Before enrolling in a school or a company, the management will need you to undergo some tests. These aim at checking whether you are healthy to do what’s required. The same thing applies to voluntary health screening. You will get checked to ensure that your body is functioning optimally. These tests can help diagnose a problem in its early stages and allow doctors to manage it effectively. But how often do you need to be screened? Keep reading to answer that.
What Are the Benefits of Regular Screening?
Regular checkups have many benefits, both for your health and finances. Through them, doctors can identify life-threatening conditions before they become worse. Additionally, since diseases are found early, it increases the chances of successful treatment. Again, customised health screening in Singapore helps monitor existing health issues, reducing the risk of serious complications. Furthermore, these checkups reduce the cost associated with treating complicated issues. Lastly, you get to learn how to live a healthy life, increasing the odds of living longer.
How Often Should You Go for Health CheckUps?
Many things will influence the frequency you see your doctor for checkups. These include:
- Your Age- how old you are determines how frequently you get screened for certain diseases. As you age, you will need to be careful with your health, meaning that you will need more frequent screening than a younger person. Women in their 20’s are advised to check their thyroid profile, vitamin B12, vitamin D total, and pap smear regularly. Men of the same age need to check their glucose fasting and pp servers level, LFT, KFT, and lipid profile. Those between 30-50 years should also do the same tests yearly. You will need to take these tests often if you are 60 years old.
- Your Health Condition- some conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity need you to visit your doctor regularly. If you suffer from these conditions, you need to be checked once every six months, regardless of your age. Additionally, if you’ve changed your treatments regularly, you should see a doctor once every three months. Women undergoing menopause need to undergo blood and pap smear tests once every year to check for anemia and cervical cancer.
- Your Medical History- you will need frequent health checkups if you’ve suffered a severe condition before, regardless of age. For example, if you were treated for jaundice, your doctor needs to test your Liver Functioning regularly to ensure your liver is working correctly.
- Your Family History- some diseases like diabetes, some types of cancer, and cardiac disease can be inherited. In that case, you need to see a doctor often to ensure early detection. Such diseases, when caught early, can be easily managed and prevent dire consequences. You should get checked for these conditions once per year if an immediate family member suffers from them.
- Your Lifestyle- you will need regular screening if your lifestyle involves eating fast food, smoking, overusing alcohol, and sitting at a desk for more than 6 hours. It’s wise to see a doctor every 6-12 months to detect conditions early and prevent emergencies.
What to Expect During Health Checkups?
When you visit a doctor, the nurse on duty will receive you and check vital signs like blood pressure, weight, and heartbeat. Then, they will ask for any allergies, lifestyle choices, medications, and health history. You’ll also tell them about any changes you’ve experienced in your medical or surgical history since you visited last.
After this, you will wear the hospital gown and lie on the table. The doctor will then begin checking your body for weird growths or marks, use a stethoscope to listen to your lungs, heart, and intestines, tap your body to check any unwanted fluids and feel your abdomen to check the health of your internal organs.
For women above the age of 21, your doctor may conduct a pap smear during your checkup. Other tests you will undergo depend on your age, health status, and risk factors. Once done, they will tell you about their findings and recommend further testing if need be.