Preventive Screenings that Can Save Your Life (video/podcast)

Preventive screenings are among the most effective tools to help detect illnesses early and, potentially, save lives. Routine screenings for conditions such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease can make the difference between identifying health issues early, when treatment is usually more successful, and treating a disease that has reached an advanced stage.

In this video, San Diego Health host Susan Taylor talks with Siu Ming Geary, MD, an internal medicine physician at Scripps Clinic, about preventive screenings that can save your life.

Many people see their doctor only when they’re not feeling well. While that may sound reasonable, some serious chronic conditions show no symptoms until they’ve progressed to a point where they’re more difficult to treat.

Waiting until you’re sick to get care can delay treatment and allow the condition to worsen. In some cases, such as colon cancer, you may even miss a valuable opportunity to stop an illness in its tracks.

Because your primary care doctor has your complete medical record, including your medical history and risk factors, they can tell you which screenings you should have and when.

Here’s an overview of the most common preventive screenings:

A screening colonoscopy can not only detect colon cancer in its early stages, it can also prevent colon cancer if it finds adenomatous polyps; these precancerous growths can lead to cancer if not removed within 10 years. Doctors typically recommend screening starting at age 45, but colonoscopy has become an important conversation for younger adults.

“Colon cancers are showing up at an earlier age; in fact, among men age 20 to 49, they’re the leading cause of cancer death,” says Dr. Geary. “If you have a family history of colon cancer or other risk factors, you doctor may advise you to get screened sooner.”

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is often called the silent killer because most people who have it don’t feel any symptoms until it becomes advanced. Uncontrolled blood pressure can severely damage blood vessels throughout your body, affecting not only your heart but your eyes, kidneys, brain and other organs. Screening can diagnose high blood pressure early, before damage develops, so you can begin treatment to manage it.

Considered one of the most preventable cancer strategies, cervical cancer screening can detect changes in cervical cells before cancer develops. Women who do have cervical cancer may not have symptoms right away, so getting screened may be the only way to detect it early. Depending on a woman’s age and medical history, a doctor may recommend a Pap test, an HPV test, or both.

“The PAP tests for early changes in cells on the cervix that may indicate cervical cancer or cancer itself,” says Dr. Geary. “HPV, which stands for human papillomavirus, tests the virus that can cause most cervical cancers. Testing for that can help identify your risk factors and lead to treatment that will prevent cervical cancer.”

Routine mammograms are vital for breast cancer screening because they can detect breast cancers up to two years before a lump can be felt. The current guidelines recommend that women at average risk should have breast cancer screening starting at age 40 or 45; your doctor will customize your personal screening schedule based on your medical history, family history and risk factors.

In people with diabetes, the hemoglobin A1C test measures how well blood sugars have been controlled over the past three months. This indicates how well the disease is being managed.

When blood sugar is in the target range, you’re much less likely to have long-term diabetes complications, such as strokes, heart attacks, renal failure, eye disease and more. Your doctor will let you know how often to have this screening.

Diabetes affects the small blood vessels in the body, and there are many of these in the eyes. People with diabetes have a higher risk of developing a complication called diabetic retinopathy if their disease is not well controlled. This can lead to serious eye conditions, such as blurriness, blind spots and permanent loss of vision. A diabetic retinal screening can help detect changes in the eye before they become a major problem.

“If you’ve missed screenings, it's never too late to get caught up,” says Dr. Geary. “Ask your doctor which ones you should have or check your preventive screenings history right on your MyScripps app if you have it. In many cases, you can schedule screenings directly from the app. The important thing is to get them done as soon as you can.”

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