3 Health Examinations You Should Not Ignore

Be honest with yourself. When was the last time you visited your healthcare professional for a health examination? You probably know how important such health examinations are, especially regarding preventive health. However, like so many people, you still ignore or overlook the need for regular health screening. Admittedly, there may be genuine reasons for this, such as lack of time, money constraints, or lack of information. But if you want to build a happy and healthy life for yourself or your family, there are some health examinations you should not ignore. Here are three of them.

• Mental health checkups

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The notion of regular mental health checkups is less established, probably because of the stigma once attached to any form of mental health issue. That means few people know it’s important, and even fewer people take it seriously. Unfortunately, 1 in 25 people lives with serious mental health issues such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. Approximately 50% of lifetime mental health issues begin by the age of 14, while about 75% begin by the age of 24. Mental health screening will help you determine if you or a member of your family has a mental disorder and identify the best treatment before it’s too late. There are several treatment options available. Depending on the mental health issue, accessing rehab or even some over-the-counter medications may be helpful treatment solutions.

• Regular hearing screening

Hearing screening is not one of the first things many people think about. In fact, it’s actually on the top list of the most ignored health screenings. Many people assume hearing screenings are only important if they encounter some form of auditory issue. But it’s better to get your hearing checked often, even if you do not have any hearing issues at the moment. Regular hearing screening can help your audiologist or doctor identify hearing issues that are gradually developing. This way, they can offer solutions before the issue starts affecting the quality of your life. If you live or work in noisy places, love listening to loud music, or regularly operate loud machines, it’s important to go for a regular hearing screening.

According to The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) guidelines, healthy adults between 18 to 40 years should have their hearing tested every 3 to 5 years.

• Cholesterol and blood pressure examinations

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Blood pressure and cholesterol levels are two things easy to ignore, especially when you have no reason to think you’re at risk. In the US alone, 1 in 3 adults currently suffers from high blood pressure issues. Unfortunately, about 20% of people do not even know they have this issue. Combined with high cholesterol, high blood pressure can greatly impact your risk of developing heart disease. They can also put you at risk of developing kidney diseases and cognitive impairment. Health experts recommend testing every 2 years for adults above 45 years and once every 5 years if you’re in your twenties. Children should get their first test between the ages of 9 and 11.

I know since the start of the pandemic personally I have failed to schedule checkups and I am way past due. Don’t neglect your health and remember that if you don’t take care of you, you can’t take care of anyone else…