It has been told over and over again by specialists that you need to have medical check-ups regularly to keep track of your health. Something as simple as visiting the doctor for a check-up could ensure that you are getting monitored for diseases.
These check-ups may be yearly, twice a year, or quarterly. These screenings might help you to detect any possible diseases or ailments that you are at risk for. Regular check-ups can help you incline your chances for treatment and help you find a cure in a more timely fashion as well.
Regular health check-ups are crucial because they help identify potential issues at an early stage. In critical cases like cancer, early diagnosis could be the difference between a cure and a long-drawn battle.
According to cancer.org, early detection is essential to survival rates in cancer. It is amply illustrated by the survival rate of stage 1 cancer, which is 100 percent as opposed to stage 2 cancer that is 93 percent.
Importance of Annual Health Screenings
Health screenings can be a routine visit to the doctor, but these routine visits can be of utmost importance in maintaining your health.
These screenings can help evaluate your state of well-being and diagnose any potential issues that may be cropping up. These regular check-ups are a great way of identifying any ailments or problems in their nascent stage, making treatment far easier.
Some illnesses are very insidious, and their progression cannot be diagnosed very well unless the patient has regular health screenings. Thus, through regular health check-ups, you can ensure that you are not missing out on identifying any life-threatening issues. If you have a routine life that makes you prone to health risks, this becomes even more important.
Regular health check-ups are a part of an individual's fitness routine. It is as important as exercising regularly and eating right in helping you maintain a disease-free lifestyle.
Health check-ups are not merely the physical check-ups by a specialist but also include screening in the form of laboratory tests and other types of scans.
These form the cornerstone of early detection ways and vary according to age, family, sex, history, and health.
The doctors can also advise you on how they can work to prevent any impending issues because of your lifestyle. It is a great way to improve doctor-patient relationships and helps the doctor get a better understanding of the patient and her or his disease history.
Do Healthy People Need Full-Body Checks?
As counter-intuitive as it might seem, anyone, however healthy they might be, need regular health check-ups.
Medical experts suggest that a full-body screening is crucial for everyone, however old or fit they may be.
In healthy individuals, doctors take a more selective approach to avoid diseases rather than recommending them with a full body health check-up.
Benefits of Regular Check-Ups
1. Lower Healthcare Costs
The thought of an unbelievable doctor's bill is daunting to the best of us.
If one wants to decrease the healthcare costs they might incur, it is important that one schedule a health screening frequently.
These regular check-ups ensure that you save a considerable amount of money in the long term. This is because regular health check-ups decline the risk of potential health ailments that can turn out to be dangerous. It can also, in certain cases, help decrease the risks of undergoing surgery and other types of severe medical expenditure.
2. Nips Diseases in the Bud
Regular medical check-ups can help the doctors diagnose an illness before it advances to higher proportions.
These kinds of screenings are done on the basis of a person's age, history, sex, and lifestyle changes and choices.
Doctors may advise numerous preventative screenings and tests to help identify any risk to the patient. These screenings can detect diseases at the onset, making it easier to address them.
3. Blood Tests
During a regular health screening, a doctor might also ask you to do a blood test.
These are done to eliminate the risk of diseases that may show up in your blood.
They typically include cholesterol, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, HIV/AIDS, anemia, as well as coronary artery diseases. Blood tests also help doctors to evaluate the functioning of various body organs like liver, heart, kidneys, and thyroid.
4. Identifies Stress-Related Diseases
We live in an extremely fast-moving world with hectic lifestyles and work schedules.
This can spark off a variety of illnesses in the human body that are caused by stress. An increase in anxiety and stress level have been found to be related to a number of different diseases directly that are both psychological as well as physical.
They mainly include hypertension, weight gain, high blood pressure, mental disorders, depression, Alzheimer's, asthma, and even gastrointestinal issues. Medical check-ups make sure that it is easier to detect and diagnose these issues before they turn too severe.
Regular check-ups guarantee that you get the support and advice you need from your doctor to help stave off the ills of high-stress routine life.
5. Keeps You Abreast of Your Health
Your screening results tell your doctor all they need to know about your health and lifestyle.
Depending upon them, they might warn you and/or give you advice on how you can better keep your health.
A simple example is how so many individuals ignore their dental health. This can exacerbate very rapidly and cause issues at a later stage. When identified at an early stage, the problem can be controlled with small changes in your lifestyle.
