Body under control. Is it worth doing preventive examinations?

If you think you don’t need to get tested when you’re fine, first learn some facts about preventive checkups. They are performed so that nothing surprises us, because there are many diseases in which the body does not give any signals that something is wrong. Unfortunately, this rule applies primarily to cancers that are insidious and difficult to detect in the early stages. And it is the time of diagnosis of the disease that often plays a key role in its effective treatment.

That is why preventive examinations are so important, because even basic blood tests can tell a lot about what is happening in the body. Three basic reasons why it is worth doing them regularly:

1. They are a chance to completely cure a disease that has not yet developed.
2. They allow you to avoid ineffective treatment, which is caused by too late detection of the disease.
3. They can suggest existing health problems ranging from more serious (like cancer) to less serious (micronutrient deficiencies).

How often should we be tested?

When nothing is wrong with us and we do not have any disturbing symptoms, it is good to perform a complete blood count, sugar and cholesterol level, urine test and, of course, an ESR test once a year. Such tests should be performed by every adult, without exception. Unfortunately, the times we live in are often not conducive to health – we are busy, we live under stress, we do not eat properly, we do not do sports. All this can contribute to the emergence of civilization diseases, so it is good to keep your finger on the pulse and have your body under control.

Where to go with ready results?

It is best to visit a family doctor who will carefully check the results, measure our blood pressure and calculate BMI. In addition, he will perform a family history, and if the concerns we raise turn out to be worrisome, he will order additional tests. Reading the results using information found on the Internet does not have to be true – do not use the knowledge from the search engine, because there is a good chance that we will miss something important.

Who should be tested most often?

• Even healthy people over 30 should have a chest x-ray and an abdominal ultrasound at least once every 2 years.
• After the age of 35, the risk of cardiovascular and heart disease increases, so it is good to perform the first resting ECG. You should also control your blood pressure.
• People with a family history of cancer are at higher risk.
• Smokers, especially performing annual chest x-rays and spirometry tests.
• Women must visit a gynecologist once a year for a pap smear and ultrasound.
• After the age of 25, women should also have a breast ultrasound, and after 40, a mammogram.
• Men over 40 are at increased risk of prostate>>prostate problems, so they should start seeing a urologist.