Which Medical Screening Tests Do You Really Need?

It's difficult to know which medical screening tests you actually need and which you can probably get away with not getting. It's usually best to err on the side of caution since you'd rather know that there's a problem early on than late into the game. But then again, you don't want to put yourself through a bunch of unnecessary medical testing on a regular basis if you can avoid it. CNN News took a look recently at what experts in the medical industry say you should put on the "must get" list for medical screening. According to the report, screening should be done for prostate, cervical and colorectal cancer. Breast exams and mammograms should be done, of course. And screening for osteoporosis is important as you get older. As a general rule of thumb, if you're under 30, you don't need most screening. As you get closer to 40 and definitely as you hit 50, you need to start looking at doing these tests to catch problems before they get out of control. This is particular true of screening for cancers. Bone mineral density scans should be done as you get older so that you can be aware of your risks of osteoporosis.