Are You Living A Healthy Life?

Here’s something you need to understand: even though you may be feeling healthy, it may not be an accurate measure of your actual health. Why? Because there are a number of conditions which remain silent until the disease is finally diagnosed. This is why it’s essential for every individual to receive regular health screenings. Early detection can help minimize many illnesses.

Health screening guidelines differ according to age, gender, race and environment. In this article, we’re going to offer a brief overview of the various health screening processes that should be considered throughout a person’s life.

Screening Starts Even Before Birth

Anatomical and physiological problems can be detected during prenatal check-ups such as regular ultra sounds. Not only is your baby’s growth monitored, doctors can also uncover serious conditions such as hydrocephaly, spina bifida and other congenital anomalies. If there are any indicators that your baby’s health is danger, more invasive tests can assess the degree of the danger.

After Birth

After birth, every newborn undergoes a variety of health screening exams. Usually these tests are performed between day two to day seven of life and involve the drawing of a few drops of blood from each newborn. The focus is primarily on genetic diseases such as phenylketonuria or sickle cell anemia which can become life threatening if left undetected. Children with such conditions are often required to adhere to strict diet and immunization guidelines. Therefore, parents need to be educated about the illness right from the beginning.

Through Childhood

The importance of health screening continues through childhood. If corrected in childhood, some problems can be nipped in the bud, allowing your child to live a safe and healthy life. Vision and hearing tests are prime examples of such conditions. If your child has a slow response to noise or you notice a squint, a specialist opinion is essential to learn more about the condition.

Lead poisoning has become so rampant in society, that children with any exposure should be evaluated as soon as possible to prevent the irreversible consequences of a heavy lead load in blood. Exposure usually comes from being in or around any old house where lead paint was used and is now chipping or peeling.

As the child grows, the dangers he or she faces change over time. Overall health includes mental as well as physical health, so screening is also recommended for children showing initial signs of mental

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 at 1:12 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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