Getting a health check-up is one underrated lifesaving hack we all need to do at least once a year. You may think you don’t need to have a health check-up when you look and feel perfectly healthy, but the truth is, we have lost so many lives that could have been saved.
A health check-up helps reduce illnesses and death by detecting any disease or condition as early as possible and assessing the risk of future medical complications based on lifestyle, genetics and other factors.
There are many health check-ups to undergo, and if you are covered by medical insurance, you may have access to at least one check-up per year.
Important health check-ups
Diabetes check
Diabetes is a serious chronic condition that has taken many lives. It is when glucose (sugar) in the blood becomes higher than normal. If this condition is not managed, it can cause serious health complications or even result in death.
If you do not do health check-ups, you may be in the dark until symptoms start showing, and if you are not covered under any medical aid alternative, you may have a hard time with doctor consultations, which is why early detection is important.
Blood pressure checks
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, occurs when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher). It is a common condition, but it can be dangerous if not treated or managed.
This condition is even more dangerous because it often has no symptoms, meaning you could think you are healthy, even though you have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is caused by a lot of factors that include high alcohol consumption, age, obesity, genetics, physical inactivity, and poor diet.
Cancer screening
Cancer is a disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body and is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Screening can help detect cancer cells at any stage, even before any symptoms show.
Once the diagnosis has been made, it may be easy to treat depending on the type of cancer. You do not want to wait until there are symptoms because then it may be harder to treat, and the result could be loss of life.
Screening for HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is still one of the leading chronic illnesses in the world.
HIV can lead to even worse health complications if not managed. Therefore, it is important to do regular screenings to ensure you are healthy because you may not have any symptoms until it is too late.
Cholesterol tests
High cholesterol usually causes no signs or symptoms. A complete cholesterol test determines whether your cholesterol is high and estimates your risk of heart attacks, blood vessel diseases and other forms of heart disease. If you are a smoker, obese, have an unhealthy diet, or have other bad habits, then a cholesterol check-up should be mandatory.
There are many other health check-ups you need to do at least once a year.
Will I afford to do a comprehensive health check-up?
Paying out-of-pocket for a health check-up may be expensive, and you may end up doing minimal tests or not doing it at all. Luckily, there are affordable medical aid alternatives that cover health check-ups while maintaining quality private healthcare. This means you can get medical insurance plans that are very affordable with some insurance companies.
The best medical insurance will cover your health check-ups, so you have access to a range of doctors and never have to worry about taking money out of your pocket to settle medical bills.
In summary, health check-ups continue to save lives from premature death. With affordable medical insurance, you can be able to know your health and, if necessary, make lifestyle changes or even get the right treatment and be cured.
Not all Medical Insurance plans are the same and benefits as well as limitations may vary. Descriptions of benefits given are meant to be for general educational purposes only and you must ensure that you seek the advice of a broker to ensure any product choice you make suits your individual needs.