5 Health Tests You Should Have This Year

Don’t forget to make your appointments for these life-saving checkups!

Skin cancer check
Skin cancers affect two-thirds of Australians before the age of 70. Regular skin checks can catch them early. Left undetected, they can be life-threatening.

Diabetes check
Type 2 diabetes is a growing problem in Australia and is more likely to affect those over 45. A blood test can diagnose diabetes and an oral glucose tolerance test can assess if someone is ‘pre-diabetic’ – at high risk of developing the disease.

Bowel cancer screening
Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in Australia, but if caught early it can usually be successfully treated. The National Bowel Cancer Screening Program sends out free testing kits to all Australians over 50 every two years. It’s up to you to return it. If you haven’t received one (or did receive one but didn’t get around to doing the test), ask your GP to check you out.

A Pap smear
The National Cervical Screening Program recommends all women between the ages of 18 and 70 who have ever been sexually active get tested every two years for signs of cervical cancer. The good news is that later this year, the recommendation changes to every five years when the new, more accurate HPV test is introduced.

The health issue you’ve been ignoring
Australians are known to be stoic. But studies show that many people put up with symptoms that may be linked to serious illness. Whether it’s a change in bowel movements or a persistent cough, it shouldn’t be ignored.

To schedule a health check with one of our medical professionals, call 03 5229 5192 (Myers Street Family Medical Practice) / 03 5241 6129 (The Cottage Medical Centre).

Sourced from Prevention.