WOMEN: GETTING OLDER. ADDITIONAL SCREENING TESTS
Your general practitioner might suggest some additional screening tests.
Electrocardiogram (ECG)
This test can detect some disorders of heart function before they cause any symptoms.
Blood tests
These can be taken to discover any disorders of blood-cell formation, or any abnormalities in the chemistry of the serum that could be the result of disturbed liver, kidney or thyroid function. If sugar is found in the urine, further blood-sugar tests will be advised.
Chest X-ray
Cancer-screening tests
These may be advised. Mammography and bowel-cancer screening tests (by examining the faeces for hidden blood) are the most common.
Eye-pressure tests
These are performed by an optometrist or an eye doctor. The aim is to detect early any increase of pressure within the eye. Raised pressure within the eye causes glaucoma, a nasty condition that can destroy sight. It usually develops very slowly and gradually, and often causes irreparable damage to sight before it causes symptoms. Glaucoma is one of the most important causes of blindness in older people. It is rare before the age of 40; after that the incidence increases to more than 1 in 20 at 75 years of age.
I don’t think the importance of testing for early glaucoma has been given enough publicity. It is done routinely when new spectacles are prescribed, but most of us who wear glasses don’t need to change our specs after about the age of 60, so we don’t visit the optometrist or eye doctor unless eye symptoms develop. This may be too late to prevent damage from glaucoma.
Because glaucoma is common and because early control (with eye drops) can prevent loss of sight, I would advise everyone over the age of 40 to speak to an optometrist or eye doctor about how frequently testing is advisable. It should be more frequent if there is any family history of glaucoma.
*325/31/5*
Random Posts
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.