During the pandemic, many adults either couldn’t get their necessary health screenings completed or avoided them. Now is an opportune time to catch up on your health screenings and make them part of your healthcare routine. Recently your community pharmacies have pharmacists that practice in outpatient settings to perform screenings such as blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol. Work with your healthcare provider to understand if you need the following screenings:
- Osteoporosis– Dexascan as baseline. Risk factors: menopause, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, more than 2 alcoholic drinks/day
- Eye Exams– Every 1-2 years. Risk factors: congenital malformations, diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune conditions
- Skin Exams– Once a year. Evaluate your own skin at least monthly and look for the ABCDEs of Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer:
- ABCDE’s of Melanoma:
- A- Asymetry
- B- Borders irregular
- C- Color uneven red, blue, black, white
- D- Diameter greater than 6 millimeters
- E- Evolving or changing
- Colorectal Cancer– Beginning at age 45 now if no other risk factors.
- Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT)/ Fecal occult blood
- Stool DNA- DNA changes or blood
- CT Colonography
- Colonoscopy/flexible sigmoidoscopy
