Why You Should Give Up The Excuses And Get A Colonoscopy Already
Posted on: 12 January 2015
When it comes to taking care of your health as you age, the process is not always particularly pleasant. For women, you add the annual mammogram to your roster of routine examinations every year. For men, it's the annual prostate exam. And for both men and women, doctors recommend you get a regular colonoscopy starting at around age 50. Depending on your risk factors, they will recommend colonoscopy exams every five or ten years. Now, most people have a myriad of excuses that they rely on to avoid such seemingly unpleasant medical procedures. However, the time has come to confront the lack of factual basis for those excuses and schedule your next annual colonoscopy appointment as soon as possible.
Excuse #1 : Your Insurance Won't Cover It
Many people are under the impression that insurance companies will not cover annual exams and tests that doctors recommend for your health, including the colonoscopy. However, this is not the case.
Most insurance companies have an age restriction for preventive medicine tests such as mammograms and colonoscopies. They will not cover them unless medically necessary (i.e. there is a colon-related problem) before a cut-off age, usually between 40 and 50. However, once an insured party reaches the appropriate age, the procedure is covered.
So, double-check that insurance plan. If you do not see any mention of colonoscopy coverage in the materials you have, give you insurance company a call to find out your exact coverage parameters.
Excuse #2: You Feel Fine, And If You Had Cancer, You Would Feel Sick
Colon cancer (and cancer in general) is a tricky beast. You do not immediately feel sick or feel the effects of the cancer as it develops. In fact, once you do begin to feel ill, the cancer is likely quite advanced.
So, using the excuse that you feel healthy or that you take good care of yourself is not enough to keep you from needing a colonoscopy. Colon cancer first develops as small polyps on the walls of the colon. These polyps do not start out as cancerous cells, but can quickly become so if not removed as soon as possible.
A colonoscopy can easily detect polyps, allowing your doctor to remove them before they become cancerous and before you even begin to feel the ill-effects of these growths within your body. So, do not allow yourself to maintain the delusion that feeling well means you are well.
Excuse #3: You Do Not Have Time For Preventive Tests
Most people have perpetually busy schedules and do not tend to take the time to go to the doctor. As such, an all too common excuse for skipping that colonoscopy appointment is that busy schedule.
However, given the fact that you only need to get a colonoscopy once every five to ten years, this excuse doesn't have much merit. Take the time to schedule and keep your colonoscopy appointment to ensure your continued health and vitality for years to come. After all, it is an afternoon of your life once every five to ten years that could mean the difference between a prolonged battle with cancer and continued health.
No matter what the excuse, you should never skip a recommended colonoscopy appointment. So, stop making excuses for yourself and get to the doctor as soon as possible to ensure that you do not develop malignant polyps while you are avoiding a test that could save your life. For more information, contact a local health clinic, like Northwest Gastroenterology Associates.
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