Exhibitors At The Fair Keep Kentuckians Health Aware

“I had no idea I had thyroid cancer!”

This is a common response to those that have been diagnosed and treated for thyroid cancer. Why? Thyroid cancer in its early stages has no symptoms, and if not detected early enough, could be fatal. That’s why the screenings in Health Horizons are so important.

Keith Forwith PhD, MD, and his physician assistants, of Advanced ENT & Allergy, have provided free ultrasound screening to 4800+ people at the Kentucky State Fair over the past four years. Doing a pain free ultrasound of the thyroid in the neck takes just minutes and is one of the most successful ways to detect nodules that could be cancerous. Blood work will not detect or rule out thyroid cancer.

It’s hard to say an exact number of patients that did have cancer, but there are dozens of success stories of patients who did heed the findings at the State Fair, came in for follow-up, and were successfully treated by Dr. Forwith.

Blood donations are also a huge part of Health Horizons. Over the past 10 years 9,729 units of blood have been donated at the Kentucky State Fair and free blood screenings are also provided, courtesy of Norton Healthcare. Out of the 51 fairgoers that were given blood pressure screenings, 24 were at a borderline risk of high blood pressure and 7 were at risk.

The health screenings at the Fair are not a replacement for a regular doctor’s visit, but can raise a awareness. Each at risk person is referred back to their primary care provider or given information about how to find a primary care provider.

Whether you are interested in learning more about your health or would like to have a free health screening performed by a medical professional, there is a little something for everyone at Health Horizons. Additional screenings include skin, vision, hearing and more. For a full list, click here. Health Horizons is located in South Wing B.

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