Go Ahead And Skip Those Medical Screenings
Posted by terrepruitt on December 2, 2019
I just read an interesting article that suggests that certain routine medical tests are somewhat unnecessary after a certain age. Now, I believe the article (and subsequent information I have seen on the internet) is stating just having the test just because it is routine is not necessary. If you are feeling unwell or have any type of symptom or if you have one of the diseases in your family history that they think can be hereditary . . . of course have a test, but the information is talking about the recommended regular testing that comes once you reach age 50. The idea is that after 75 there are fewer benefits to the tests than when you are under that age.
A Harvard study reported that a colonoscopy past the age of 75 may do little to protect you from cancer. Other studies show that the risk of complications increases with age. Seems like the industry might be more accepting of it being an individual’s choice as opposed to a blanket recommendation. Again, if your health or medical history dictates it, then stick with the recommendations for regular screenings.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has no conclusion as to whether women over 74 should continue with the biennial mammograms, but a European study reported that the benefits of mammograms are limited. It further suggests that mammograms may lead to overtreatment and that the side effects are too risky for some women. Again, I believe they are talking about women without health risks and without a family history of breast cancer not needing the test every two years.
The PSA test is not recommended by any medical group past age 70. The USPSTF issued a statement in May of 2018 stating the benefits of the PSA test for prostate cancer did not outweigh the harm that may be caused in men over the age of 69. As I have been mentioning all along . . . if you are at risk or you feel you need this test make sure to get one.
If you have had three negative (for cervical cancer) Pap smears in the previous 10 years after age 65 a Pap smear is no longer something needed. Again, this is a personal and individualized issue . . . if you want to continue with this type of testing that is between you and your physician.
So you could be opting to opt out of these tests at a certain point. Seems like, unless they are necessary, there are other things we could be spending our time doing. Sounds good to me. Sometimes I think the regular testing and screening – without cause or evidence of it being necessary – can cause so much stress and worry it could actually result in disease.
What do you think?
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Paula Light said
I think many of them are unnecessary for healthy people who don’t have risk factors. Here’s another example: dental X-rays. We used to get them once a year, but then they said we had to get them every six months, and some patients have been badgered into 3x per year. Why? Just to make more money for doctors imo. I still get them once a year. I don’t have dental insurance and pay cash… my dentist is fine with that.
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terrepruitt said
Oh, yeah, it seems excessive to have your mouth X-rayed twice a year. I have not heard of the three times a year. That is really odd. I wonder why people feel they need to have that many X-rays.
I agree with you.
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Paula Light said
Sorry, I may have confused that with 3 cleanings per year!
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terrepruitt said
Ha! Three CLEANINGS per years just sounds like people might not want to do their own proper brushing and flossing!
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Frank Hubeny said
Good information. It is good to know there may be potential harm in getting the tests done.
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terrepruitt said
I know. It seems like we don’t always hear about the risk involved in a test. I would hope that when one is scheduled the doctor discusses it with the patient.
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ZyrkDj said
Corporate medicine deliberately calls their very lucrative DIAGNOSTIC screening tests “preventive” tests to hoodwink the unwitting public and garner more ignorant customers for their big business.
Take mammography. It has zero to do with prevention of anything. It’s diagnosing something existing. And contrary to the official narrative (which is based on medical business-fabricated pro-mammogram “scientific” data), there is marginal, if any, reliable evidence that mammography, both conventional and digital (3D), reduces mortality from breast cancer in a significant way in any age bracket but a lot of solid evidence shows the procedure does provide more serious harm than serious benefit (read the books: ‘Mammography Screening: Truth, Lies and Controversy’ by Peter Gotzsche and ‘The Mammogram Myth’ by Rolf Hefti).
And with practically all these misleading fraudulent “preventive” screening tests of conventional medicine they do more harm than good.
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terrepruitt said
I know that I have been in a mammogram screening area listening to a couple who were freaking out about a “positive” test result and the nurse kept trying to calm them and explain that the patient needs to STOP wearing deodorant when having a mammogram because that COULD be creating a false positive. I am 100% certain that the stress the test result created was in NO WAY good for that couple’s health.
I have heard people claim that a medical tests saved their life so, I am not going to argue that they do not, but I would argue that they cause a lot of unnecessary stress and not all of them are needed.
When my mom was dying in the hospital they woke her up every night to take a chest X-ray. When I asked the staff why they were taking an X-ray of a dying woman? I was told, it is just procedure to take a chest X-ray of EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the unit. So, instead of actually having personalized instructions, it was just easier to give the X-ray tech blanket instructions to just take an X-ray of everyone on the ward. Even if the person was dying and there was no point. That is kind of what I think of a lot of the screenings and tests.
Thank you for commenting and sharing your opinion.
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