Health Screening: Finding Health Problems Early

Topic Overview

Why is it important to find health problems early?

Often, the earlier a disease is diagnosed, the more likely it is that it can be cured or successfully managed. When you treat a disease early, you may be able to prevent or delay problems from the disease. Treating the disease early may also make the disease easier to live with.

How are health problems identified?

Screening tests, which find health problems before symptoms appear. Examples of screening tests include mammograms to find breast cancer and colonoscopy to find colon cancer.
Diagnostic tests, medical examinations, and self-examinations, which find a disease or other health problem early in its course.

What health problems should you be tested for?

This can be discussed with your health care provider and is based on your:

Age, health, and gender.
Risk factors. Risk factors are things that make getting a disease more likely. They may include family history, such as having a close relative with cancer, and lifestyle habits, such as smoking. For Example:
- A cholesterol test is recommended for people who have a family history of early coronary artery disease.
- A woman who is pregnant or trying to become pregnant may be screened for genetic conditions and other conditions that may affect her or her baby.

How do you decide when to get a screening test?

When and how often you get screening tests depend on your age, your gender, your health status, and your risk factors. Your doctor may suggest screening tests based on expert guidelines.

When you are thinking about getting a screening test, talk with your doctor. Find out about the disease, what the test is like, and how the test may help you or hurt you. You may also want to ask what further testing and follow-up will be needed if a screening test result shows a possible problem.

Ask your doctor about the limits of the test and treatment. For example:

Ask your doctor how likely it is that the test would miss a disease (false negative), show something that looks like you have a disease when you don't (false positive), or find a disease that will never cause a problem.
Ask your doctor about the treatment for the disease. There may be no treatment that helps with symptoms or helps you live longer. In this case, you may decide that you don't want the screening test.

Also think about what you would do if a test shows that you have the disease. For example, if you are going to be tested for osteoporosis, are you willing to take medicine or make lifestyle changes if the test shows that you have it?

Health Tools

Health Tools such as Decision Points help you make wise health decisions or take action to improve your health.

Decision Points focus on key medical care decisions that are important to many health problems.

Smart Decisions: Know Your Options

Screening, Birth to 12 Months

Newborn screening tests

All provinces and territories offer newborn screening, but the tests offered vary. These tests can help find serious problems that could affect your baby's long-term health. BC’s Newborn Screening (NBS) Program is to identify babies who have a treatable disorder detectable through a blood test. For more information, see Perinatal Services BC: Newborn Screening.

Routine baby checkups

It's important for your baby to have regularly scheduled checkups starting shortly after birth. During these visits, the doctor examines your baby for possible problems and asks you questions about your baby's growth and development.

At each routine baby checkup, the doctor or nurse may check your baby's:

Vision, if he or she feels that tests are needed.
Length, weight, and head circumference.
Hip growth, to check for developmental dysplasia of the hip.

If the doctor is concerned that your child has been exposed to certain substances or diseases, tests may include:

For more information on important markers (milestones) of infant growth and development, see:

Screening, 13 Months to 12 Years

It's important for your child to continue to have regularly scheduled checkups. During these visits, your child's doctor will check your child's growth and development and examine your child for possible problems.

Child checkups may include:

Behavioural and school concerns. Depending on the child's age, these may include temper tantrums, grades, relationship problems, and aggressive behaviour that hurts others emotionally or physically (bullying).
Blood pressure. Your child may have his or her blood pressure checked every year, beginning at age 3.
Hearing.
Vision.
Height, weight, and body mass index (BMI).

Regular dental checkups are recommended for all children.

Age-specific tests

Until your child is age 24 months, the doctor may measure the circumference of your child's head.

Until your child is age 5, the doctor may check for developmental problems, including autism. When your child is ages 10 through to 12, the doctor may check for scoliosis.

Other tests

Based on specific risk factors or concerns, your child’s health care provider may suggest other tests such as:

Cholesterol screening.
Hematocrit test, if your doctor is concerned about your child's red blood cell count.
Lead screening.
Tuberculosis screening.
Type 2 diabetes screening.

