Health screening
Health Screening
Health screening (pronunciation: /hɛlθ skriːnɪŋ/) is a method used in medicine to detect potential health disorders or diseases in people who do not show any symptoms of disease. The goal of health screening is to detect diseases early, increase chances of treatment and reduce risk of complications.
Etymology
The term "health screening" is derived from the English words "health", meaning the state of being free from illness or injury, and "screening", which refers to the investigation or testing of a large number of something (like people) for disease or other abnormalities.
Types of Health Screening
There are various types of health screenings, including:
- Blood Pressure Screening: This test measures the pressure in your arteries as your heart pumps. It can help detect hypertension and other heart-related diseases.
- Cholesterol Screening: This test measures the levels of different types of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood.
- Diabetes Screening: This test measures your blood sugar level to check for diabetes or prediabetes.
- Cancer Screening: These tests are designed to detect various types of cancers early, when they're most treatable. Examples include mammography for breast cancer and colonoscopy for colon cancer.
- Bone Density Screening: This test measures the amount of calcium and other types of minerals in an area of your bone to detect osteoporosis.
Importance of Health Screening
Health screening is important because it can help find diseases or conditions early, when they're easier to treat. It can also provide important information about risk factors for disease, which can help guide lifestyle changes or treatments to improve health.
See Also
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