With routine health checks, you can identify health problems that can cause serious health problems. Regular health checks usually take only a little time, and they go a long way in ensuring that you remain healthy. You should know about asbestos. Asbestos testing is rather easy. All we need is a sample of the material in question. We then take a look at it under a microscope using polarized light.
When you visit a private doctor in London for your routine health checks to save your life, you may carry out any of the following tests.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening
- Blood pressure tests
- Bowel cancer screening
- Breast screening
- Cervical screening
- Cholesterol screening
- NHS health check
- Skin checks
- Vaccinations
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) screening
An AAA screening is used to check if there is a swelling or bulge in the aorta.
What is involved? The screening involves a stomach ultrasound, quick, painless, and reliable in detecting swelling in the aorta.
- Why is it important?
The heart has several blood vessels, but the aorta is the biggest of them. The aorta helps pump blood from the heart to other parts of the body. If the aorta swells and bursts, it could lead to bleeding inside the stomach. When the aorta swells, there may be no symptom, so screening is the best way to check for the swelling.
- How often should you get an AAA screening?
AAA screening is recommended for men from the age of 65, but women may not need the screening. Men need AAA screening more often because it is prevalent in men, but anyone can ask for an AAA screening.
- What happens next?
Your doctor will inform you about the result of your screening, and if there is a problem, you will receive further treatment.
Blood pressure tests
Your blood exerts a force on your arteries’ walls, and that force is your blood pressure. Constant high blood pressure could weaken your heart and damage the arterial walls. It could cause stroke, kidney disease and increase the risk of heart disease.
- What is involved?
During your blood pressure test, your nurse or GP would fit a cuff around your upper arm, and inflate the cuff until it becomes tight, then take your blood pressure reading. A blood pressure test is painless and would only take a minute.
- Why is it important?
Most adults have high blood pressure and do not know because there may be no symptoms.
- What happens next?
If you have high blood pressure, your nurse or GP will check it several times to be sure. If the value is consistently high, your GP will advise you on lifestyle changes to reduce your blood pressure.
If your lifestyle change does not reduce your blood pressure, your GP will prescribe medications for you.
Bowel cancer screening
Bowel cancer screening is only used to check for potential problems even before symptoms show.
- What is involved?
Bowel cancer screening is done with a testing kit called the Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBt) kit. The kit may be sent to you by post to collect your stool on a card for some days. After the assigned number of days, you would send the special sample card to the laboratory where it would be analyzed.
Health care professionals recommend bowel cancer screening every two years for men and women between 60 and 70. If you are above 75, you can specially request the screening kit.
- Why is the test important?
Bowel cancer is one of the predominant cancers in the UK. Detecting bowel cancer on time makes it easier to treat and increases your chances of surviving the condition.
- What happens next?
If the screening finds any trace of blood in your stool, you will need to carry out the test again then carry out a bowel examination called a colonoscopy to confirm to rule out bowel cancer. Having blood in your stool is not always an indication of bowel cancer, and only a few persons with a negative result from their bowel cancer screening may need further tests.
Breast screening
Regular breast screening is a way to detect early signs of breast cancer. Early detection of breast cancer is detected on time; the chances of surviving it are higher. The screening can detect cancerous cells even when there are no symptoms.
- What is involved?
A mammogram (an x-ray of each breast) is carried out. Each breast is placed on the x-ray machine during a mammogram and gently compressed for a few seconds with a transparent plate. The screening does not take time, but some women feel uncomfortable during the procedure.
- Why is the test important?
Many women in the UK are diagnosed with breast cancer, and breast cancer is common in women.
- How often should you carry out breast screening?
Women get their first invitation for breast cancer screening between the age of 50 – 53. Some women may be invited earlier from the age of 47 up to the age of 73. Generally, women above 70 years are not invited for breast cancer screening.
However, if you are above 70 years, you would not receive an invitation, but you can request the screening every three years.
- What happens next?
Your GP would send your result within two weeks. Depending on your screening, you may go to an assessment clinic for further tests.
Cervical screening
Cervical screening is a test that detects abnormalities in the cervix. If the abnormal cells are not detected and treated on time, they could lead to cervical cancer.
