BOOK YOUR HEALTH CHECK

Health Screening in Essex

Health screening in Essex

Summer has been a great time for (finally) slowing down and having some space for recharging and reflection. The ‘back to school’ season is upon us, and for many of us, the pressures of life start to ramp up again. Now’s the ideal time to be proactively taking care of your health, with a health screen.

Our Well Man and Well Woman health checks are comprehensive; you’ll have a full hour to discuss any health issues you may have, but very importantly, it gives us the chance to spot problems early on, so we can effectively tackle them.

QRISK®3 Score

  • What is a QRISK®3 score?
    As part of your assessment and physical examination, we measure your height, weight and blood pressure, and we also carry out an ECG (heart trace) and an array of blood tests, including looking at your cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose levels.

    We can then use an algorithm called the QRISK3 to give us insight into what your risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years is. The score takes into account your ethnicity, where you live, whether you’re a smoker, have diabetes, kidney disease, heart problems or mental illness.

  • What is a ‘bad’ QRISK®3 score?
    In the UK, if your score is greater than or equal to 10%, it means that you have a one in ten chance of having a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years. The good news is, we can do a great deal together to reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event happening.

Prediabetes

  • What is prediabetes?
    Some people are potentially at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and there is a ‘prediabetes’ stage (aka borderline diabetes) that occurs before a person develops full-blown diabetes.

    Prediabetes means that a person’s blood sugar is higher than normal, but not so high that we would diagnose diabetes. If you have prediabetes, you have a 50% chance of developing diabetes in the next five years.

  • What are the symptoms of prediabetes?
    Most people with prediabetes have no symptoms at all (which is why screening is so important).

    Some people may experience:
    Feeling especially thirsty
    Needing to pass urine more frequently (especially at night-time)
    Feeling tired all the time
    Weight loss (when not trying to lose weight)
    Blurry vision

  • Fasting glucose test
    Fasting blood glucose (sugar) level testing can help us to identify if your glucose control is impaired, and prediabetes is potentially reversible with lifestyle changes, such as weight loss, reducing alcohol, increase exercise, and eating a nutritious diet. We can guide and assist you through making these changes.

qfit bowel cancer screening test

Bowel cancer screening – qFIT test

  • What is the qFIT test?
    When we get into our fifties, our risk of bowel cancer begins to rise steeply.
    The quantitative faecal immunochemical or ‘qFIT’ test is a stool sample test that detects haemoglobin (which is released from broken down red blood cells) in poo. Blood in poo can be a sign of polyps (growths in the colon) and bowel cancer. Polyps aren’t malignant growths, but they can become cancerous over time.

  • What if my qFIT test is positive?
    If blood is found in your sample, you may need to undergo referral to a specialist for further tests, such as a colonoscopy. Early detection of bowel cancer is very important – when it’s caught early, there is a 90% chance of cure.

Why have a health screen?

  • What else is covered in the health screen?
    During your health screen we’ll have time to assess any other problems you may have, such as joint aches and pains, prostate and gynae problems, sexual health issues, and skin lesions. We’ve even been known to pick up skin cancers which may not to be visible to the person.

  • Health ‘MOT’
    Many people come to see us for a health ‘MOT’ after the illness of a loved one, or recent health scare. It’s also a great way to proactively get a holistic understanding of your health, and at Essex Private Doctors we’re here to help you to optimise your health, minimise your risks, and live a happier life!