We usually go to the doctor when we don’t feel well or have a symptom that bothers us – and that’s how diseases are discovered most of the time. But – some diseases can be detected before having any symptoms, when they’re on their early stage. Screening tests are meant just for that and  are one of the best ways to protect your health – they are generally simple, performed routinely and can detect serious illnesses. Here ‘s a list of 10 important screening tests that you should know and consider taking.

Photo by Chandra Marsono

1. Colon Cancer Screening: Every person over 50 years old (or younger if a close relative had colon cancer, if they have IBD, or if they have certain genetic syndromes) should have colorectal cancer screening. The screening tests are aimed to find growths inside your colon, called polyps. Polyps have the potential to become cancer – but if detected early, they can be removed, preventing cancer. There are several ways to find polyps:

• Fecal occult blood (recommended once a year) is a simple stool test in which the feces is searched for small amounts of blood (that comes from polyps) which you can’t see on your own.
• During flexible sigmoidoscopy (recommended every 5 years) a short lighted tube is inserted to your rectum and looks for polyps on the lower third of your colon. During this procedure, polyps can also be removed.
• Colonoscopy (recommended every 10 years) is a similar test using a longer tube which can reach the whole length of your colon.

2. Mammography: A mammogram is a used for early detection of breast cancer – which is the most common cancer in women. This is an x-ray of the breasts, which can discover cancer when it’s still too small to feel it on your own. The test is recommended for all women between the ages of 50 to 74, and should be performed every 2 years. Besides that, it’s recommended for all women to have self-exams and clinical exams (by a doctor) of the breasts regularly.

On the left – a normal breast in mammography. On the right – a breast with breast cancer (white). Photo by National Cancer Institute.

3. Mole Exam: In this exam a dermatologist looks at your moles to see if any of them is suspicious to be skin cancer or melanoma. it’s recommended to have this check-up once a year. Besides that, you should try a self check-up every month – look for moles which are asymmetric, don’t have sharp borders, don’t have a constant color or are larger than 6mm (about a quarter of an inch).

4. Pap smear: This is a screening test for cervical cancer – the cervix is lower part of the uterus in women, and can be reached in a vaginal exam. It’s a simple test which is performed in your gynecologist’s office. During the usual gynecologic exam, the doctor will collect some cells from your uterine cervix and the area around it. Later these cells are check under a microscope and pre-cancer cells will be looked for. These cells can be also checked for a virus called HPV which causes cervical cancer. This test is performed once a year after the age of 21 or 3 years after the first time you have sex (whichever comes earlier).

5. Prostate cancer screening: The prostate is an organ that exists only in men. It’s small (about the size of a walnut), located under the bladder and in front of the rectum, and produces part of the semen fluids. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. There are two screening tests for this cancer: a PSA test is a simple blood test to measure the levels of a substance called Prostate specific antigen (PSA) – which will be high in prostate cancer. Another important test is a digital rectal exam – this is done in your doctor’s office – the doctor inserts a finger to your rectum and feels the size and shape of the prostate. Currently there isn’t enough evidence supporting routine testing for prostate cancer, but you can ask your doctor if you should do one of the tests yourself.

6. Bone Density: The purpose of this test is to diagnose osteoporosis – a condition common in older people (mostly women) in which bones become thin and weakened, which makes them susceptible to fractures. This is a special x-ray picture which measures the density of bones in your hips, spine and wrists. Routine screening is recommended for women older than 65 years old.

7. HIV Test: HIV is the virus causing AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), which makes your body susceptible to life-threatening infections. It can be transmitted by having unprotected sex or sharing needles with someone who has the disease. The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone get tested at least once in their life, and afterwards at least once a year if they had new sex partners since the last test (or their partner had sex with someone else), or if they are injecting drugs or steroids with used injection equipment.

8. Abdominal Ultrasound: This test’s purpose is to look for an aortic aneurysm. This is a dilatation of an artery so it looks like a balloon, causing the wall of the artery to become thinner so it might rupture. A common place for such an aneurysm is the abdominal aorta, which is a part of the largest artery in the body – you don’t want this one to rupture. A simple ultrasound test can discover an aneurysm. In the United States, this screening test is recommended for men between ages 65-75 who smoked in the past (or still are) or men above 60 years old with a family history of an aortic aneurysm. This test should be performed only once.

Photo by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

8. Abdominal Ultrasound: This test’s purpose is to look for an aortic aneurism. An aneurism is a dilatation of an artery so it looks like a balloon. This causes the wall of the artery to become thinner so it might rupture. A common place for such an aneurism is the abdominal aorta, which is a part of the largest artery in the body – you don’t want this one to rupture. With a simple ultrasound test (which can produce images of your abdomen without any radiation), the doctor can see if there is an aneurism. Sometimes the treatment for that will be surgery. In the United States, this screening test is recommended for men between ages 65-75 who smoked in the past (or still are) or men above 60 years old with a family history of an aortic aneurism. This test should be performed only once.

