Just as you follow a schedule of regular car maintenance, it’s equally important to check in with your doctor now and then. Everyone should practice prevention and take good care of their health. And staying up-to-date with routine screenings is a great place to start.

Screenings for Adults
These tests and exams are for both men and women:

Colorectal cancer. More Americans die of this type of cancer than any other — except for lung cancer. But if colorectal cancer is caught early, treatment is often successful.

There are several ways to be screened for this type of cancer. A fecal occult blood test checks your stool for traces of blood. During a flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, your doctor examines your colon and rectum for abnormal growths, or polyps. Because colon cancer almost always begins as a polyp, one of these screenings may save your life.

Cholesterol. How will you know whether your cholesterol level is too high? Often, the first symptom is chest pain resulting from the narrowing of an artery, which affects blood flow. By that time, you are at high risk of having a heart attack or stroke. A simple blood test known as a blood lipid profile can tell you whether your cholesterol level is too high. Then you can take steps to lower it before it causes serious problems.

For Women Only
Talk with your doctor about these exams that are specifically for women:

Mammograms. Studies have shown that having this type of screening can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer for women older than age 50 by as much as 35 percent. That’s because a mammogram may detect a tumor before you’d be able to feel a lump. And having a mammogram shouldn’t hurt. If you experience pain when your breast is being compressed, ask the technician to adjust the machine.

Pap tests. Every year, more than 4,000 women die of cervical cancer. Regular Pap tests could have saved most of them. Almost 100 percent of women who are diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer survive for at least five more years. In most cases, women can be treated even before abnormal cells become cancerous.

Talk with your doctor about these and other screening tests that are right for you. Please refer to the Prevention Is Paramount health screening insert in this issue for age, gender and frequency of these screenings, and more.