(1) Primary Prevention aims to prevent a disease that a patient does not currently have and reduce the possibility of acquiring risk factors of the disease.
(2) Secondary Prevention aims to prevent a disease in a patient who is at high risk, but currently asymptomatic. This proactive approach involves screening for early detection before the disease manifests.
(3) Tertiary Prevention aims to prevent further morbidity, avoid mortality, and/or prevent recurrence, such as through managing symptoms of the disease.
Important preventative health measures include, but are not limited to, screenings for chronic conditions (such as cancer), immunizations and vaccinations, health education and counseling, monitoring vital signs (such as body temperature, pulse rate, and blood oxygen levels), and blood pressure tests, and cholesterol and diabetes measurements through blood tests.
It is also important to know your family history of diseases to determine if early or more robust screening or other preventative health measures are needed, due to a heightened genetic risk for the disease. Family history can be one of the strongest influences on your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.
At our community outreach events for lung cancer screening in Wards 7 and 8 of D.C., we provide blood pressure, body temperature, blood oxygen level, and pulse rate tests to community members at the site (picture to the left).
Systolic Blood Pressure: Top number on the reading. Measures the pressure of blood against artery walls as the heart beats - as the ventricles push out blood to the rest of the body.
Diastolic Blood Pressure: Bottom number on the reading. Measures the pressure of blood against artery walls as the heart rests - as the ventricles are refilled with blood.
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) is when the force of blood against blood vessels is consistently high. The first stage of hypertension: systolic mm Hg is between 130 and 139 or diastolic mm Hg is between 80 and 89.
A pulse oximeter measures blood oxygen saturation levels. The SpO2 reading on a pulse oximeter signifies the percentage of oxygen circulating in the blood. All cells in the body need oxygen to generate energy for proper organ functions and processes. However, low blood oxygen levels, known as hypoxemia, can lead to health complications, particularly through direct damage to the organs. For most individuals, normal blood oxygen is between 95% and 100%. Individuals with lung disease, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) or asthma, may have lowered blood oxygen levels, so knowing blood oxygen levels can help someone understand if they may have a lung condition. Blood oxygen levels can also be measured with a blood test, known as arterial blood gas (ABG) test. This test also measures the pH balance of one’s blood.
A pulse oximeter also measures heart rate at rest or during exercise. A normal heart rate at rest is anywhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute. One can measure their heart rate manually as well by pressing their index and middle fingers of one hand to the radial artery in the wrist or the carotid artery in the neck.
Community Health Awareness Program and Screenings
CHAPS is a non-profit organization that aims to enable and empower community members to become proactive about their health. We partner with our local policy makers, business leaders, health experts, and community in which we give our community a platform to come together and share knowledge, experiences, and solutions about chronic illnesses.
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