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Essential Screening Tests all Men Should Never Ignore

Sep 17, 2019 By Kayode Oseh 3.9K

Getting yourself checked out is the most important thing you can do for health as a man. Doing the right screening test, and getting to know what's up with you is very essential. One mustn't wait to get sick before him/her get examined. There are lots of diseases that tend not to show symptoms until much later, such a sickness may be hard for you to detect unless you have yourself tested. According to experts, detecting diseases at their early stage is the best way to eradicate them easily and eradicate them all. The earlier you know your enemies, the earlier you start defending yourself. I guess you know what that means!

Below are the necessary screening tests all men should not ignore. The reason is because most of them are more common in men than in women. 

Test For Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer found in men all over the world after skin cancer. It tends to be a slow-growing cancer you may not identify easily because their symptoms are not acute, but there are also some aggressive, fast-growing types of prostate cancer though. Screening tests can find the disease early, sometimes before symptoms develop, when treatments are most effective.

Testicular Cancer

This cancer develops in a man's testicles, the reproductive glands that produce sperm. Most cases occur between ages 20 and 54. The World Health Organization WHO recommends that all men have a testicular examination when they see a doctor for a routine physical checkup. Some experts advised regular checkups, gently feeling for hard lumps, smooth bumps, or changes in size or shape of the testicles.

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is said to be second most common cause of death from cancer. Men have a slightly higher risk of developing colorectal cancer than women for still some ununderstood reasons. The majority of colon cancers slowly develop from colon polyps: growths on the inner surface of the colon. After cancer develops, it can spread rapidly to other parts of the body. The way to prevent colon cancer is to find and remove polyps before they start reproducing rapidly and turn cancerous.

Skin Cancer

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. It begins in specialized cells called melanocytes -the cells that produce melanin -which is a pigment that gives the skin it color. Older men are twice as likely to develop melanoma as women of the same age. The risk of this cancer increases as lifetime exposure to sun and/or tanning beds accumulates.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

High blood pressure has been linked to obesity and lifestyle. It also increases as one age. High blood pressure can be vary disastrous to our cardiovascular system bringing about several complications like heart problems, stroke, kidney failure e.t.c. Although it is treatable but it will be better if detected on time in order to avoid leading to other out of hand issues. 

Cholesterol Levels

There are two types of cholesterol, High Density Lipo-protein (HDL Cholesterol) and the Low Density Lipo-protein (LDL Cholesterol). The former is known as the good cholesterol while the latter is regarded as the bad Cholesterol. The LDL cholesterol which is the bad one, causes sticky plaque to build up in the walls of the blood vessels preventing blood flow. This can increase your risk of heart disease. Symptoms may not show for many years unless you have yourself checked out. Over time it can lead to heart attack and stroke. Lifestyle changes and medications can reduce this "bad" cholesterol and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Type 2 Diabetes

Most people have diabetes without even realizing they do. Diabetes when left untreated, can lead to heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, blindness from damage to the blood vessels of the retina, nerve damage, and Erectile Dysfunction ED (Impotency). Diabetes need to be detected early so that necessary measures are taken. It can be avoided with a general change of lifestyle such as; diet, exercise, weight loss, and medications.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS if not looked into on time. It is always present in the blood and other body secretions like sperms, vaginal secretion, breast milk, rectal mucus, of infected individuals, even when there are no observable symptoms. There is still no cure or vaccine for it. But when detected on time probably within 72 hours of exposure, it can be treated totally using Post exposure Prophylaxis. For more information on how to stop HIV from infecting you, click here.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease that damage the optic nerves - the nerves that send visual impulses from the eye to the brain. When this damage happens, it can lead to a complete blindness. It has been shown that a significant and irreversible vision loss can occur before people with glaucoma even notice any symptoms. Screening tests look for abnormally high pressure within the eye, to catch and treat the condition before it damages the optic nerve.

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