Scans Save Lives: Detect Changes Sooner in Women’s Health
Preventative medicine can save lives. It is important for women to have baseline information about their bodies. If there are changes to your health, you are able to see them sooner and better monitor what’s going on in your body.
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States (some kinds of skin cancer are the most common) – CDC
Challenge yourself to be proactive in your health. Schedule a mammogram. Schedule a bone scan. This blog will discuss why both are important for women as they age.
Your mammogram, your choice, no referral needed at Hudson Imaging.
Mammograms
Finding breast cancer early is the main goal of routine breast care. That’s why it’s so important to follow a plan for preventive care. Finding problems early gives you the best chance of successful treatment. Routine care can also help find other noncancerous or benign conditions, too.
The American Cancer Society says that all women & men should get to know how their breasts normally look and feel. Doing this can help you notice any changes more easily.
- Breast size and shape
- Nipple size and shape
- Color and texture of the skin on the breasts and nipples
Contact your healthcare provider right away if you notice any of these changes.
An annual screening mammogram is recommended for women beginning at the age of 40, according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) and the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI).
A mammogram is a low-dose x-ray of the breast and surrounding tissues which can effectively detect cancers long before you or your physician might feel any changes. The goal of mammography is early detection of breast cancer.
Bone Density Scans (DEXA Scans)
Bone density scans, also known as DEXA scans, are used to diagnose or assess bone-related health problems, like osteoporosis.
A DEXA scan is a type of low-dose x-ray test that measures calcium and other minerals in your bones. The scan shows the strength and thickness of the bones, (known as bone density, or bone mass). For most of us, our bones become thinner the older we get. The scan helps check for risk of bone fractures, and how strong the bones are.
Your healthcare provider may recommend a DEXA scan if your bones are thinning or in order to test for osteoporosis.
How Do I Know If I Should Get a Bone Scan?
Women aged 65 and older should get a bone density scan. Women as young as 50 years old should consider getting a bone density scan if they have suffered from the following risk factors:
- Breaking a bone in a minor accident
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Smoking
- Having a parent that has broken a hip
- Using corticosteroid drugs for three months or more
- Low body weight
- Low vitamin D levels
- Drinking heavily
You may need a follow up bone density scan after a couple of years, depending on the results of your first scan.
Schedule Your Scans.
At Hudson Imaging, challenge yourself this month to get your baseline scans done. Prevention starts with knowledge. The more we know about our bodies, the better we can care for them. Schedule your mammogram and/or bone density scan today.
Source, CDC