Are you, or do you know a senior in Western Springs IL?

Regular screening is a incredibly essential part of preventative care. Colorectal cancer is something that all seniors should be screened for. March is dedicated to making people today conscious of this ailment. It is the second top cause of deaths resulting from cancers that have an impact on both sexes, and 90% of people diagnosed with colon cancer were over fifty. It is proposed that screening starts at  50 years of ageand progresses until age 75. There are totally different tests that should be administered on a regular basis to check for colon cancer.

A colonoscopy really should be given one time each ten years. While in this check, the large and small bowels are observed with a tiny camera. This is carried out to uncover and eliminate any polyps and is essential to initial cancer discovery. The first colonoscopy should be given at age fifty.

While a colonoscopy allows the examination of the entire four to five feet of the colon, a flexible sigmoidoscopy allows for the sigmoid colon or the final two feet to be observed. A colonoscopy is a preferred check over a sigmoidoscopy; however, a sigmoidoscopy is shorter. A sigmoidoscopy should be completed every five years.

A fecal occult blood test is a procedure of colorectal cancer screening that should be given every year. This includes a stool sample to be forwarded off to a lab for testing. Chemicals are used to discover blood that cannot be seen. If blood is identified in the stool, further testing is needed. A patient may be referred for a colonoscopy.

A double contrast barium enema may be used every five years for additional testing. This is a technique in which an X-ray of the colon is taken. The barium used in this check  highlights the large intestine. It is simultaneously delivered to expand the colon, allowing for clearer images. The barium will pass out of the body with stools.

Anyone between the ages of fifty and seventy-five should have common testing for colorectal cancer. Testing should be started off sooner with family history of colorectal cancer or with a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease. Assessing is also recommended in some seniors who are over the age of seventy-five. Talk to your primary care physician about colorectal cancer screening today.

For information about how the caregivers at Home Helpers HomeCare can help seniors in Western Springs IL,  and the surrounding areas, call (630) 323-7231.We provide companionship, homemaking and personal in-home care services for many seniors, veterans and disabled in our community.