No one likes getting older, but unfortunately it’s something that happens to all of us. After a certain age, it’s important to keep a better eye on our health. Afterall, prevention is one of the best ways to treat many diseases.
Recommended tests for those over the age of 60 include:
- Blood Pressure Tests: High blood pressure weakens the heart and arteries, making heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke more likely.
- Bowel Cancer Screening: Early intervention is key in treating bowel cancer so you should be screened for it every two years even if you don’t have symptoms.
- Cholesterol Screening: High cholesterol can build up in the arteries and lead to heart attack or stroke.
- Breast and Cervical Screening: Screening for breast and cervical cancer is essential for all women. Cervical screening should be done every 3-5 years until the age of 64 and breast screening every 3 years until age 74.
- Blood Testing: After the age of 40, it is recommended that people get general health screenings every few years as a preventative measure. A wide range of blood tests other than the ones mentioned above may be performed, such as testing for kidney function levels or diabetes.
Vaccinations
Because the flu can become more dangerous in older populations, you should get the flu vaccine each year. After the age of 60, you should also get the shingles vaccination even if you’ve had shingles before. If you have never contracted chickenpox, you may want to get the vaccine because the illness presents more severely the older you get.
Touchwood Pharmacy
The NHS offers screening and health checks every few years once you reach a certain age, but it is not always easy getting these tests at times or locations that work for you. There may even be waiting lists. Touchwood Pharmacy has affordable, convenient, and comprehensive testing available to help keep you healthy. Our wide range of services include diabetes testing, blood testing, liver and kidney function checks, and covid-19 testing.
We also provide vaccinations for the entire family, such as flu vaccination, travel vaccination, and chickenpox vaccination. To see all that we provide or to book your appointment online, visit our website.
