Special medical screenings offered at Navarro Medical in Lake Wales, Florida could potentially catch hidden signs of illness and injury before they turn into a more costly condition. These screenings are part of a critical step in preventative medicine. True, there is not a magic mirror that sees all beginning stages of treatable deteriorating health issues. Well, not yet anyway. However, your annual wellness visits plus applicable screenings do reveal a large percentage of important information about how well your body is performing. Skip the added emotional strain, stress, extra time spent in doctor’s offices or hospitals, and expense of allowing your underlying health conditions to continue wreaking havoc on your body. Make the effort instead to catch the warning signs early with these health screenings.

Women's Health Screenings
Since there is no test for human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV can result in cervical cancer, screenings for cervical cancer called Pap tests are recommended for women over the age of 21. HPV is the leading transmitted sexually transmitted disease (STD) with 79 million reported Americans currently infected and 14 million becoming newly infected each year. There are many types of HPV, and the newly introduced HPV vaccine can help protect individuals against the harmful effects of certain strands of the virus. Even with the vaccine, the best protection is to get early detection through regular cervical cancer screenings.

Cancer Screenings
In addition to the Pap test that screens for signs of cervical cancer, it is suggested women receive clinical breast exams to check for abnormalities. These exams are typically performed during well visits where doctors are trained to feel for these health issues before they grow in size and become more difficult to treat. Regular mammogram screenings may also be discussed as part of your preventative care routine during your visit.

Furthermore, Navarro Medical offers lung, prostate, and colon cancer screenings. All of the aforementioned cancers are often treatable when the abnormalities are caught during early onset. By scheduling annual wellness visits with applicable screenings, abnormalities may be diagnosed and treated before they have time to grow or spread. This is one of many reasons annual preventative care visits, such as cancer screenings, are a critical component of staying healthy. 

UTI Screening
Though men and women can both get a urinary tract infection (UTI), it is estimated 50% of women will have one at some point in their lives. Your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra make up your urinary system that is designed to filter waste and extra water in the body. Sometimes, bacteria can infect these areas. Proper screening with early-onset can give these individuals faster relief from the pain often associated with this infection as well as prevent more serious health problems from resulting from the UTI.

If you have noticed dark or cloudy urine, blood in your urine, a burning sensation when you urinate or an intense urge to urinate despite little urine being produced, pain or pressure in your back or lower abdomen, or a feeling of being overly tired or shaky, you may have a UTI. You may also experience a fever or chills if the infection is in your kidneys. Make an appointment online or walk into our clinic during regular business hours to discuss your symptoms and receive appropriate screenings.

STD/STI Screening
Many people have sexually transmitted diseases without knowing it. Symptoms can show up immediately, many years after being infected or not at all. Therefore, it is important to discuss your sexual activity on a clinical level and any concerns with Dr. Navarro during your wellness visits or as you experience symptoms. STD or sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests may be performed as needed to identify the source of the issue and treat the infection. If you take an at-home test that produces a positive result or if you have a negative result and your symptoms continue, make an appointment online or come to the office as a walk-in to learn more information about your results, any symptoms, and effective treatment options.

A1C Glucose Levels
A whopping 30 million Americans have diabetes, and 1 in 4 are unaware they have this lurking kidney, limb and eye-damaging disease. It is the seventh leading cause of death, but an A1C test can save the lives of many of these individuals by exposing the disease in its early stages. This test shows how much sugar is attached to a protein called “hemoglobin” in your red blood cells. High levels of attached sugar may mean you are at risk of becoming diabetic or having diabetes. Using a combination of medicine, non-pharmaceutical treatments, and healthier lifestyle choices, diabetes can be managed. The key to living with diabetes as with all forms of disease is early detection.

Therefore, the above screenings offered at our Lake Wales clinic are convenient, private, and should be a part of everyone’s preventative healthcare plan whenever applicable. These tests may uncover health concerns that can be easier to treat and less costly when caught during the early stages. If you are concerned about any symptoms you are experiencing or if you would like to receive a wellness visit or particular screening, we invite you to make an appointment with us or come into the office as a walk-in anytime between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, with the exception of our lunch hour between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm. Let us help with your journey in staying healthy or working towards healthier goals!