Essential Health Checkups You Can't Afford To Put Off
While getting a health check can sometimes feel like a bit of a chore, it’s also essential. It is by far the best way to prevent disease and treat conditions before they get serious.
In this post, we take a look at some of the essential health checkups you can’t afford to put off. Check them out below.
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is the leading cause of death worldwide. In fact, according to the WHO, it is even worse than smoking (which comes in second place in terms of life years lost).
High blood pressure is the result of two main environmental factors: stress and diet. If you’re stressed out of your brain and eating fast food every day, your likelihood of developing high blood pressure is significantly higher than if you’re a relaxed vegan meditator.
Get your blood pressure checked. If it’s high, your doctor will give you recommendations for what you can do to bring it down.
Colon Cancer
Nobody wants to get a colonoscopy where you have a camera inserted up your behind, but sometimes it is necessary. It is particularly important if you have a history of bowel trouble or you’ve noticed a change in your habits that you can’t explain.
If you’re over the age of fifty, you should consider getting these regularly. Physicians can identify potentially precancerous polyps and provide treatments and recommendations for removing them.
Hearing
Most people wait around a decade before doing something about their hearing loss, something you can learn more about here. What’s more, it’s not just stubbornness. It turns out that a lot of people simply don’t notice that their ability to detect the sounds around them is deteriorating.
If you’re finding that you’re having to turn the volume up on the TV to hear what’s going on, it is a sure sign of hearing loss. The best treatment is to use a hearing aid. This will allow you to continue hearing the things around you and may prevent further deterioration and tinnitus.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that starts slowly and then comes on fast. Pre-diabetics are people who have elevated blood sugar for longer than they should and also high levels of insulin in their systems. Over time, the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin in high sugar environments begins to fail, and that’s when diabetes kicks in.
Diabetes, though, is a preventable disease in most cases. If you can adjust your diet, eating more whole plant foods, you can often prevent it from developing in the first place. Many people return their blood glucose levels to normal within a few months, slashing their risk of the condition.
Cholesterol
Lastly, despite what internet bloggers might tell you, cholesterol levels are a leading risk for heart disease. People with total cholesterol below 150 mg/dL appear to be at virtually zero risk of getting the disease. Doctors can tell you what your cholesterol is right now and some of the things that you can do to reduce it long-term.