4 Health Check-Ups You Should Have At Least Once A Year

Early detection is the key to fighting a lot of health problems. If you can catch them early on before they get too bad, the treatment is usually a lot easier. But so many of us neglect going to the doctor when we first spot symptoms because we worry about wasting their time or just hope that it’s going to go away. Most people are also pretty bad at keeping up with health check-ups, especially when they’re younger. Older people know that their health is at risk and so they’re more likely to go for regular check-ups, but when you’re not that old, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you don’t need those check-ups. The truth is, you can get sick anytime, regardless of how old you are and what your lifestyle is like, so regular visits to the doctor are so important. These are the health check-ups that you should be having at least once a year.

Dental Checks

This is one that people are particularly bad at keeping up with because they don’t realize how important it is. Just because you brush your teeth and floss every day, that doesn’t mean you aren’t at risk of dental health problems. If you have a cavity and you go to the dentist right away, it’s pretty simple for them to fix. But if you decide to just ignore the pain and leave it, it could cause you far worse problems. You’ll eventually reach the point where you can’t put it off any longer and you have to go in, by which time, it’ll be a lot harder to fix.

It’s not just cavities that you have to watch out for either. Even if you’re brushing properly, you might still have gum problems like gingivitis. If left untreated, you might start losing your teeth and there’s no way to fix that, you’ll just have to have dentures. Some dental issues may also be a sign of more serious health problems, so it’s important that you’re having a regular check-up.

Hearing Tests

As you get older, it’s likely that your hearing will suffer. However, you can experience hearing loss at a much younger age. Sometimes, it’s caused by outside factors like excessive exposure to loud noises or ear infections. Usually, that damage can be reversed if you catch it early enough so regular hearing tests are a good idea. This is especially important if you’ve already been diagnosed with hearing problems and you wear hearing aids. If your hearing aids are broken and they’re not functioning properly, your hearing can degenerate a lot quicker, so hearing aid replacement is so important. Often, there is no way to cure hearing loss completely but if you catch it early and treat it, you can protect your hearing for a lot longer. However, if you just ignore it, it will get worse a lot quicker.

Blood Pressure

As you get older, high blood pressure is something that you need to be on the lookout for. If your blood pressure is particularly high, it puts extra strain on your heart and your blood vessels and that increases your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. The good news is, high blood pressure is usually caused by lifestyle factors so you can reverse the effects and reduce your risk of more dangerous health conditions. Things like eating too much salt or fatty foods, or not exercising regularly enough can all cause high blood pressure, so it’s a good idea to get it checked regularly and then make adjustments to your lifestyle if you need to.

Weight

This is one that you can easily check for yourself at home if you buy some scales so there’s no excuse for neglecting it. Obesity is one of the biggest health problems that society faces right now and it increases your risk of so many different diseases. When you put on a lot of weight, it’s so hard to lose it again. But if you keep track of your weight, you’ll start to notice if you’re putting on a few pounds. If you take action when that happens, you can avoid serious weight gain and the health problems that come along with it.

When you do notice that you’re gaining a bit of weight, think about any recent changes to your lifestyle. Have you been eating differently? Are you exercising less than you were before? By identifying the reason for the weight gain, you can easily rectify it. If you can’t think of anything, it might be worth speaking to your doctor to see if they can suggest a reason for your weight gain.

If you’re having these regular check-ups, you’ll be able to catch health problems before they get worse and deal with them effectively.