screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live 10 more years or longer.
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All women should be familiar with the known benefits, limitations, and potential harms linked to breast cancer screening.
