“Why do I need a Master Health Check??”, this question arises in every mind and usually a thought crosses the mind…Is it really necessary?
Time and Health are two precious assets that are neither appreciated nor recognized until they are wasted.
Master Health Check (MHC) or Periodic Health Check proves useful to detect warning signs of impending diseases before a person turns seriously ill. MHC should be targeted specifically for each individual.
Sex, Health Status, Persisting Conditions, Family History, Life Style, Diet, Levels of activity and Personal habits like Exercise, Smoking and Drinking, etc. Despite all these variability all general health checks share a common goal: To reduce morbidity and mortality.
How should I prepare myself for a MHC?
Details is about your family health history should be gathered if any.
Have your old medical records handy and find out if you are due for any screening test or vaccinations.
It is advisable to ask your general physician on the tests you should do and the frequency with which they should be done.
Have your queries and concerns ready to seek clarification from your health care provider (hospital) or clinic that is conducting the health checkup.
These periodic checkups do improve physician-patient relationship and increases patient compliance as ongoing medical issues are also kept under constant check. This reduces anxiety in the patient about their health problems.
Common Blood Tests:
Blood Chemistry
Hemoglobin
Urine analysis
ECG
Lipid Profile
Vision and Hearing for senior citizens
Dental check
Dental Check
Routine tests like blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood sugar levels can be a good indicator of lifestyle diseases. It can be easily tested with equipments like glucometer, BP monitor, Lifestyle diseases like diabetes and heart disease when detected early are immense saving both in terms of the financial burden and in terms of the quality of life. Common nutritional deficiencies like vitamin D deficiency or iron deficiency for example may at times not be detected and will only be identified through such health checkups. Nutritional deficiencies can cause long term health complications and may also leave you more susceptible to certain health conditions.
Tests and Specific Significance:
While almost all health checkups include standard tests like blood pressure tests, lipid and glucose tests, there are some other tests that you should be aware of:
Men in the age group of over 50 should go for regular screening tests to check for prostate or colon cancer. A prostate examination or colonoscopy may be necessary to be reassured of nothing being wrong. A colonoscopy may sound quite scary but it is completely painless. This is usually done in case of any suspicion.
Ultrasound abdomen is of significance in men above 60 years of age especially with a history of smoking because of the risk of abdominal aorticaneurysm, a condition that shows no symptoms and can often be fatal.
Women who have attained Menopause should check for bone mineral density tests because of the high risk of osteoporosis. A family history of osteoporosis or history of smoking adds more a reason.
Breast cancer is one more condition which women above 40 yrs should be screened for. Mammograms to detect breast cancer can be repeated once in 1 to 2 years, depending on the risk factors one individual has. Physical examinations and self-examinations should also be taught as these are also important and can help in the detection of breast cancer. Both types of screening can detect breast cancer early enough to improve the survival rate by as much as 97%.
A pap smear test is one more test that every woman should have done, beginning at age 21 depending on life style and history of risks. This will help detect any cervical or vaginal abnormalities especially cervical cancer. Women over 50 years are at a higher risk. Pap smear should be repeated once in 2 years for women less than 30years. Women over 30 years who have had 3 consecutive normal screening then repeat screening can be done every 3 years.
DID you ever think of master health check as the best investment for your good health? Though it is time and money consuming. We all have to make sure that health is our first priority. Amidst life’s several stress and problems health has to be of paramount importance to battle life’s ups and downs.
It is mandatory to pick a good health care provider and advise from a doctor to choose the right Master Health Check.
