Health screening
Health screening is vital to detect diseases, many of which do not produce early warning signs. These silent killers include diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and even cancer.
Many chronic illnesses do not appear overnight but as a result of neglect of the general well-being of one’s health. One such common cause of death in Zambia is a heart attack. Contrary to popular belief, heart attacks do not happen only to older, overweight men with high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Fainting spells, chest discomfort, and sensation of fast or irregular heartbeats while exercising are some indications that there may be an underlying cardiac disorder.
Health screening
What is health screening?
A health screening is the process of detecting diseases or medical conditions in healthy people. Health screenings are recommended as some people face a higher risk for developing certain conditions. As some conditions may not produce symptoms until an advanced stage, the only way to detect them early is through a health screening.
Health screenings involve consultation with a medical professional which may be followed by laboratory, radiology and other tests. Your doctor will be able to advise you on tests that are relevant for you, based on your family history, lifestyle habits and overall health. As you grow older, the type and frequency of tests may change.
Why should I go for health screening?
A health screening aims to detect diseases and medical conditions at an early stage, so as to allow early intervention which can give better outcomes.
Who should go for health screening?
Health screenings are individualised to the risk factors of each person. The tests you need depend on your age, gender, family history and whether you have risk factors for certain diseases. At Doc On Alert we offer a wide range of health screening packages that are affordable and tailored to your individual needs. Please speak to your doctor to determine the most appropriate health screening package for you.
Health screening tests available at Doc On Alert
At Doc On Alert, we offer a comprehensive range of screening tests. These include:
- Blood count, to analyse blood components such as red and white blood cells, haemoglobins and platelets. It can detect a wide range of disorders, from anaemia to leukaemia.
- Bone densitometry to measure bone mineral content and density to check for reduced bone mass and conditions like osteoporosis.
- Cancer screening, which are used to check for different types of cancer. This includes colonoscopy, mammograms, Pap smears, prostate specific antigen (PSA) test and more.
- Cholesterol or lipid profile, which analyses blood samples to reveal HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels.
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) to monitor electrical signals in the heart, which can reveal abnormalities in heart rhythm known as arrhythmias.
- Fasting glucose, to detect early signs of diabetes.
- Hepatitis screening to check for infection caused by the Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B virus.
- HIV screening to check for signs of infection from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
- Kidney function tests to check the levels of creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, which indicate how well the kidneys are working.
- Liver function tests, to measure enzymes and proteins in the blood that indicate how well the liver is working.
- STD/STI screening to determine the presence of a sexually transmitted disease or infection.
- Thalassemia screening includes a complete blood count and iron studies to detect the blood disorder.
- Thyroid screening checks the blood for levels of specific hormones which indicate if the thyroid is performing normally.
- Tumour markers, which are specific to different types of cancer, can help detect cancer in its early stages. It may also be recommended to monitor the progress of cancer therapy.
