The human body can be complex and very unpredictable. From tiny bacterial infections to larger terminal illnesses, the need for regular health check-ups cannot be over emphasized. Aside from human activities, the food we eat could also pose dangers to our health. Foods that contain saturated fats, and much cholesterol can lead to heart diseases. Some foods that lack nutrients from fruits and vegetables, yet, are high in processed meat can increase the chances of certain forms of cancer. And as we know, excessive intake of sugary foods and drinks causes diabetes. Yes, there are many natural and artificial factors that can pose serious dangers to our health. Ironically, most of these illnesses or health issues do not manifest immediately. Some accumulate in the body for years and when they eventually manifest, it becomes an emergency situation, or worse still, a death sentence for some. We cannot predict health issues simply by external observance, hence, the need for regular screenings and preventive healthcare measures.
Regular Health Check-ups Recommendations By Age
From little infants to those advanced in age, everybody needs health check-ups and corresponding preventive healthcare. We will now group the stages of life into five age groups. Below are the recommended Check-ups according to each age groups.
1. Infants (0-12 months)
To ensure your infant’s wellbeing, the following check-ups (in no special order) should be carried out during this early stage of life:
Physical examination: Here, the infant’s physical features are checked to ensure normalcy. The weight, height, head, ears, nose, and mouth will be checked. Then the baby’s senses will be checked including hearing, vision, smell, taste, and touch. There’ll also be a reflex check.
- Blood Tests check-up: Here, tests will be carried out to determine the blood group and genotype of the baby. Also, as recommended, the baby will be screened for anemia and lead levels.
- Immunization: At infancy, it is recommended that a baby is taken for regular immunization checkups against diseases such as Hepatitis B, tetanus, and polio.
- Pediatric check-up: During infancy, a baby should be taken for medical examinations to monitor growth, development and overall health.
- Dental check-up: Dental check-up is a vital heath check-up for infants. It involves careful examination of the baby’s teeth for cavities, or tooth decay. If necessary, x-rays are taken to detect hidden issues like jawbone problems or cavities between the teeth. A professional cleaning is then fine to eradicate stain on the teeth, tartar, or plaques.
2. Children (1-12 years)
The health check-ups for children between the ages of 1 and 12 years may play a vital role in the lives of such ones. It is realized that most of the terminal illnesses some adults deal with today started developing right from childhood. Hence it is necessary that children undergo regular screenings as listed below and be given preventive healthcare accordingly.
- Pediatric check-ups: Yes, it is vital to pay attention to the growth of children as this can help to detect some not-very-obvious problems early enough. By examining the overall growth of a child it is possible to detect symptoms of stunted growth or even obesity in the child.
- Malaria and Typhoid check-ups: Malaria and typhoid are very vital health concerns, especially in areas where they are rampant. Children should be examined for symptoms such as: High fever, cough and catarrh, nausea and vomiting.
Accordingly, preventive healthcare should be incorporated immediately. Mosquito nets should be used at the children’s sleeping spaces. Insect repellants or insecticides should be applied regularly in rooms where children stay, but at least 2 hours before the rooms are used. These will help curb the effect of these deadly diseases.
- Vaccination: This is where the preventive healthcare comes in. Regular screenings are required for early detection of diseases such as, measles, chickenpox, flus, and, as recommended, COVID-19. The appropriate vaccines are then given for prevention and control of such diseases.
- Emotional health and behavioral check-ups: It is recommended that children be taken for regular assessment to notice their behavioral patterns. In such health check-ups, issues related to learning disabilities, anxiety, and depression are effectively monitored and correctional and preventive healthcare administered accordingly.
- Blood tests: It is vital that children undergo blood tests occasionally, as recommended. This is in order to detect blood issues like anemia or high cholesterol level, especially if there are risk factors involved.
- Nutritional health check-ups: From time to time, appropriate tests should be carried out on children to analyze whether or not they are getting all vitamins in appropriate proportions. If not, proper dieting should be recommended to effectively include all the vitamins and minerals needed for a child’s growth and general nourishment.
3. Adolescents (13-18 years)
Adolescence is an important stage of one’s life. This is the time when a child begins the early stages of development into adulthood. It is during this stage that children see signs of puberty and general development. This stage is another fragile stage where embers of this age group are exposed to contagious illnesses, some, even sexually transmitted. Therefore, a series of health check-ups is required for these ones.
- Physical health check-ups: It is recommended that on an annual basis, adolescents’ general health, growth and development should be examined. Is the child’s growth normal? Is he or she growing too rapidly? Are the signs of development, as appropriate for the age, observed in him or her? This kind of careful examination will help detect irregularities and effectively prepare these ones for this phase of life.
- Vaccinations: Vaccinations against diseases like COVID 19 should be given adolescents as recommended. Other vaccines include Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines, and Annual Flu vaccines.