9. Routine blood tests: You should have a routine blood test once a year. This includes complete blood count (CBC) to check for anemia, fasting glucose levels – which is a screening test for diabetes, and cholesterol levels – high cholesterol raises the risk for heart diseases (and treating it can prevent them).

10. Routine Check-Up with your family doctor: It’s important to visit your family doctor at least once a year when you’re healthy. They will perform a physical exam, measure your blood pressure (high blood pressure doesn’t cause any symptoms but can be dangerous in the long run) and do an EKG (which is a test that checks the activity of your heart) – to look for various heart diseases. This is also a good opportunity to tell the doctor about symptoms or problems that bother you.

Here’s a summary of screening tests mentioned in the article. Find the ones that apply to you and make your appointment today.

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Even though most Americans (and most of the modern world) are vaccinated, there is an ongoing debate on whether vaccinations can do harm as well. Mind you, you won’t hear this debate in hospital corridors – most, if not all, doctors believe in the necessity of vaccines. Still, there are children who don’t get vaccinated – either because their parents believe it can lead to problems such as autism, or because they don’t have access to vaccines.

The folks at Medical Coding Career Guide have created an infographic summing up the debate, and basically all you ever wanted to know about vaccinations.

For example – Did you know that before vaccinations for pertussis started, 9000 people died of it each year?

Or that the original study that claimed that autism is linked to the MMR vaccine was actually retracted later by the very same journal that published it?

You can follow the link below for the rest of the infographic.

The Great Vaccination Debate [Medical Coding Career Guide]

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When we go to the doctor, most of the time we expect to leave with a prescription – but what happens when it gets out of control?

Last week, CNN published the story of Alesandra Rain: she just wanted to sleep better at night, but eventually found herself taking 12 different prescription drugs – each of them causing its own side effects and problems. Eventually she stopped taking all the drugs, suffering from difficult withdrawal symptoms. You can also read her story on her website.

(Photo by Felix Mandoux)

The problem of taking too many medications is called Polypharmacy. It’s more common in older people, but can happen to anyone – you start with one medication, then it causes side effects, which lead to more medications and their side effects, and so on … Another problem when taking too many medications is drug interactions – some drugs just don’t work together so well, and this can cause some more side effects. Eventually you might end up with more symptoms than what you originally had.

So what can we do to avoid it?

• Be aware of what you take. Know the names of the medications you take and what they are for.
• Make sure that one doctor knows about everything you take. A lot of times each drug you take was prescribed by another specialist, and none of them is aware of the other specialists or the medications they prescribed. It’s important to update your primary caregiver (for example, your family doctor) about all the medications you take – this way he/she can see if you take drugs that don’t interact well, or take several drugs which do the same thing. It can help your doctors if you bring a list of the medications you take (or simply bring all your pill bottles) to every appointment.
• Ask your doctor questions. Try to understand why each drug is important, and ask if it’s necessary. Ask what the possible side effects of each drug are (so you know when a new symptom is a side effect of a medication and not related to your basic illness). Ask for how long you should take the drugs – some drugs are only for temporary use (like antibiotics), while other are for a long term (like drugs to treat high cholesterol of hypertension).

(Photo by Steve Smith)

• Don’t stop taking prescription drugs without talking to your doctor. Sometimes it’s dangerous to just stop taking a drug, and a gradual withdrawal is needed.
• Consult a pharmacist about Over-The-Counter (OTC) drugs, especially if you take prescription drugs as well.
• Read the Drug label. This is especially important in Over-The-Counter drugs – the label includes information like the uses of the drug, warnings (when you shouldn’t take it), a list of possible side effects, and information about the dosage and storage of the drug. In the federal women’s health website you can find an example of a prescription drug label and an OTC drug label (it’s relevant for men as well).
• Check if your medications interact with each other. You can use an online tool for that – for example Medscape’s Drug interaction Checker.

Follow these steps and you might just save yourself a few extra unneeded pills. Did you ever find yourself taking too many drugs at the same time? Let us know in the comments.

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What do cayenne pepper and puréed vegetables have in common? According to two new studies, mentioned on The New York Times, both are natural appetite suppressants.

The first study included a group of 25 diners, for whom just half a tea spoon of red pepper was added to the meals. When added to a bowl of tomato soup, for example, red pepper caused them to eat 60 calories less on their next meal compared with when they ate the same soup without red pepper. The spice also increased their metabolism, causing them to burn more calories without doing anything.

