What’s the best time to identify a potential health problem? Long before symptoms start! That’s why preventive health screenings with your primary care physician are critical to long-term health.

With screenings, providers can identify individuals who are at risk for common problems like high blood pressure or high cholesterol but who have no symptoms in the early stages. This is the point in time for the greatest opportunity to manage the problem so it doesn’t result in serious, sometimes devastating, health consequences.

Learning that you may have a problem – especially early on – does not automatically relegate you to a lifetime of pills as some people fear. A disease like high blood pressure can contribute to the development of kidney failure and heart disease, including heart failure. But, a lot can be done with a patient’s lifestyle and diet to help reduce the likelihood of a bad outcome. In fact, appropriate changes in lifestyle or diet alone can eliminate the problem altogether.

So, why do people skip health screenings? A common reason is they don’t feel ill and are unaware that something may be wrong. Ironically, this underscores the importance of being screened before it’s too late. Making health screenings part of a regular visit to your primary care provider is one way to stay on track and help ensure good health.

The types of screenings you need will depend on your gender, prior health issues, age and family history. Talk with your doctor. Together, the two of you can decide which tests are important for you and your well-being.

Health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and osteoporosis (heel scans) will be provided free of charge at the 20th annual Plateau Health and Wellness Expo on Saturday. The event, co-sponsored by St. Elizabeth Hospital and the Enumclaw Regional Healthcare Foundation, will be underway from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Enumclaw High School commons and gymnasium, 226 Semanski St.

The author of this article, Shelly Pricco, is a registered nurse and director of patient care services at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw, which is part of the Franciscan Health System. Need a doctor? Call the Franciscan Physician Referral Line, 1-888-825-3227 toll-free.