A Note from Brady

Time for a Spring Screening

As we emerge from the winter doldrums, it becomes easier to do the activities that support our well-being like exercising outdoors, enjoying in-season produce, or spending time with friends and family. Spring offers an opportunity to check in on our goals for the year and see what we can do next to reach them, including our health and wellness goals.

If you haven’t yet scheduled an annual physical with a primary care provider, make it part of your springtime renewal. An annual exam and labs can give you and your primary care provider a picture of your current health and help develop plans if further diagnostics are warranted.

I believe preventive health care and early intervention are the most effective and affordable kinds of health care. Detecting a condition in its early stages makes it easier to treat. Screening tests like mammograms, colonoscopies, cardiac calcium scoring tests, skin cancer screenings, and more are essential for preventive health care.

“Screening tests are specifically for people who are NOT experiencing any symptoms,” explains Aaron Whiting, MD, physician at Boone Health Primary Care in Boonville.

Your need for a screening can depend on your age, family history, medical history, or other factors. Dr Whiting says, “Screening test frequency is carefully chosen for each disease, to optimize chances of early detection and disease treatment.”

If you’re putting off a recommended screening because you’re anxious about the results, getting it done is the best way to find peace of mind, even and especially if they find something.

If you’re putting off a recommended screening because you’re anxious about the results, getting it done is the best way to find peace of mind, even and especially if they find something.

According to Dr. Whiting, “Good screening tests can detect diseases or cancers early in their course at a time before you can feel them, when they are more easily treated. For example, it’s quite common for colonoscopies to detect polyps that have the potential to turn into cancer or even to find full cancerous masses, before any symptoms exist. At this early stage they are often fully treatable. If left undetected, by the time symptoms exist the disease may be advanced and require treatments that are more aggressive, with more side effects and a lower chance of success.”

In addition to screenings, an annual visit helps your doctor know if you need diagnostic tests to see if new or increasing symptoms like pain, unexpected weight loss, or bleeding are symptoms of a health condition. Again, the best way to know if you should worry or not is preventive health care.

If you don’t know how or where to get started with recommended screenings, your primary care provider’s office can usually help.

“We often assist patients who may have difficulty scheduling testing on their own,” says Holly Forbis, primary care practice manager at Boonville. “This can involve navigating online scheduling systems, providing contact information for testing facilities, or offering to make the appointment on their behalf.”

And don’t forget to schedule your annual eye and dental exams. Your optometrist or dentist can also detect changes or problems that may be symptoms of a serious health condition.

Think of annual preventive care as spring cleaning for your health. Spring cleaning helps us remove clutter, get fresh air and sunlight, and feel more comfortable at home. Preventive health care, including annual exams and recommended screenings, can help us remove uncertainty, get necessary treatments, and feel more comfortable in our bodies. Make progress on your 2024 health and wellness goals with a spring screening!