Prevention
Preventive health is the key to helping you stay healthy and detecting health problems early on, before they cause other issues or become more difficult to treat. Getting preventive care reduces the risk for diseases, disabilities, and even death.
Preventive health encompasses a set of health services meant to screen and possibly identify health issues before symptoms develop. Preventive healthcare can help you live a longer, healthier life..
Adult preventive healthcare
It typically includes screenings for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It also involves education and counseling that can help you make positive lifestyle choices that protect your overall health and well-being, such as counseling for smoking cessation and balanced eating habits.
The types of screenings recommended for you may vary based on your age and family history. The following are the most common preventive screenings for adults:
Screenings for breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer:
Early detection can stop them from spreading or becoming more serious.
Screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes:
Helps detect common metabolic conditions that can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes. If left untreated, they may lead to serious disease and premature death.
Immunizations:
Vaccines recommended for adults include annual flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, and boosters for vaccines you received as a child that may have worn off
Counseling:
May be available to help you manage a chronic condition. It may also be used to help you make healthy lifestyle choices, quit smoking if you smoke, or to screen for mental health conditions.
Know your family health history
When you know your family history and any genetic risk that runs in the family, you can take steps to lower your risk of specific conditions. You can be proactive about engaging in healthy lifestyle choices that are known to help prevent these conditions from developing or worsening.