One of the most important services a family physician can offer one is the health screen. Health screens refer to a test or exam done to find a condition before symptoms begin. Family Physicians can usually conduct these screeningss in their office and may help in discovering any existing diseases or conditions early, when they are easier to treat.

Dr. Katrina Herring, MD of the Piedmont Family Practice at Tega Cay, in Tega Cay, SC <piedmontfpattegacay.com/>  says screening, “is one of the most important things I, as a family physician, can offer my patients.”  Dr. Johnson often screens for breast cancer and cervical cancer in women, colorectal cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, prostate cancer in men.

At his Rock Hill practice, Dr. Johnson will choose a test for you depending on a number of factors, including your age, your sex, your family history and whether you have risk factors for certain diseases.

Below you will find a short summary of the typical health screening tests offered by most family physicians.

Breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any cancer except lung cancer. no one knows why some women get breast cancer, but there are a number of risk factors.

• Age – chances increase with age
• Genes – Women who have family members with breast or ovarian cancer may wish to be tested.
• Personal factors – beginning periods before age 12 or going through menopause after age 55

Other risks include being overweight, using hormone replacement therapy, taking birth control pills, drinking alcohol, not having children or having your first child after age 35 or having dense breasts.

Symptoms of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in size or shape of the breast or discharge from a nipple. Men can have breast cancer, too, but the number of cases is small.

Cervical cancer is caused by several types of a virus called human papillomaviruses (HPV). the virus spreads through sexual contact. You’re at higher risk if you smoke, have many children, use birth control pills for a long time, or have HIV infection.

Cervical cancer may not cause any symptoms at first, but later, you may have pelvic pain or bleeding from the vagina. Your health care provider can find abnormal cells by doing a Pap test – examining cells from the cervix under a microscope. by getting regular Pap tests and pelvic exams you can find and treat changing cells before they turn into cancer. a vaccine for girls and young women protects against the four types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers.

In the United States colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in men and women. Caught early, it is often curable. it is more common in people over 50, and the risk increases with age.

Symptoms can include blood in the stool, narrower stools, a change in bowel habits and general stomach discomfort. however, you may not have symptoms at first, so screening is important. Everyone who is 50 or older should be screened for colorectal cancer.

Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause serious problems. it can damage your eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Diabetes can also cause heart disease, stroke and even the need to remove a limb. Pregnant women can also get diabetes, called gestational diabetes.

Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and frequent urination. Some people have no symptoms. a blood test can show if you have diabetes.

Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. each time your heart beats, it pumps out blood into the arteries. Your blood pressure is highest when your heart beats, pumping the blood. This is called systolic pressure. when your heart is at rest, between beats, your blood pressure falls. This is the diastolic pressure.

High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, but it can cause serious problems such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack and kidney failure. You can control high blood pressure through healthy lifestyle habits and taking medicines, if needed.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly. But if you have too much in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries. This is called plaque. Plaque can narrow your arteries or even block them.

High levels of cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of heart disease. Your cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older. there are usually no signs or symptoms that you have high blood cholesterol, but it can be detected with a blood test. You are likely to have high cholesterol if members of your family have it, if you are overweight or if you eat a lot of fatty foods.

Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is common in older women. as many as half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You might not know you have it until you break a bone. a bone mineral density test is the best way to check your bone health.

The prostate is the gland below a man’s bladder that produces fluid for semen. Prostate cancer is the third most common cause of death from cancer in men of all ages. it is rare in men younger than 40.

Levels of a substance called prostate specific antigen (PSA) is often high in men with prostate cancer. Symptoms of prostate cancer may include

• Problems passing urine, such as pain, difficulty starting or stopping the stream, or dribbling
• Low back pain
• Pain with ejaculation

Prostate cancer treatment often depends on the stage of the cancer. how fast the cancer grows and how different it is from surrounding tissue helps determine the stage.

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