How to look after yourself with regular health checks.
One thing for certain is that the pandemic has made us think a little more about our health and being kinder to ourselves.
As we get older, we also tend to spend a little more time thinking about managing our health and leading a better lifestyle. One way of making sure you look after yourself is to go for routine health checks because you can build a picture of your health and reduce any anxieties you may have.
However, the prospect of having a health check may not be very appealing, and many of us might prefer to avoid them if we find out something we don’t want to know.
According to recent research from Bupa, men are more likely to avoid having health screenings. Bupa Health Clinics released results of a survey for Men’s Health Month, and when men were asked why they put off visiting a doctor, six in 10 (58%) admitted that by ignoring the issue, they hoped that it would simply go away.
So, what is a health check?
Health checks help identify potential medical conditions that we could develop and spot any warning signs that we might not have noticed ourselves.
A health check doesn’t prevent you from developing a health problem, but it can make you aware of areas where you may have a higher risk and can give you advice and guidance on how to take action to lower that risk.
By detecting these warning signs early on, you can reduce your risk of health problems such as kidney disease, stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or dementia – and the earlier your risk is detected, the easier it is to act upon.
Are health checks worth having?
Yes, of course. Prevention is often much better than cure. You might not be feeling unwell, but that doesn’t always mean that you’re not at risk of lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. That’s why it’s important to know health measures such as your blood pressure or cholesterol so that these health risks don’t go unnoticed.
Also, you can identify any potential health risks, and you’ll be able to discuss with your health professional what changes you can make to your lifestyle to impact your health for the better.
For example, if you find out that your blood sugar levels are higher than they should be during a health check, meaning you’re at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, you can make lifestyle changes to bring your blood sugars into a healthier range.
The aim is to allow you to understand your body better and take control of your health.
Through Nugent Santé, we provide health assessments via our partners, Bupa, Nuffield Health, Randox and Healthshield. Using one of their wellbeing plans could help you make the right decisions to protect or improve your health.
If you’d like to find out more, please drop one of our team a line, and they’ll be happy to help.
