Many of us are filled with trepidation whenever we hear someone mentions a trip to the doctor. Our minds conjure up all kind of excuses and fears. Did you know that some life-threatening diseases when detected early can be treatable?
Screenings can be done quarterly or twice a year. It is vital to note that some diseases like cancer have a higher survival rate when the disease is detected early. For example, stage one is 100 percent while stage 2 is 93 percent. The doctor can detect early warning symptoms and help you live a healthier lifestyle.
Going for regular medical checkups is similar to taking your car for regular repairs, you can diagnose and identify the problem before it becomes worse. When you go for regular health checks you give the doctor the opportunity to check your family history for any genetically transferable diseases; they can also check your diet and offer a change.
These are the reasons that you should get regular screenings:
Reduce Healthcare costs
The cost of healthcare keeps rising every year. When you perform regular health checkups, you detect diseases as soon as they appear. When some of these diseases are detected early they prevent the likelihood of going for surgery – which is expensive. Dental checkups prevent you from losing your teeth when you are still young. Inflammatory diseases that cause tooth loss can be identified at this time and medications provided. It’s during checkups that your doctor can inform you how to handle Percocet side effects. You will need to find out with your insurance company on what is covered.
And alternatively to reduce healthcare cost and discover early if you have any diseases you only have to do some genetic DNA test. You can find various DNA test kits on DNA Weekly depending on what test that suits your needs.
Spot diseases early
When you visit your doctor for a checkup they will screen your blood and urine for any infection. If a disease is spotted the doctor will recommend some form of treatment immediately. Women are advised to take a pap smear for early detection of cervical cancer. Other tests that are performed during checkups include diabetes checks, blood tests for various diseases and BMIs. While some of the tests may not reveal a serious condition they help you live a better life. The doctor may recommend changing your diet or exercising regularly to prevent diseases in the future.
Eye care
It is also vital that you visit an eye doctor for any cataracts that could be forming in your eyes. As you grow older you should have your eyes checked at least twice a year. Based on their findings the doctor could recommend glasses or contact lenses. Those who are predisposed to eye problems should visit the doctor more regularly.
Mental Illness
Mental illnesses have been on the rise in recent years. Cases of depression, social anxiety and stress related illness have been on the rise. Some of the diseases fall in the category of lifestyle induced diseases. They are brought about by external factors like work, family or relationships. Regular checkups can detect diseases like high blood pressure, hypertension, mental illness and obesity. Your doctor can recommend a suitable counselor to take you through an illness like depression.
Spread of STDs
You may be having a sexually transmitted disease but you are not aware of it. When you go for a regular medical checkup, you will be required to get a blood test. Finding out your HIVs status enables you to protect those you love from the spread of the disease. It also gives you the opportunity to learn how to start protecting yourself. This goes to other STDs which can be detected early and be treated.
Many people fear going for medical checkups because they fear the results. But, this should not be the case. The earlier you know about a disease the better you are. Some of your fears do not have a medical basis.
Cervical cancer
Women are advised to visit a doctor once they reach puberty for pap smears. A pap smears helps to detect diseases like cervical cancer early. Many governments have often gone out their way to educate the public on the need to take pap smears.
Why men fear checkups
Many men are averse to going for health checkups. They feel that it emasculates them and makes them weak. They will suffer with symptoms until the disease becomes full blown and becomes difficult to treat. Once they delay treatment the diseases become difficult to treat. Some people often engage in healthy eating in an attempt to get well. You could have a persistent cough that has been a bother for several months but instead of seeking medical help you choose to self-medicate yourself.
Some men consider checkups as a waste of their time and money. They do not factor in the long term cost of medical health should the disease become more serious. Some have the time for other things but a trip to the doctor is considered a waste of time. This is especially the case if you do not have any physical symptoms.
The other reason men avoid checkups is that they tend to self-diagnose themselves. Google has nowadays become the new doctor. People will Google ailments that they have and purchase medicine to treat the symptoms. This leads to cases of hidden diseases that prop up at the wrong time. There is a lot of bad information that is out there concerning checkups. Some people have been misinformed that when they go for a checkup they will be admitted to hospital. This creates fear; the only way to find out whether you are okay or not is by having a checkup. Most of the time what you are fearing does not come to pass and what you thought was lump for cancer turns out to be something not that serious.
Conclusion
Checkups are a sure way to know whether you are suffering from a disease. Many people fear going for checkups because they fear that they will be admitted to hospital. But, prevention is always better than cure. Cancer for example when detected early can be manageable. You also reduce the costs of future medical bills when you go for regular checkups.
