Your health is affected by many factors, such as your diet, how much you exercise and genetics. And while you can’t change your genetics, you can change your lifestyle – but that doesn’t always guarantee a clean bill of health.
Health check-ups are a great way to gain clear insight into your health and what it could look like.
In this blog post, we look at the benefits of health screenings and the top 10 essential preventative health screenings everyone should consider. Discover how easy it can be to prioritise your wellbeing with Echelon Health.
What are the benefits of preventative health screenings?
Preventative health screenings have many benefits, including:
- Preventative care – by understanding your current health, you can assess your lifestyle and make healthy choices to support your wellbeing for longer. Accessing healthcare sooner rather than later helps you maintain your health and take the proper steps to safeguard it long-term.
- Early detection and treatment – early identification of illness and disease means you can receive treatment during its initial stages. In many cases, the sooner you have treatment, the more effective it can be.
- Preventative health measures – with a preventative health screening, you can make positive changes to support your health. From regular exercise to modifying your diet, many preventative health measures help you maintain your wellbeing.
The benefits of private health assessments support a preventative approach to healthcare and help you lead a healthier life.
Now we’ve explained the benefits, let’s view the top 10 essential preventative health screenings everyone should consider.
1. CT coronary angiogram
A CT coronary angiogram is an advanced type of cardiovascular scan. During this scan, a specialist injects a contrast dye into a vein. The dye travels to the arteries in your heart. A radiologist uses a CT scanning machine to create images of your heart, with the contrast dye helping your arteries show up clearly.
CT coronary angiograms detect the location and severity of plaque in the heart and narrowing or blockages within the arteries. It only takes 30 minutes to complete, giving you greater insight into cardiovascular health.
2. MRI brain scan
An MRI brain scan creates detailed pictures of your entire brain, sinuses and inner ears, detecting abnormalities such as swelling, cysts, problems with blood flow and tumours. Treating brain tumours can be complicated, so the sooner a preventative health MRI scan identifies them, the easier they are to treat.
3. Ultrasound thyroid scan
Your thyroid is an essential gland in your neck that releases hormones that regulate everything from growth to your metabolism. However, certain conditions may affect your thyroid, including tumours, cysts and nodules.
With an ultrasound scan, a doctor can check your thyroid health and develop a personalised treatment plan.
4. CT bone density scan
CT bone density scans are similar to an X-ray. This scan can detect low bone calcium and protein, increasing your risk of bone fractures. Doctors can also use a CT bone density scan to diagnose osteoporosis, which causes weak bones and elevates the chance of a fracture.
When women go through menopause, their oestrogen levels drop, raising their risk of osteoporosis. Oestrogen plays a vital role in bone health, so if you’ve gone through menopause, it can be helpful to check your bone density.
Men can also benefit from a bone density scan, as ageing can lead to decreased bone density.
5. Full body mole screening
Regularly checking your moles is vital for preventing and detecting skin cancer.
However, it’s not always possible to see every mole on your body and remember what it looks like. With a full-body mole screening, a specialist can assess and remove your moles – either for a biopsy (a sample removal to check for cancer) or cosmetic reasons.
6. CT chest scan
A CT chest scan looks for tiny nodules that could indicate the earliest stages of lung cancer. They can also be used to detect infections, blocked blood flow in the lungs and any other abnormalities like nodules or benign (non-cancerous) masses.
CT chest scans are the most effective method of detecting lung cancer, especially compared to X-rays. An X-ray can only detect tumours over 10 mm in size, whereas a CT chest scan can find signs of cancer as small as 1mm.
7. Electrocardiogram (ECG)
An ECG test monitors your heart’s electrical activity. Experts can use it to assess your heart rate and rhythm and it’s usually completely painless.
During an ECG, a trained specialist places small sticky pads called electrodes onto your chest to pick up your heart’s electrical activity.
ECGs can be used to identify:
- Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)
- Pericarditis or myocarditis (heart inflammation)
- Heart attacks
- A heart defect
- Coronary artery disease
- An enlarged heart
Taking care of your heart is vital, and ECGs are a quick, easy way to monitor it for preventative health assesments. Our Healthy Heart packages combine a range of cardiovascular tests so that you can identify any potential problems or risk factors.
8. Ultrasounds for testes and ovaries
Symptoms of testicular and ovarian cancer are often not checked before the cancer becomes advanced. However, an ultrasound scan of your testes or ovaries can identify testicular or ovarian tumours or cysts.
We offer a Core Cancer health assessment that checks for early signs of many cancers, including ovarian/testicular cancer. This assessment is excellent for those worried about their family history of cancer or current health.
9. CT virtual colonoscopy
Medical professionals can use a CT virtual colonoscopy to detect colonic polyps and early signs of cancer. Most colon cancers develop over time from polyps, so treating them as soon as possible is essential.
Unlike a traditional colonoscopy, a CT virtual colonoscopy doesn’t need a scope (a thin, flexible camera) inserted into your rectum. Instead, a radiologist takes a CT scan of your abdomen to show clear images of your colon and surrounding organs.
10. Blood tests
Last but certainly not least are blood tests. Although they may seem less modern than all the scans using cutting-edge technology, blood tests are an integral part of preventative healthcare.
Some of the things that can be checked and diagnosed through blood tests are:
- Liver function
- Anaemia
- Cholesterol levels
- Cancer
- Hormonal imbalances
- Blood glucose levels and diabetes
Blood tests help check your general health and find specific health conditions that are causing your symptoms.
They can also determine how likely you are to develop a disease or condition. For example, you may have blood glucose levels higher than you should but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes. In this case, a blood test can confirm if you are prediabetic and you can take the correct steps to reverse your condition.
Don’t let a blood test’s simplicity fool you – they provide an excellent window into your general health.
Book your preventative health screenings with Echelon Health
Wellness exams are a brilliant way to support your health now and in the future. With the knowledge you gain from preventative healthcare screenings, you can make the right lifestyle decisions and receive early, comprehensive treatment if necessary.
Echelon Health offers many health check-up packages that you can tailor to your needs. Discover our preventative health screenings and find out how easy it can be to take your wellbeing into your own hands.
Book your preventative healthcare screening today.
Sources:
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/blood-tests/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dexa-scan/
- https://www.ruh.nhs.uk/patients/radiology/documents/patient_info/RAD024_Having_a_CT%20Coronary_Angiogram.pdf
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mri-scan/
- https://thyroiduk.org/testing/other-thyroid-tests/ultrasound-scan/
- https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/electrocardiogram/