Preventative Screenings and When to Get Them

Did you know that staying up-to-date on preventative screenings can help you stay healthy? At your annual physical, ask your primary care provider about the common health screenings they recommend based on your age, sex, and health history. Expert providers at Crystal Run Healthcare can help you schedule these screenings to detect potential illnesses early and keep you as healthy as possible.

Women who are over the age of 21 should receive regular screenings for cervical cancer at their gynecologist appointment, which can be completed with a simple pap smear. Those that are 40 or older should also visit Women’s Imaging to get a mammogram to screen for breast cancer. When found early, these types of cancer are more easily treated and possibly cured.

Men over the age of 40 should schedule an appointment to check for abdominal aortic aneurysms. These can be detected with an abdominal ultrasound. If an aneurysm is found when it’s small, it can be managed with medication or surgery to prevent it from rupturing.

It is beneficial for everyone to get preventative screenings for several diseases as they age. It is recommended that those between the ages of 18 - 79 get tested for Hepatitis C with a simple blood test. If found early, Hepatitis C can be managed and potentially cured. Those that are 45 and older should schedule a colon cancer screening which can help detect,  treat, and even cure colon cancer. Lastly, women over 65 and men over 70 benefit from an osteoporosis screening to detect weakness in the bones and prevent bone fractures.

If you smoke or have a history of smoking, and are between 50 and 80 years old, it is a good idea to screen for lung cancer. Doctors will perform a low-dose CT scan (LDCT), a non-invasive screening using X-ray images, to detect cancer in the lungs. LDCT enables cancer to be found earlier and leads to more positive outcomes.

If you fall into one or more of these categories, ask your doctor about a screening today! Crystal Run Healthcare has several facilities throughout Orange, Rockland, and Sullivan counties that can perform preventative screenings and any needed follow-up treatments. To schedule a preventative screening appointment at Crystal Run Healthcare, visit www.crystalrunhealthcare.com/appointments. Follow the practice on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.