Health Check-ups
Having enough time for regular health check-ups can be very straining, especially in this era where people are busy chasing goals and dreams. But do you know that it is possible to do this? We are going to learn importance of regular health check-ups and how you can ensure you do not skip your sessions.
What Are Check-Ups?
A health check-up is a thorough examination/assessment/evaluation, conducted to detect any medical or dental problems. It is done to test the general state of an individual’s health. Doctors and dentists (medical practitioners) perform health check-ups to assess health and ensure that there is nothing wrong. It can include also, a variety of tests basing on a person’s sex, age or possible exposure to disease risk factors.
Basically, health check-ups are routine medical exams.
Purpose
- Preventive care- for example, checking blood sugar levels to avoid them from reaching diabetic ranges
- Early detection of disease- to detect medical disorders in their primary stages when they are easier to treat
- Chronic disease management- to monitor prognosis in chronic diseases
- Lifestyle guidance- in check-up sessions, patients can be advised by being guided on diet plans and exercises to make their health conditions better
- Establishment of baselines- so as to track any wide changes in the future
- Peace of mind- reduction of anxiety
- Cost-saving- avoid spending heavily on treatment in future when one can actually prevent the occurrence of the condition
Check-ups & Tests You Must Attend
- Routine physical exam- depends on age, general health and risk factors. Geriatrics (old people) must attend regular Blood pressure and blood sugar check-ups. blood pressure checks help to prevent hypertension
Cholesterol- checked every 4-6 years for persons above 20 years. If one has family history of high cholesterol, diabetes or personal history of elevated cholesterol, they should regularly check cholesterol levels - Cervical cancer screening- performed in women of reproductive age, using Pap smear test, named after George Papanicolaou who was a pathologist. This procedure requires informed consent. A speculum is inserted into the vagina to pick cells on the epithelial surface. Human Papilloma Viruses are checked for. These cells can lead to changes that lead to cancer of the cervix.
- Dental check-up- Dental health is a critical aspect of human life. Teeth are are the reason of why smiles are beautiful and charming, apart from primary reason of chewing , grinding, tearing and crushing food. Dentists check for gum disease, cavities and even tongue problems. Oral health is all we need to keep mouth looking good, and have the confidence to talk closely with people since we are assured of good breath
- Prostate exam- to check for conditions such as Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia and Prostate cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute in United States of America, men with a family history of prostate cancer have high risk of getting cancer. For such, PSA test( Prostate-Specific Antigen test) is conducted
- Height & Weight- Important for assessing Body Mass Index (BMI). Maintaining BMI in a healthy range(18.5-24.9 kg/ square meter) helps prevent conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. Your BMI is based on a formula of height and weight as shown here-Body Mass Index
.
Rules and Regulations
- Insurance coverage requirements- some tests are too expensive to conduct and cannot be covered by some insurance companies
- Frequency of recommended check-ups
- Age-specific guidelines- for example, cervical cancer screening is performed in women of child-bearin age/ reproductive age
- Compliance with national/local health policies- rules guiding how and what should be done foe specific cases are to b adhered to so as to avoid exploitation of individual resources and such
Ethical Considerations
- Patient privacy and confidentiality- It is important to consider the patient-doctor relationship as professional. Patient results must not be shared with other people unless by authorized permission from the patient
- Beneficence- this principle ensures that the doctor intends to do only good act to the patient, or at least what is morally neutral
- Non-maleficence- the principle of not doing any harm. If risk or harm is involved, then the procedure must be called off unless the patient has decided to proceed
- Accessibility and equity in healthcare- The concept of justice. All patients must be treated as equals.
- Informed consent- To gain informed consent, a patient has to be told whole information regarding a specific medical health check-up procedure, risks involved and benefits and allowed to make an independent decision without coercion, threat or payment
How to Regularly Attend Check-Ups
The following are methods of ensuring you do not skip your check-ups;
- Scheduling and keeping appointments- using diaries and reminders. Also, asking close relatives to remind and escort you.
- Preparing for check-ups (gather medical history, medications, etc.) – be adequately prepared with personal medical data so as to have an easy time with your doctor
- Communicating with healthcare providers
- Advocating for your health- know your rights regarding healthcare. In addition, be responsible.
Conclusion
As we have seen, the importance of regular health check-ups are;
- They offer preventive care
- To detect disease in their earlier stages
- Chronic disease management
- Lifestyle guidance
- Establishment of baselines
- Peace of mind- reduction of anxiety
- Cost-saving- avoid spending heavily on treatment in future when one can actually prevent the occurrence of the condition
I encourage all of us to take care of our health by;
- Eating nutritious and organic foods, which enhances good profile of nutrition
- Performing regular exercises
- Attending health check-ups regularly
- Staying updated on emerging healthcare information