People worried about their blood pressure, blood sugar,scoliosis, dental health or body fat can be tested during a healthfair Thursday at the Brookhaven Parks and Recreation building onHighway 51.

Co-sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Health, the fairwill feature free medical screenings and provide important healthinformation from participating local vendors and state agenciesfrom 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

“They’ve been quite popular,” said Dr. Clay Hammack, regionalhealth director for the Health Department. “I believe they’ll knowthe results of all the tests there at the fair.”

Past fairs have been able to identify minor conditions and somemajor concerns, such as the onset of diabetes or scoliosis, hesaid.

“The more people know about their condition, the more they areable to take charge of their health and change the behavior thatneeds to be changed,” Hammack said.

Scoliosis most often appears in adolescence among children ages11 to 13, he said. A simple inspection-type examination canidentify the disease. Scoliosis is a spinal disease that causes thespine to take the shape of an “S” or “C” rather than a straightline.

Dental screenings will also be available Thursday, Hammacksaid.