Putnam County Hospital is now offering Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screenings, hospital officials have announced.

An Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), a specific kind of aneurysm, is the swelling of the body’s largest artery. AAA typically has no symptoms, which is why having a screening is important.

While AAA is a potentially life-threatening condition, the good news is that this simple and non-invasive screening is key to effective AAA treatment.

“Putnam County Hospital is proud to provide excellence in clinical care and offers sophisticated, accurate diagnosis and leading-edge treatments for patients with all types of aortic disease, close to home,” PCH officials said in a press release. “Our partnership with Franciscan Health gives our community access to vascular and heart surgeons who are recognized for innovation and expertise in the evaluation and management of aortic diseases and are national leaders in the repair of aortic aneurysms using minimally invasive or endovascular techniques.”

Should you consider an AAA screening? Below are the risk factors that make this Medicare-covered screening beneficial:

— Men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked (at least 100 cigarettes).

— Men and women ages 65 to 75 years with family history.

AAA screenings require a referral from your primary care provider.