- Check-ups for contagious diseases: Adolescents should undergo regular screenings for such diseases as tuberculosis if there are risk factors. A regular check-up is also required for sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, and Chlamydia. This is especially important since adolescents’ curiosities often leave them with the desire to explore their lifestyle in sensitive aspects such as sexuality.
- Mental health check-ups: Adolescence is another stage where the members of this age group are prone to mental instabilities. Depression, anxiety, and other related issues tend to be more commonly observed in this age group. Hence, regular screenings are required in areas like drug and substance abuse, and preventive healthcare should be applied accordingly.
- Reproductive health check-ups: During this kind of check-ups, females undergo menstrual health examinations, and makes take testicular assessments.
Because of the risk factors that come along with this stage of life, it is important to incorporate education on safe sex practices and contraception in the regular screening and preventive healthcare of adolescents.
4. Adults (19-30 years)
- Physical health assessments: Adults are recommended to have annual physical examinations for general health, an evaluation of vital signs and lifestyle factors.
- Blood Pressure check-ups: Adults are faces with issues like low or high blood pressure. Therefore there is a need for regular check-ups in this regard. And if either low or high, preventive healthcare is immediately recommended.
- Blood Sugar tests: Adults, especially those who have a family history of diabetes, need regular screenings for high sugar levels. Low blood sugar is as deadly as the high blood sugar, so this check-up should cover the two ends.
- Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) screening: Adults, especially the sexually active ones should check at least annually for sexually transmitted infections such as HIV and AIDS. Moreover, if you have more than one sexual partner, it is vital to undergo this screening more often than usual.
5. Advanced Adults (40-60 years)
Adults in this age group require regular screenings to ensure their general wellness and detect potential long-term issues early enough. The following health check-ups are recommended for this age group:
- Physical health check-ups: It is vital and recommended for adults who are advanced in age to undergo an annual health check-up. This includes blood pressure check, heart rate, and other sensitive signs. This will help to detect potential health issues and preventive healthcare will be administered accordingly.
- Blood Tests: People belonging to this age group are usually prone to issues like anemia, heart diseases, and stroke. Therefore it is important to regularly check the amount of cholesterol they consume as that may cause irregularities in the flow of blood through the vital organs, and may eventually cause stroke or severe heart issues.
- Cancer health check-ups: Prostate cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. These are all common health issues peculiar to those of these age group. Regular screenings will help to detect the symptoms of these deadly illnesses early enough and preventive healthcare immediately given.
What to expect during a check-up
As we have discussed, regular health check-ups are important occasions for one’s general wellness. They are necessary for early detection of potential long-term illnesses or other deadly diseases.
During a health check-up, the doctor or health specialist begins with physical examinations. Questions could be directed to the patients or healthcare recipients to understand how they really feel.
Appropriate tests, some of which involve blood, or other excrements are carried out. Once risk factors are identified or potential symptoms are detected, immediate action is taken to control such issues.
Preventive healthcare is an important aspect of regular screenings. Of course it is the very essence of health check-ups in the first place. Of what use is early detection if preventive measures are not taken? During a check-up, if risk factors are identified, then preventive healthcare should begin as soon as possible. Preventive measures include recommended therapies or safe practices that help protect one from health issues.
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Benefits Of Early Detection
The benefits of early detection are well spelled out. Put simply once dangers are identified early enough, it is easier to control and stop them even before they surface. The list is unlimited.
- Improved and effective cure: There are diseases that are termed “incurable”, meaning they do not have a pronounced or identified cure. However, it is observed that if detected early, some of these illnesses can be controlled and even eradicated completely. In cases where the illnesses are discovered late, then the situation becomes hopeless and could become a dead end.
- Prevention of health issues: The Bible says that the shrewd or wise one sees a danger and conceals himself. Yes, when a potential issue is detected, it becomes easier to prevent it from surfacing. For instance, if there are risk factors identified for diabetes in a person, it makes it easier for such problems to be prevented through lifestyle changes. Yes one might not even need to take medications to prevent such issues. Abstinence from indulgences that could bring about such health issues could be all s person needs to prevent or even eradicate the existence of such issues.
- Reduced healthcare costs: As mentioned earlier, when an issues is detected early enough through regular screenings, it can be easily eliminated without invasive treatment costs. For example, instead of buying several costly drugs to maintain a health condition, an issue could be well eradicated through simple therapy sessions.
- Lesser comication rates: For severe health issues like heart attack, cancer, and diabetes, early detection helps to reduce the risk of complications. Before the illness reaches an uncontrollable stage, it must have been detected and taken effective care of.
The benefits of regular screenings and preventive healthcare cannot be overemphasized. Regular Health Check-ups is a life saving practice indeed. Make it a routine to go for regular check-ups in order to detect potential issues early enough, before they become incurable. Those who have the habit of having regular health check-ups have a longer survival rate, and enjoy peace of mind knowing that they have less risks of health issues in the future.