- What is involved?
A doctor or nurse would open your vagina with a speculum then sweep around your cervix with a small soft brush. The procedure may be slightly uncomfortable.
- Why is the test important?
Thousands of cervical cases are diagnosed every year in the UK. Cervical screening has helped to reduce the number of new cervical cancer cases.
- How often should I carry out a cervical screening?
If you are between 25 – 64 years, you are eligible for free cervical screening every 4 – 5 years, but if you are over 65, you may not be invited for the screening. Exceptions are made for women over 65 and had abnormal cells in their cervix in the past or did not get the screening since the age of 50.
- What happens next?
Your GP would send your result to you within two weeks. If your result shows abnormal cells, you may need further tests and treatment, but this does not mean you have cervical cancer.
Cholesterol test
Cholesterol is one of the fat constituents of the body. If your cholesterol level is high, it increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
- What is involved?
Your GP would order a simple blood test that measures your cholesterol levels.
- Why is it important?
Only a cholesterol test can detect high cholesterol as there may be no symptoms when your cholesterol level is above the normal range.
- What happens next?
If your result indicates that your cholesterol level is high, you may need to make some lifestyle changes like eating balanced diets, maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly. If you show signs of developing heart disease, your GP will prescribe medications like statins to lower your cholesterol level.
NHS check
Generally, an NHS check takes between 20 – 30 minutes. During your NHS health check, a health professional will ask you questions about your family history and lifestyle then measure your weight and height. Your healthcare professional may also measure your blood pressure and do a finger prick blood test.
Why is the test important?
Your NHS check would help your health professional determine how healthy you are and your chances of developing health conditions like stroke, diabetes, and kidney diseases.
Your health professional will give you personalized advice on how to lower your risk for certain conditions. If you are above 65 years, your health professional will tell you signs of dementia to expect.
When will I be invited for an NHS check?
If you do not have any health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure, and within 40 – 74 years, you will be invited for an NHS check every five years. People registered with an NHS GP may get an automatic invitation, but you will be within five years if you haven’t been invited.
Your local authority may send you an appointment letter. The letter would contain information about where you would have your NHS health check.
You can inquire about your GP for an appointment if you have not been invited for your NHS check in the past five years or are not eligible for the health check.
Skin check
You can carry out this check yourself or visit a specialist clinic. Skin check involves checking for moles on the skin, which is an early sign of skin cancer. Most skin moles are not harmful, but they may sometimes cause a type of skin cancer called melanoma.
What is involved?
Your private GP near me would examine any skin moles you have and refer you for further testing if necessary.
- Why is it important?
Melanoma is the fifth most common cancer affecting people in the UK. Early detection of melanoma increases the chance of surviving it.
How often should you check for skin moles?
You should check for skin moles every few weeks. If you notice changes on your skin, contact your GP immediately.
What happens next?
If you have skin moles or suspect it, your GP would refer you to a specialist for further tests. The specialist may cut off the moles, and if you are diagnosed with melanoma, you will carry out further checks to ensure cancer does not spread. For example : You should undergo the earlier HIV Detection also known as HIV RNA test then.
Vaccinations
Having pneumonia or shingles may lead to life-threatening infections, although some people recover from them without problems.
What is involved?
Vaccination involves taking three vaccines. Your GP would give you information on these vaccines and how to get them.
Why is vaccination important?
Pneumonia and influenza are among the deadly killers in the UK, especially for people above 65 years. Shingles also cause severe long-term complications.
How often should you get vaccinated?
If you are above 65 years, you can get a free flu vaccination. You may need the vaccine frequently because the flu virus changes constantly, and the vaccine is always updated to offer more protection.
If you have any long-term conditions like high blood pressure and over 65 years, you will be qualified for a free flu jab. You can also request for a vaccine that protects against bacterial meningitis, pneumonia, and septicemia. People between 70 – 79 years may get a free one-off shingles vaccine.
You can get all these tests at Private Blood Tests in London. Just call 020 71830244 to book an appointment with a private GP for your blood tests.