Photo by Susy Morris

In the other study, diners ate casseroles with varying amounts of purée. The addition made the dish more bulked up, meaning you can eat a bigger dish with fewer calories. On average, the purée helped them eat 200-350 fewer calories a meal.

Both methods don’t offer a great deal of weight loss, but they serve as easy to use techniques on your quest for dieting.

Adding Food and Subtracting Calories [The New York Times]

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Are you sitting now? You’d better stand. Studies have shown for a long time that prolonged sitting is bad for you. It may lead to fat gain, heart attacks, or even death.

A new infographic from Medical Billing & Coding shows graphically just how bad prolonged sitting is for you, and why.

For example, did you know that, when quantifying thing, sitting increases your risk of death by up to 40%?

The infographic also elaborates, in frightening detail, exactly what happens when you sit:

You can follow the link bellow to see the complete infographic. In the meantime, get up and start activating your body, before it’s too late…

Sitting is Killing You – The Truth About Sitting Down [Medical Billing & Coding]

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You’d think that staying up late (partying or otherwise) would waste more calories during the day and help you lose weight. Think again. According to a study mentioned on the Los Angeles Times, staying up late may cause you to gain 2 pounds a month.

The reason? People who stay up late eat more food and have worse diets. Other than that, sleeping enough and when needed helps to keep your metabolism in check.

Photo by Jeffrey Smith

The study mentioned in the article was conducted by Northwestern University scientists. They examined 52 adults. 56% of them were normal sleepers and 44% late sleepers. The late sleepers consumed more calories at dinner and after 8 p.m.. Interestingly enough, their diet was also lousier (containing more fast food, soft drinks, etc.), either because of a tendency or because healthier food is less available at night. They also ate less fruit and vegetables and ate less in the morning.

The bottom line? When your eating habits aren’t in line with your body’s internal clock, your metabolism suffers.

You can read the LA Times article by following the link below. In the mean time, we want to know: Are you a late sleeper/eater? Did it affect you at all?

People who stay up late eat more, eat worse, study finds [Los Angeles Times]

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Anita Mills used to weigh 382 pounds. Her struggle with weight started when she was 5 years old. By the time she reached junior high she already weighed 200 pounds. On August 17, 2009, she decided to act on a single piece of paper her doctor gave to her, containing four tips to lose weight. These included:

1. Eat 8 ounces of food every 3 hours
2. No sugary drinks
3. Do not skip meals
4. Do not tell anyone what you’re doing

About 2 years later she dropped 232 pounds and trimmed her waist down to 26 inches (size 6), all by herself.

Exercise wasn’t neglected, either. She walked, exercised to a Richard Simmons video, and Zumba’d.

You can read the full story on CNN below. In the meantime, here’s a video about her transformation from the Rachael Ray show (where she also goes through a wardrobe makeover…):

She used 4 easy tips to lose weight [CNN]

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The question of whether coffee is good or bad for you is as old as the drink itself. But this isn’t what we’re about to answer today. Rather, how good is coffee, comparing to tea, for your health. The guys at Killer Infographics have published an infographic that answers just that. Did you know, for example, that tea may contain pesticides?

Or that coffee can protect your liver?

For the full infographic, follow the link below.

The health benefits of coffee vs. tea [Killer Infographics]

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The folks at Dailyburn.com (we already told you about them when we talked about using the Internet to lost weight (back then they were called Gyminee)) have created an enlightening infographic about sleep. It includes many interesting facts and tips.

For example – did you know you can lose weight by getting more sleep?

Also, did you know that if you’re a woman, you spend 32% more time awake at night than if you’re a man?

You can see the whole infographic by following the link below.

Sleep is Awesome [Dailyburn Blog]

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Cholesterol is a type of fat in the blood. High levels of cholesterol (namely, LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol) can lead to heart attacks. That’s why it’s important for you to lower the levels of bad cholesterol and raise the levels of HDL cholesterol, also known as the “good cholesterol”.

Lowering cholesterol can be done, like almost everything else in medicine, by taking medications. There are, though, other, more natural ways.

A new article on MSN Health describes 12 foods that should help you do just that. For example, red wine:

It turns out that high-fiber Tempranillo red grapes, used to make red wine like Rioja, may actually have a significant effect on cholesterol levels. A study conducted by the department of metabolism and nutrition at Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain found that when individuals consumed the same grape supplement found in red wine, their LDL levels decreased by 9%. In addition, those who had high cholesterol going into the study saw a 12% drop in LDL.

Other foods there include oats, nuts, fatty fish, and others. Follow the link to read the complete article.

12 Foods That Lower Cholesterol Naturally [MSN Health]

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