On the other hand, if the problem is identified at an already exacerbated stage, it may become very difficult to handle it and can even be a major financial drain on the patient. Regular check-ups are the best way to be aware of what you can do to develop your health and decline your risk of diseases.
Also read Does extra weight equal life-threatening diseases?
Essential Tests and Screenings
Cholesterol
This is a kind of fat in your blood. High cholesterol may lead to heart disease and stroke. You have to get your cholesterol checked every 4-6 years if you are older than 20. Your doctor will likely ask you to get it checked more often if you are an older overweight adult or you have:
- Diabetes
- A family history of heart problems or high cholesterol
- A personal history of high cholesterol
Blood Sugar Test
This is a way to check for prediabetes or diabetes. It's a simple test that determines the level of sugar (glucose) in your blood. You have to start routine testing when you reach age 45. Your doctor might suggest having it done sooner if you:
- Are overweight
- Have had gestational diabetes
- Have high blood pressure or cholesterol
Blood Pressure
It's a measure of the pressure of your blood against your arteries. If it's too high, your chances of heart issues and stroke go up. Normal blood pressure is between 80 and 120. Doctors define hypertension or high blood pressure, like 130 over 80 or higher. It is better to get your blood pressure checked at least every two years. If it's high, you might have to take it more often. Ask your doctor how often you must have yours taken.
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Tests look for cancer in the rectum or colon by checking for blood there or for tissue growths, which are called polyps. If you don't have a high risk for cancer, start to get these kinds of tests when you turn 50. Some experts recommend that African American adults should start testing at age 45.
Fecal occult blood tests (FOBT) should occur yearly. A sigmoidoscopy, where your doctor checks part of your colon, is better to happen every five years. Individuals are usually recommended to have a colonoscopy, where the doctor looks at the entire colon, every ten years.
Bone Density
As you get older, your bones become weaker and thinner. Passage of time can lead to a situation called osteoporosis, which can make your bones very weak. In this case, they may be easily broken. If you're a woman who's 65 or older or a man who's 70 or older, you must have your bone density tested. If your doctor realizes that your bones are getting weak, there are treatments available. Your doctor might suggest that you have this test earlier if you:
- Have taken steroids for a long time
- Broke a bone in the past
- Have rheumatoid arthritis
- Have a parent who has broken a hip after a minor injury
- Weigh less than 127 pounds
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection
- Colorectal Cancer Screening
- Oral Health for Adults
- Immunization Schedules
Mammogram
This X-ray test checks for changes in your breasts. Since experts disagree on how often you need this test and when you should start, it's better to ask your doctor about it once you turn 40. They might tell you to wait until you're 50, or they may ask you to get your first one right away. When you start, some experts have you get one every year. Others say every two years. Talk to your doctor about this issue so that they can tell you what's better for you depending on your age and overall health condition.
Cervical Cancer Screening
There are various tests for this. A Pap test checks for possible issues in your cervix that may lead to cancer later on. Your doctor will use an instrument (speculum) to widen your vagina and take some cells for examining.
The HPV test looks for a virus that can cause cell changes. This virus may lead to cervical cancer gradually. This test could also be done in a doctor's office. The best age for starting talking to a specialist about this test is 21. In this case, your doctor can easily determine the number of tests that are necessary to be taken.
Prostate Exam
Experts differ on how often you must have this test that checks the prostate gland for signs of cancer. Most men would want to visit their doctor for identifying this problem around age 50. African American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer might want to start the talk between 40 and 45 years old. Mostly, a blood test is ordered called a PSA test. You may get a rectal exam instead. Your doctor will let you know what's better for you.
Dental Checkup
Hopefully, you floss and brush every day. But it's wise to also see a dentist regularly so they could look for cavities, gum disease, and other issues in your mouth. You might have to visit your dentist once or twice a year. Undoubtedly, the number of your visits depends on how much your oral is healthy and what you need to do to protect your mouth.
Unfortunately, a healthy mind and body are something that most of us take for granted. If we pay attention to our mind and body, we can live a very healthy lifestyle. One of the ways through which we can take care of ourselves is by asking our doctor for medical check-ups on a regular basis. It's better to visit a specialist who already knows our medical history and can quickly diagnose any problems that we might have in the future. In this case, even those diseases which have not been alarming so far will be detected as well. Depending on our test results and the problematic issue we are dealing with, we may have to see other specialists too.
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