A prostate screening is extremely important to have regularly. Because, without them, a man’s health is at a high risk of developing prostate cancer. Knowing how often prostate screenings should be had can be helpful to those men who are not sure.
A man’s health is just as important to maintain as a woman’s. But most people are under the assumption that women’s health needs more attention. However, that is not true. Men are at risk of developing prostate cancer, and it can become very problematic if not addressed.
Keep reading to find out how often a man should have a prostate screening.
Prostate screenings
Being aware of the importance of prostate screenings can be helpful later on down the line. People tend to put them off due to a lack of education on how important they are.
What is a prostate screening?
A prostate screening should be done routinely once a man turns a certain age. This in order to detect undiagnosed prostate cancer in someone who may not have any symptoms. There are two main tests that a man must undergo during a prostate screening: A PSA test and digital rectal exam. The PSA test checks the level of prostate-specific antigen in the blood. The digital rectal exam consists of the doctor feeling for any abnormalities within a man’s prostate.
Both types of prostate screening tests are important to have because they test for different things. This means that complete confidence regarding the state of your prostate health requires both tests. As the most common cancer for men, it can be detected early and treated.
How often should men have a prostate screening?
Every doctor makes a different recommendation as to how often prostate screenings should be performed. But generally speaking, men do not need to be screened until they have reached the age of 40.
After the first initial prostate screening, if a man doesn’t have any signs of prostate cancer, then he may not need to have another prostate screening for another two years. Thereafter, prostate screenings will not need to be done yearly, but rather every other year as a preventative measure.
While most people do not need to have prostate screenings until they reach a certain age, some people may need them earlier on if there are genetic problems involved. It is best to talk with a doctor about family history so that they can better determine how often prostate screenings should be done.
