Your top priority should be to take proper care of the health and well-being of your body. For this, it is necessary to book annual health check up with the doctor and improve your overall condition. Your health is everything and staying fit and strong is necessary to fight against several diseases. Go through this blogpost to know about 7 things for conducting health check up every year.
Importance of annual health check ups
The yearly health checks are suggested for people of all age group. They can detect as well as prevent health concerns before they turn severe and during the early stages of diagnosis or treatment.
It is necessary to understand that annual health checkups are not a single visit with the doctor. They alert any probable problems which mean you should be checking your physical and mental health regularly to see how well you are coping.
Right time to start taking annual health checkups
With annual checkups, your body will be healthy and you can do all the things you want. When you are in the teenage and twenties, performing a yearly health check up is important for taking proper care of yourself. Your doctor might be the first to recommend an annual medical assessment.
When to perform yearly health check up
People who are above 40 needs to go for full body checkup every year as these people are at greater risk of experiencing diabetes or heart attack. They may also have other health complications due to age and should remain alert about their health.
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Necessary measures to follow before taking a health checkup
In order to get the most from annual health check up, you need to follow these measures:
- Check all the records carefully.
- Try to record all symptoms you are suffering from last year’s checkup for better understanding and treatment
- Do not hurry for general health checkup but make a planning before one month.
- Go through family record for hereditary diseases.
Before going for regular health checkup, you need to follow specific guidelines and ensure you are getting the most accurate result in your tests.
- You should not eat or drink anything at least 8 hours before conducting he test. The doctor may ask you to eat something before the test, depending on necessary tests he will perform though blood tests usually require empty stomach.
- Avoid consuming alcohol for at least 24 hours before the test which can affect many of the tests and provide incorrect results.
Different kinds of medical checkups
There are a few things that change with age. Here are some checkups and examinations you need to consider getting when you turn 18.
- Annual physical: The doctor will be checking your blood pressure and heart rate for listening to your lungs and heart. He will conduct a simple exam of your head, ears, neck, abdomen, eyes, throat, nose and skin.
- Pap test: The Pap test checks for unusual cells on the cervix which might eventually turn into cervical cancer.
- Pelvic exam for women: This examination detects problems with the reproductive system such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or ovarian cysts.
- Mammogram: The mammogram is an X-ray of your breast which can detect breast cancer earlier than routine physical examination. This is because it can see through tissue layers in your breasts.
- Bone density scan: Bone density tests can check how strong the bones are.
- Examine your lungs and heart: These tests can be performed to know the functionality.
- Prostate exam for men: The examination involves a digital rectal exam (DRE) and test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.
Know the do’s and don’ts
Do’s:
- You need to prepare for the appointment by writing down all your questions, symptoms and concerns.
- Carry a list of medications you are taking at present.
- Note down any questions that may arise after the appointment so you can remember when your doctor calls with the test results.
Don’ts:
- Do not eat heavy meals before the appointment. You can go either empty stomach or have light breakfast or lunch before seeing the doctor.
- Avoid drinking lots of liquid before your appointment. This may make it really difficult for doctors to get accurate reading of your blood pressure as consuming lots of liquid can cause high blood pressure.
- Do not exercise before your appointment. If you see the doctor’s office out of breath, they may have trouble reading your blood pressure and heart rate.
- Avoid wearing tight clothes as this may interfere with the physical examination. The doctor will need to check for lumps in different areas of your body.
How yearly medical checkups may benefit you
Scheduling annual health checkup will enable you to remain alert of your body and stay on top of warning signs you might experience. Some benefits are as follows:
- Reduced healthcare costs: Performing early diagnosis of any disease will lessen the expenses on healthcare and reduce treatment period.
- Hidden diseases should be diagnosed: You need to see a doctor only when you have the symptoms of any disease. But different underlying diseases do not detect any symptoms during the early stages and can be detected by conducting blood tests periodically. In such cases, the health checkups find hidden diseases with blood tests such as blood sugar level, kidney functioning, liver functioning, cholesterol level, etc.
- Detect diseases based on stress: The present lifestyle can be the reason for stress-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. These usually go unnoticed till there might be severe complications due to lack of proper diagnosis at the early stages. Health checkups done periodically will detect stress-related ailments and take preventive measures accordingly.
- Create awareness of health condition: When you perform routine health checkups, you will get a good idea about your health condition.
With the number of diseases and healthcare costs on the rise, performing a complete yearly health check at Medical Express Clinic for yourself and your family will save lots of money and possible pain in future.