Understanding Preventive Health Checkup- Guide to a Healthier Future

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A preventive health checkup refers to a series of medical tests and imaging scans performed to check for early signs of an illness or a disease.

Unhealthy habits and sedentary lifestyles have made individuals more prone to different types of medical conditions. A preventive health checkup helps detect any health issue early and take the necessary steps to prevent it from reaching a critical stage.

In this article, we will be discussing in detail preventive health checkups and how they can play an important role in maintaining your overall health and well-being.

What are the benefits of preventive health checkups?

Preventive health checkups have several benefits that can help in improving your quality of life. The benefits of preventive health checkups include the following:

• Health evaluation: A preventive health checkup helps in the assessment of your general health and your likelihood of developing a medical illness.
• Early diagnosis of diseases:  A preventive health checkup helps in the early detection of any health issues. This helps in starting with the treatment early before the disease progresses to a more critical illness.
• Prevention of complications in the future: A preventive health checkup helps in the detection of potential risks due to an underlying medical condition and take adequate steps to prevent the complications from developing.
• Encourages a healthy lifestyle: A preventive health checkup helps one to stay motivated to have a healthy and active lifestyle.
• Reduced medical expenses: The need for undergoing emergency expensive medical treatments in the future can be reduced significantly by undergoing a preventive health checkup.

Who needs a health checkup?

A preventive health checkup should ideally be adopted by everyone. However, in certain cases having a preventive health checkup regularly is an absolute must. 

A preventive health checkup is absolutely necessary in the following cases:

• Adults above 30 years of age: Having regular health checkups once you have crossed the age of 30 helps you detect any potential threats to your health early on.
• Hypertensive individuals: Individuals suffering from high blood pressure need to undergo preventive health checkups to help them keep their hearts in good health.
• Diabetic people: Diabetes may slowly start affecting the different organs of the body. Preventive health checkups are therefore important for diabetic individuals to check if their blood sugar levels are in check and any damage that may have occurred to the other body organs.
• Obese people: Preventive health checkups help individuals suffering from obesity to check their health progress and motivate them to improve the health markers which are not up to the mark.
• Family history of medical conditions: If your immediate family suffers from various medical conditions, it is important to get yourself checked regularly to find the solutions to any potential health risks that could develop later in life.
• Individuals working in a high-risk industry: Individuals working in high-risk industries, like construction, mining, shipping, and defense, should undergo regular health checkups to keep them updated about their health and fitness.

How often should one undergo health checkups?

The frequency of undergoing a preventive health checkup will vary among different individuals depending on different factors like age, general health, gender, family history, and pre-existing medical conditions. It is best to consult your healthcare provider to determine how often you should undergo a preventive health checkup.

Some general guidelines for the frequency of undergoing preventive health checkups are as follows:

• Young adults (18 to 30 years of age): Young adults should ideally undergo annual health checkups. The health checkup will focus on the assessment of the overall health, screening of common medical conditions, and establishment of a baseline for future comparisons.
• Middle-age (30 to 50 years of age): Preventive health checkups are recommended once every six to twelve months. The checkups include screenings for chronic medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol levels, and cancer screenings.
• Elderly (50+ years of age): More frequent health checkups are recommended for individuals as their age increases. The six or twelve-month preventive health checkup will include comprehensive tests to check the vital organs, bone health, cognitive function, hearing and vision tests, and cancer screenings.

What are the key components of a health checkup package ?

A preventive health checkup package  includes the following key components:

• Physical examination: The patient will first undergo a thorough physical examination, which will include the assessment of the body systems, body mass index (BMI), and an overall evaluation of general health.
• Medical and family history: The patient’s complete medical history will be reviewed, which will include the evaluation of the medications, medical conditions, allergies, and history of any surgery. The patient’s family history of medical ailments is also noted to help in the identification of any potential risk factors.
• Blood tests and urine tests: Routine laboratory tests are performed using blood and urine samples. These tests include a complete blood count (CBC), blood sugar levels, lipid profile, liver and kidney function tests, thyroid function tests, and other relevant screening tests based on the age and risk factors of the individual.
• Imaging tests: X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasounds are the different types of imaging tests that may be recommended to obtain clear images of the internal body organs.
• Cancer screenings: Based on the risk factors and age of the patient, the doctor may recommend screenings for cancers like breast cancer (using mammography), cervical cancer (by Pap smear), colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer.
• Immunizations: The vaccinations should be up-to-date to prevent and offer protection against many health conditions.
• Specialist referrals: You may be referred to specialists for targeted screenings based on your health condition.

What are the factors to consider before choosing a health checkup package?

There are a few factors you need to keep in mind before you undergo a preventive health checkup. These factors include:

1. Choose health checkup package from a reputed hospital rather than a diagnostic center due to the following reasons:

• Preventive health checkup package at a hospital is more comprehensive compared to a diagnostic laboratory, where a few important tests may be missing from the preventive health checkup package.
• The test results are more reliable and accurate in a hospital setting due to the availability of experienced and trained healthcare professionals and technicians.
• Most hospital packages offer one free consultation with specialists from all departments to discuss your test reports, a feature that will be missing in a health package at a path lab.
• Considering the number of detailed tests involved in a health package at the hospital, the overall cost will be less in a hospital set-up than in a diagnostic laboratory, where you may have to pay separately for the add-on tests besides the main health package.

2. Confirm if your health checkup requires fasting, as many tests may need a fasting period of 8 to 10 hours.

3. Wear loose and comfortable clothes when going for the checkup.

4. Avoid wearing any accessories or metal objects when going for imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds, or other tests like ECG.

5. Inform the doctor if you have any pacemakers, dentures, or other metal objects in your body.

Conclusion

A preventive health checkup is an early detection tool that helps you stay updated with the changes that your body is undergoing with age. Early detection and prevention of medical complications are the key advantages of a preventive health checkup.

A preventive health checkup is a type of investment for your long-term well-being and good health. So schedule your preventive health checkup right away to take the first step towards a healthy and happy life ahead. Get full body checkups at HN Reliance Hospital Mumbai.