For more information on the milestones of early childhood growth and development, see:

Screening, 13 to 18 Years

It's important for your teen to continue to have regularly scheduled checkups. At each visit the doctor will check your teen's growth and development and examine him or her for possible problems.

Checkups may include:

Discussing school and behavioural concerns, such as failing classes or dropping out of school, relationship problems with friends and family that affect home or school life, severe mood swings, lack of interest in normal activities and withdrawal from others, being physically aggressive, becoming sexually active, and using tobacco or drugs.
Blood pressure. Your child may have his or her blood pressure checked every year.
Hearing.
Scoliosis.
Vision.
Height, weight, and body mass index (BMI).

Dental checkups are recommended for all teens once or twice a year.

Other tests

Based on specific risk factors or concerns, your child’s health care provider may suggest other tests which could include:

Alcohol use screening.
Cholesterol test.
Depression screening.
Hematocrit test, which checks the amount of red blood cells.
HIV screening.
Sexually transmitted infection screening.
Testicular cancer screening for boys.
Tuberculosis screening.
Type 2 diabetes screening.

For more information on the milestones of teen growth and development, see:

Screening, Adult Women

Screening in adults is intended to identify diseases that may develop as you age. To help stay as healthy as possible, get routine checkups and have screenings that you and your doctor decide on.

How often women have the following tests depends on age, health, and things that make a specific disease more likely.

Tests that may be done include:

Harmful alcohol use screening.
Blood pressure screening.
Breast cancer screening.
Cervical cancer screening.
Cholesterol test.
Colorectal cancer screening.
Coronary artery disease risk screening.
Hepatitis virus test, including hepatitis C.
HIV test.
Type 2 diabetes screening.
Weight.

Dental checkups are recommended once or twice a year. Based on specific risk factors or concerns, your health care provider may suggest other tests such as:

Women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant may be screened for genetic conditions, gestational diabetes, sexually transmitted infections, and other conditions. For more information, see the topic Pregnancy.

Some experts recommend that all adults born from 1945 to 1975 get tested for hepatitis C. People in this age group are more likely to have hepatitis C and not know it.
Before age 65, screening for osteoporosis isn't generally recommended unless you have risk factors. After age 65, it is recommended you routinely have a test for osteoporosis.
If you are a man who is age 65 to 80, your doctor may recommend you be screened for aortic aneurysm.^{footnote 1}

Deciding about tests

It can be hard to decide whether you want to be screened for certain diseases or which type of test is best used. Combine medical information with your personal values to make a wise health decision.

Screening, Adult Men

Screening in adults is intended to identify diseases that may develop as you age. To help stay as healthy as possible, get routine checkups and have screenings that you and your doctor decide on.

How often men have the following tests depends on age, health, and things that make getting a specific disease more likely.

Tests that may be done include:

Dental checkups are recommended once or twice a year. Based on specific risk factors or concerns, your health care provider may also suggest other tests such as:

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening.
Depression screening.
Hearing tests.
Osteoporosis screening.
Prostate cancer screening.
Sexually transmitted infection screening.
Skin cancer screening.
Testicular cancer screening.
Thyroid disease screening.
Tuberculosis screening.
Vision tests and glaucoma screening.

Your age and tests

Some tests are only done at certain ages.

Some experts recommend that all adults born from 1945 to 1975 get tested for hepatitis C. People in this age group are more likely to have hepatitis C and not know it.
Before age 65, screening for osteoporosis isn't generally recommended unless you have risk factors. After age 65, it is recommended you routinely have a test for osteoporosis.
Between age 65 to 80, your doctor may recommend you be screened for aortic aneurysm.

Deciding about tests

It can be hard to decide whether you want to be screened for certain diseases or which type of test is best used.

References

Citations

Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care. (2017). Recommendations on screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm in primary care. Canadian Medical Association Journal , 189(36): E1137–E1145. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.170118. Accessed January 3, 2018.