While infectious diseases such as plague or cholera are generally no longer found in German latitudes, the proportion of degenerative diseases continues to increase. In the meantime, various measures exist for the early detection of diseases. These are intended to be able to detect changes in good time so that timely treatment can avoid a serious course.
What is early disease detection?
Measures for timely diagnosis of various diseases are mainly aimed at people who do not outwardly show any signs of disease. Early detection is by no means preventive care. While, for example, a healthy diet or abstaining from tobacco can be considered part of prevention, early detection in the context of examinations is intended to detect ailments regardless of individual behavior. Numerous measures are offered by health insurance companies at regular intervals after a certain age. Normally, no co-payment is required for such examinations. Examinations for early detection are used in all medical fields: they are intended to detect illnesses in the child during pregnancy, to reveal the first signs of cancer or to assess the risk of heart attack and stroke via blood values. In general, however, these are not mandatory measures. Instead, the decision is in the hands of the patient. The patient can take advantage of the various screening examinations as needed. However, the various procedures do not always result in benefits. Accordingly, a weighing of advantages and disadvantages must be considered.
Function, effect, and goals
Measures for the timely diagnosis of various diseases are aimed primarily at people who outwardly show no signs of disease. In general, the German system for early detection is one of the best at the European level. Early detection begins during pregnancy. Here, complaints of both the mother and the child are to be detected. Initially, the measures focus on the detection of high-risk pregnancies. These include, for example, an ectopic pregnancy, which endangers the mother in particular. In general, all possible complaints should be detected and treated. For example, gestational diabetes can sometimes cause severe symptoms in both mother and child. Early detection, on the other hand, helps to take care of the child in various ways so that it is not affected by the mother’s elevated blood sugar. Furthermore, ultrasound examinations serve to check the well-being of the unborn child. These are performed in the first weeks of pregnancy and repeated at regular intervals until birth. Which measures are part of the early detection of expectant mothers can be found in the maternity guidelines. After delivery, further appointments for early detection follow for the child. These are divided into the examinations U1 to J2 and serve to detect diseases that can affect the physical and psychological development. Age-related guidelines apply to most early detection measures. For example, young women over the age of 20 can be tested for cervical cancer. The examination takes place annually and consists of an inspection of the cervix, a smear test and a palpation examination. From the age of 35, the health insurance company guarantees men and women screening for early diagnosis of skin cancer at two-year intervals. Here, the skin is visually examined for possible changes. If there is a suspicion, this can be verified or falsified, for example, by laboratory testing. Overall, the examination covers all parts of the body, which includes, for example, the scalp. From the age of about 50, examinations become relevant which are designed to diagnose any colon cancer at an early stage. Various measures are used here, such as a stool test or colonoscopy. Blood tests can provide information about the general state of health. In particular, some values such as cholesterol and triglyceride are able to assess the risk of an impending heart attack.The general goal of early detection is thus to detect diseases in their early stages if possible and to treat or delay them. In some cases, it is possible to prevent the onset of a disease. Health should be preserved to a large extent.
Risks, side effects, and dangers
Early detection not only provides benefits, but can also be responsible for resulting harm. For example, regular mammography screening does help detect breast cancer in some women and in this way may save them from death. Nevertheless, such an examination also puts a strain on the body due to the radiation. It cannot be ruled out that regular check-ups may cause discomfort. Studies have shown that about one in 10,000 women die due to radiation exposure from screening, while others develop breast cancer. Furthermore, prevention and early detection are often equated, resulting in expectations. However, early detection measures cannot prevent disease. However, this may create a false expectation that leads to incorrect conclusions. A negative result may create a feeling of security. However, not all methods are fundamentally reliable. In addition, future individual behavior usually plays a greater role than the perception of screening examinations. In the context of colorectal cancer detection, a mirror examination rarely triggers injuries and bleeding. Screening measures should not be seen as fundamentally negative. However, there should be a balance between benefits and harms. Services provided by public health insurers generally have more advantages than disadvantages. In the case of private offers, precise research is advisable. Early detection is particularly important for persons in whose families there are cases of diseases that reach subsequent generations through heredity.
