What Regular Health Checks Should I Have?

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The importance of health has been made more apparent because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has been affecting our lives for over two years now. It has come to the attention of even those that used to not be particular with their health status, that certain health conditions (also referred to as co-morbidities) make them more susceptible to diseases.

With this reason, it has become vital to undergo regular check-ups to be able to assess our health status, and to ensure that we manage underlying health problems before they become serious concerns. Visit one of the many clinics or hospitals in Cebu City, or wherever you may be, on a regular basis in order to monitor your health condition, and to address issues.

Standard tests vary by age and sex, but some of the typical health checks that one should undergo on a regular basis are the following:

1. Blood pressure

One’s blood pressure measures the force your blood has on your arteries. If you have high blood pressure, called hypertension, the risk of having heart disease and stroke is also high. 

Hypertension can occur even without signs, but some of the commonly experienced symptoms are headaches, nosebleeds, and shortness of breath.

It is very easy to check for blood pressure. It’s one of the standard tests done when you visit a clinic or a hospital. Without signs and symptoms, and without any personal or family history of hypertension, it’s enough to have your blood pressure checked at least once every two years. Otherwise, you may be asked to have your blood pressure monitored more frequently and likely while taking prescribed medication, diet change, or both.

2. Blood tests

Aside from blood pressure, one’s blood chemistry is also a key aspect of health that should be monitored. Some of the most fundamental blood tests include checking for the level of cholesterol and triglycerides. Similar to blood pressure, high levels of these mean increased chances of heart diseases. Without a history of heart ailments, once every five years blood chemistry tests are okay, but a doctor may recommend more frequent tests depending on your age and weight.

Blood sugar test (also called blood glucose test) is also a common blood test aimed at screening susceptibility to diabetes.

3.  Electrocardiogram

Another common test done to check out for heart conditions is an electrocardiogram or ECG. ECG is a painless test that measures electrical activity of the heart. Depending on your doctor’s diagnosis, you may be asked to combine ECG with some calculated exercises (also called stress test). This checks how your heart responds to physical activity. 

4. Cancer screening

One of the most dreaded health conditions out there is cancer. It can attack various organs and systems, and can spread if not managed early on. That is why it’s critical to have screening for various kinds of cancers as early as possible. The tests that would be done depend on various risk factors such as age, family history, sex, and lifestyle. 

5. Eye health

Eye health is not given as much attention until it comes to a point that vision problems occur. But more than just vision, there are also more serious eye diseases that may call for more serious concerns. And just like any health problems, it is best to be able to detect eye conditions as early as possible to be able to start to give interventions more chances to address them.

6. Physical Exam

A routine health check would include a doctor doing a physical assessment to check for general health. This includes checking the results of other tests, and correlating them with your vital signs, observable bodily functions and conditions, and a chat regarding your lifestyle history checking. Depending on the results of your physical exam, you may be asked to take more tests that are designed to dig deeper on certain conditions that the doctor believe you may have a higher risk of. 

Regular health checks are essential to detect your general condition, and to manage any health problem before it gets more serious. The frequency of getting check-ups really depend on your age and family history, but your doctor can only tell this after you visit the first time. So start with your initial health check now and follow your doctor’s advice on how often you should return.