Are you someone who was born between 1946 and 1970? Congratulations; it is now time for you to start doing colorectal cancer screening.
I know what you are thinking: That means a colonoscopy and that sounds unpleasant. Good news! Your screening can be done at home with a Fit Kit, available at Riverstone Health or your primary care physician’s office. This test is done in the comfort of your own home and is only required once a year.
It is still possible that, if you have a family history of colon cancer, you will need a formal colonoscopy with sedation. That does not have to be the starting point of screening when you turn 50 years old. If you are at low risk, we can send you home with a Fit Kit that you send back to us. Your doctor will get the results and advise you from there.
Next, we should talk about blood pressure. I know you feel fine and do not want to have to take any new pills for something that is not bothering you. But untreated high blood pressure leads to many other problems, such has heart failure, stroke, and erectile dysfunction to name a few. Once you turn 18, you should be screened for high blood pressure. At age 40, you should be checked yearly, as you are at a higher risk.
Alright ladies there have been a few changes in the past 10 years about when you need your “annual” exam, which includes a PAP/pelvic exam. It used to be when you turned 18 or became sexually active you had to go in once a year for a PAP smear. Now the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the people making the recommendations, says to start at age 21 and only screen every three years, if everything comes back normal.
