Your health is the most important thing you have – without it, anything else loses much of its value. And when you’re motoring along with no apparent health issues, it can be tempting to assume that things will continue in that vein for the foreseeable future. Maybe they will – general well-being tends to be a self-perpetuating state up to a point, while people in poorer health will often have multiple comorbidities – but this doesn’t mean you should ignore your health and avoid medical appointments. Indeed, regardless of how you feel at a given time, there are a few appointments you should make soon if you haven’t done so in the recent past.
See your GP for a check-up.
A full once-over is recommended at least once a year. This will vary between places and even doctors, but it will usually include blood tests, blood pressure and body mass checks, and a conversation about your general health. It’s not uncommon for potentially damaging health issues to be picked up – and successfully treated – due to routine health check.
Visit your dentist at least twice a year.
Many of us associate the dentist with our childhood because we used to have to go when we were younger and hated the experience so much that we stopped attending the moment we had any choice in the matter. But regular dental appointments with the likes of Canyon Creek Dentistry can ensure that you keep your teeth healthy even into old age. A dentist is often the first professional to notice signs of conditions such as oral cancer and diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis.
Age-related check-ups
Various conditions are more likely to arise at different stages in life. Once you’ve turned 40, it becomes more important to have breast exams if you are a woman or a prostate check if you are a man. You should also, whatever your gender, have had a colonoscopy by the time you are 45 – and as often after that as is recommended, to look for signs of colorectal cancer, which becomes more common at this age. But even in your 20s and 30s, there are checks you should not ignore.
Discuss your mental health
Estimates range between 20 and 25% for the number of people with a detectable mental health condition both in the US and more globally. And these numbers are based on what we can tell from existing cases and self-reporting. The number of people who don’t know or don’t believe they have a condition might mean those numbers are dramatically underestimated. Even if you feel generally good, it is worth discussing things with a therapist at least once in a while. Consulting negative experiences – which happen to us all – in a controlled environment with a trained expert helps us process and compartmentalize.
Even if you feel perfectly well most or all of the time, getting checked out every once in a while can help you get ahead of any health conditions that may be hiding out, ready to surprise you. Don’t miss out on getting a health check when it presents itself.
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