Recommended Health Screenings by Age

As we age, the risk for certain health conditions only increases. Your body at age 60 will face different complications than it did at age 18. Failing to anticipate such changes within your body can result in certain health conditions developing into severe health problems if left unchecked.

Most medical organizations, such as the American Heart Association, suggest routine preventive screenings for medical conditions for United States citizens over the age of 18. By routinely visiting a trained health professional for routine checkups and knowing what to look out for, both you and your doctor can catch any changes within your body before they develop into life-threatening developing.

Medical Screenings You Shouldn’t Skip

In most cases, factors such as lifestyle, gender, BMI (body mass index), and medical history are taken into account when determining what medical screenings suit a patient. If a patient’s family has a history of certain medical conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure, it might be necessary to begin screening for these conditions earlier than suggested.

In most cases, discussing with a trained medical professional should be any person’s first step when determining which screenings they should prioritize at their age. However, for a baseline, general recommended screenings are listed below for certain age groups and genders. In most cases, as a person ages, they should continue the prior listed tests at a high frequency.

Screenings for Women

60s+

All Previous Mentioned Tests

• Dementia & Alzheimer’s screening
• Fecal Occult Blood Test
• Herpes Booster
• Pneumonia Booster

Screenings for Men

60s+

All Previous Mentioned Tests

• Dementia & Alzheimer’s screening
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Prostate exams
• Herpes Booster
• Pneumonia Booster

Why Shouldn’t You Skip These Preventative Screenings?

As stated before, medical screenings for conditions are the single best way to catch any developing diseases or health conditions as you age. Many times, these conditions must be tested for through blood tests or physical exams as they might not be detectable in the early stages.

For many people, “health screenings” are associated with early detection of cancer; however, there are many conditions that can be detected early, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes. These early detections can help mitigate symptoms or prevent further worsening through improved lifestyle changes.

Those who remember to keep up with their preventative health screenings find they experience a higher quality of life and improved health, as they’re familiar with the changes within their body and know what steps to take to maintain their health. It can also serve to save money, as catching a problem early can avoid expensive treatments later in life.

Discussing with your Doctor

When it comes to determining what conditions, you should watch out for, it’s essential to be honest and thorough with your primary care physician. Your general practitioner will help monitor the fluctuations within your body based on risk factors determined through yearly exams and medical history. Your physician can then recommend what screening test you may need to include alongside any you’ve been keeping up with.

For many of these preventative services, you may need to contact a specialist office that focuses on such screenings.

What Can Jenkins County Medical Center Do For You?

At Jenkins County Medical Center, we pride ourselves on exceptional patient care. With a wide range of medical services available to meet all our patients’ needs, we offer quality health care effectively, safely, and cost-efficiently. Our lab offers diagnostic tests such as Complete Blood Count (CBC), Comprehensive Metabolic Profile (CMP), Lipid Profile, Thyroid function testing, prostate cancer screening, diabetes, urinalysis, and iron studies.

We know the importance of medical screenings to ensure that our patients are offered the best medical care plan available in the Jenkins County area. We also provide therapy and diabetes management services for many conditions in the event that a test screening detects cardiovascular or diabetes presence within a patient.

For those seeking health screenings within the Jenkins County and the surrounding areas, please contact us today.