Importance of an Annual Health Check

There are two categories of people whom we do not like to remember in our daily lives. One is the medical practitioners or Doctors and the other one being the lawyers. We hate visiting these people simply because meeting them doesn’t earn us happy memories (except in rare occasions).

While the existence of lawyers in our lives is not too much, the same cannot be told about the doctors. Most of us do not consider going to the doctor unless we are suffering from ailment or identify symptoms related to some health disorder. We really do not tell ourselves, let’s go to the doctor and get a check-up done.

None of us will ever dream of falling sick or becoming prey to chronic ailments that will keep us away from the yummy food and make us weak. However, there is always a risk of inheriting the common chronic diseases such as Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart ailments, High Cholesterol levels, etc. All these disorders can be avoided if they are detected at the onset and kept under check.

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Why do you need them annually?

An annual health check-up makes you go through regular health tests and physical examinations that can help in finding out problems even before they start. The earlier these problems are detected, the chances of treating them on time and curing is more. It is only a safety measure for you to live longer and lead a healthier life.

Given our changing lifestyle today, we are now more well-versed with stress and work pressure than a peaceful and sound sleep. We know how much time we will dedicate to office hours but not to the work out we have been planning since time immemorial. We are hardly aware of the variations that keep happening in our body weight, blood sugar levels, blood pressure because we do not keep a track of these numbers.

The purpose is to:

1.       Take a primary preventive measure

2.       Identify of risk factors for the onset of chronic ailments

3.       Identify of disorders that do not show the most apparent symptoms

4.       Helps in counselling people to lead a healthier lifestyle

5.       Make you aware of the latest updates in medical science and preventive measures that one should take

How often do you need them?

Medical experts suggest that:

a.       Every five years for adults over 18 years old until 40 years old (except for those taking prescribed medications)

b.      Every three years for adults above 40 years old to check for symptoms that may prompt the beginning of a medical problem

List of basic health tests you should undergo, as suggested by medical experts:

1.       Blood pressure

2.       Random Blood Sugar

3.       Blood Grouping and Rh Typing

4.       Kidney Profile (Serum Creatinine)

5.       Liver Function Test (SGPT)

6.       ECG

7.       Urine Routine and Microscopy

8.       Stool Routine

9.       Chest X Ray

10.   Physical Examination

There are specialised health check-up packages available such Heart Health, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Happy Child and many such packages. One can opt for the type of package that he or she has been recommended for based on diseases already suffering from.

If don’t have a physician to recommend a test

You may be one of them who keeps travelling and do not have a regular physician to consult every time for all your health related queries. In such a case, the ideal way to go ahead is to find one in your home town and as for the health check-ups, walk into a well-known multi-specialty hospital in the city where you are currently based and schedule a health check-up at your convenient date and time. Many of the hospitals also provide home care services. You may avail that as well.

Happy Health!