Health Screening
Health Screening
Health Screening
1 Health Screening 1
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2 Screening for high
blood pressure
You have high blood pressure or
hypertension if your diastolic blood
pressure is at 90 mmHg (millimetres of
mercury) or higher or your systolic blood
pressure is at 140 mmHg or higher. Diastolic
pressure is the blood pressure when the
heart relaxes and systolic pressure is the
blood pressure when the heart is
contracting (pumping).
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Should you be screened for high blood
cholesterol?
You should be screened if you:
● are 40 years old or older
● previously had a heart attack, or stroke
● are suffering from diabetes
● have several family members with high
cholesterol.
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4 Screening for
obesity
Obesity is the condition where the person’s
body weight is well over the normal weight
for his or her height and age.
Weight (kg)
BMI =
Height (m) x Height (m)
Overweight 25 to below 30
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5 Screening for
diabetes mellitus
Diabetes is a disease in which too little or
ineffective insulin is produced by the organ
called the pancreas. As a result, people with
diabetes have abnormally high levels of
glucose in their blood. This leads to damage
and failure of various organs such as the
eyes and kidneys which may even result in
kidney failure.
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6 Screening for
colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon (the
main part of the large intestine) and rectum
(the passageway connecting the colon to
the anus). Colorectal cancer is the most
common cancer among men and women
in Singapore.
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● Double-contrast barium enema
This is an x-ray examination of the large
intestine using a special substance to
improve images.
● Flexible Sigmoidoscopy
This procedure examines the internal
lining of the lower end of your large
intestine. A short, flexible, lighted tube
is inserted into your rectum and slowly
guided into your sigmoid colon.
● Colonoscopy
A longer, flexible lighted tube is used.
This enables the entire large intestine to
be examined.
7 Screening for
hepatitis B
Hepatitis B infection is infection with the
Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). About 6% of
Singaporeans have chronic hepatitis B
infection.
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High risk behaviour includes having had sex
with prostitutes or strangers, having many
sex partners, having a sex partner who has
HBV infection, men who have sex with men,
drug addicts who share injection needles.
8 Screening for
liver cancer
Liver cancer is the 4th most common cancer
among Singaporean men. A Singaporean
man is four times more likely to suffer from
liver cancer than a Singaporean woman.
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● Ultrasound of the liver including the
gallbladder and bile ducts.
9 Screening for
tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious
disease that affects the lungs and other parts
of the body.
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10 Screening for
sexually
transmitted
infections
A sexually transmitted infection is one
which is spread mainly by sexual contact
with an infected person. Examples are
chlamydia trachomatis infection, syphilis,
gonorrhoea, genital herpes, HIV and
genital viral warts (human papillomavirus
infection).
Non-pregnant women
You should be screened for chlamydia
trachomatis if you are:
● A woman 25 years or younger:
o who has a new sexual partner
o who has a partner with symptoms of
an STI
o who has had two or more sexual
partners in the past 12 months
o whose partner does not use condoms.
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● A woman who had gone through an
abortion with the risk factors stated
above.
Pregnant women
You should be screened if you are:
● pregnant and aged 25 years and younger
● pregnant and fall under the following
higher risk groups:
o those who have had two or more
sexual partners in the last 12 months,
or
o have sexual partners with symptoms
of STI.
Men
All men who practise unsafe sexual
behaviours should be screened. They
include those who:
● do not use condoms
● have frequent change in sexual partners
● have sex with prostitutes.
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Syphilis
Syphilis is an infection that is transmitted
from one adult to another through sexual
contact or from the mother to her baby
during pregnancy.
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Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is an infection that causes
inflammation of the sexual organs.
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Genital Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)
Infection
Genital Herpes is a viral infection that is
transmitted through sexual intercourse.
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● Persons who have had a blood
transfusion or an organ transplant that
had not previously been screened.
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11 Screening for
cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is the cancer of the neck
of the womb (cervix). Cervical cancer is
the 4 th most common cancer among
Singaporean women.
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You do not need to go for Pap smear if you
have never had sexual intercourse.
However, if you have abnormal vaginal
discharge, you should consult a doctor.
12 Screening for
breast cancer
Breast cancer is the most common cancer
among women in Singapore. One in 20
women here has a chance of developing
breast cancer in her lifetime.
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Screening for Breast cancer
● Regular mammography is the most
reliable way to detect breast cancer
before the lump can be felt.
● Breast Self-Examination (BSE) is breast
examination done by the woman herself.
BSE should be done from age 30
onwards. BSE helps women detect
changes in their breast that may arise in
the interval between regular mammo-
graphy.
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13 Screening for
osteoporosis
Osteoporosis, which means “porous
bones”, is a condition in which the bones
become weak and brittle, resulting in a
greater likelihood of breaking after minor
trauma.
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Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool for
Asians (OSTA)
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Screening test for osteoporosis
14 Screening for
prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the 6th most common
cancer among Singaporean men.
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Screening for prostate cancer
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