Modern lifestyle has become so inundated with Increased stress, lack of time for physical exercise and unhealthy habits that expecting life without diseases is now an absolute challenge.
But the thing is, we won't go to the doctor for general health check-up until we fall sick and simply find some excuse to procrastinate though we may have some troubling symptoms, leaving the body and health until the problems start significantly hamper our daily routine or the conditions become more serious. Yes, it is common that mostly people visit the doctor or hospital when they’re already sick due to some acute health issues like accidents or suffer from high grade fevers due to unknown infections caused by bacterial or viral etc. Preventive health check-up is something different and not designed to the treatment for such acute symptoms though.
So, it is
highly recommended that a person at age ideally 30 and beyond should opt for
Preventive Medical Check-up. Certain most common and umbrella of chronic
conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure and some issues relates to
heart and overweight might not cause any symptoms in the early stages. As it is
said that prevention is better than cure,
regular check-ups help to find underlying potential health issues and to detect
certain unwarranted medical problems before they become advanced or a serious threat
for life. If the disease at borderline or in the early stage, it might be
possible to reverse the illness with expert advice and right care by
maintaining a healthy diet, weight, and level of physical activity.
But when it
comes to health, it is very common that most people act re-actively instead of
proactively.
This may be due to various reasons.
- First and foremost is that, in our country, most of the people must pay directly from their pockets so don't want to spend money on healthcare (as the cost of healthcare is unaffordable of reach and very high when compared to income generated by a common citizen) until they feel like it's completely necessary.
- Secondly, some people may have irrational fear of doctors or health tests is called Iatrophobia, simply refuse to get health tests done because of the horror they have to go through if something comes up.
- And then, some people who are generally in good health, especially when they’re young and feel like racing horses, they may not see the point in going to the doctor. For example, if someone is in good health and no one in their family has a serious illness till then, they might believe they are not at risk for a specific disease or condition and strongly assume that they will never become sick so just take it for granted on the health front and don’t understand the health risks.
- Lastly- awareness or accessibility, i.e., some people either may be living far away to the health care access or less privileged and have no/less awareness of any information about the importance of Preventive health checkup, so they can’t make it.
Whatever be the reason for neglecting, ignoring or just procrastinating, everyone should understand that it is a very important thing to note all you ‘the healthy people’ out there, - never take your body for granted. we have no idea what changes are taking place inside our bodies but being overlooked as the signs and symptoms are yet not perceived out. Getting a regular body check-up helps your doctors diagnose a disease before it poses high risk and take action.
For example, take someone of age 37years - who has no idea that he has
diabetes, but one fine day he happened to visit an exhibition place and there
he found a stall offering a free sugar check-up so with some curiosity he got
into the que to get tested. To his surprise the value of RBS the test kit shown
was 300+ and he shocked to see that. The health stall exhibitors there informed
him as he has diabetes, but he never imagined that this could happen to him as
he never had any symptoms of illness!
Then - after a few days – again to reconfirm, on his own interest he got
the FASTING and Post Lunch sugars checked at the nearest diagnostic center. There
again FBS – 245, PLBS – 340 was reported.
That means the person’s sugars was abnormal at least for last 2-3years
though he has no symptoms yet. The body takes some time to give symptoms. But, meanwhile,
there will be various biochemical changes occur inside and harm our body
without causing any symptoms. If the same person would had gone for annual
health checkup’s, he would have identified this well before and could have
taken care of this health issue without allowing the bodily organs in such stress
for this long though. Similarly, it is important to check blood pressure and
blood cholesterol to alleviate the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
And more importantly we all should understand that the amount of money we
would need to spend to diagnose any health issue and then counsel and ensure to
take proper measures to delay or prevent other long-term complications of any
such chronic diseases would be much lower than the money you would spend on
treating the aftereffects of these diseases if they would leave undiagnosed for
a long time. Also, it will maintain the good quality and longevity of life
if the diseases would get diagnosed and controlled / treated at the early
stage.
Other side, with the increased social media & news broad cast - some
people are now proactive & conscious of watching, understanding and then
seeking medical advice on how to live a healthy life by maintaining a healthy
diet, weight, and level of physical activity.
Unlike earlier times, people are now preemptively seeking medical advice and looking
to lower the risks of various conditions or diseases by maintaining a healthy
diet, weight, and level of physical activity.
Despite the frenetic lifestyles,
if you take some time out and think about what it is about your life that is
not healthy, you will easily be able to identify a few things which you must
change. It is never too early. Never think that I am too young to not do this
or start worrying about my health. Remember that chronic conditions are hitting
the young at an alarmingly increasing rate.
There are simple things you can do. For example,
few are like…
- Drink enough water, never get dehydrated.
- Eat healthy food. Consume less SALT & SUGAR,
- Understand and follow the food pyramid in diet.
- Don't eat processed food, Reduce the intake of harmful fats, .
- Don't smoke.
- Avoid Alcohol or Drink within limits.
- Spend some time in Exercise, Walking, cycling, swimming, jogging and be active.
- Work normal hours, Practice yoga, meditation, etc. to reduce the stress.
- Get good sleep.
- Also– keep a habit of reading good books. And may be some more things to adapt.
See, no rocket science there. Simple common sense and consciousness.
By adapting these good changes in lifestyle at one
side, keeping a watch on regular Preventive Health Check-ups on other side can help
to be in good health hopefully!
The pandemic is not over yet so please follow the
covid appropriate behavior.
Wishing you all a healthy,
wealthy, and happy New Year ahead and may God bless all!.
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