Health clubs are brimming, sale of various fitness equipment is on the rise. People are also becoming more and more conscious of the importance of a healthy diet and the need to avoid fatty and non-nutritious foods.
But, welcome as these developments are, they are not good enough. Because of the insidious ways various illnesses creep into our system. Because of the world we live in-full of stress, pollution and harmful substances. Because, unfortunately, some illnesses like cancer attack even perfectly `healthy' people.
Then again, one must remember that what we understand, as 'feeling healthy' itself may be a delusion. For instance, one may be over-weight, and hence susceptible to various illnesses, or one may have a family history of genetically transmitted diseases. Finally, much as we may like to deny it, one may be just fooling oneself--refusing to accept telltale signs and symptoms of poor health or some major problem. Symptoms like frequent attacks of breathlessness, chronic indigestion, frequent headaches, loss of hearing, bone joint pains, excessive urination -to name just a few.
Most people younger than 40 years are generally free from diseases that could be diagnosed by physical examination alone. In this age group, health problems usually show specific signs or symptoms that would prompt you to seek medical attention. Also, a lot of the testing that was done routinely in the past has not been found to be cost-effective and, in some cases, causes unnecessary anxiety.
- Purpose of the periodic health examination
- As primary prevention
- To identify risk factors for common chronic diseases
- To detect disease that has no apparent symptoms (secondary prevention)
- As a way for the doctor to counsel people to promote healthy behavior
- To update clinical data since last checkup
- To enhance the relationship between you and your doctor
The main goal of prevention and health promotion is to reduce the burden of suffering for the major preventable diseases. At Kasemrad Hospital, Bangkok, we have made recommendations on methods of avoiding these diseases through specific intervention.
- Levels of preventive care: All 3 of these levels of preventive care are important components of disease prevention and health maintenance.
- Primary prevention includes interventions that can completely prevent the disease in people at risk. One example is immunisations against certain vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and tetanus.
- Secondary prevention identifies established risk factors for disease. Checking blood pressure, cholesterol, and performing Pap tests for cervical cancer screening are examples in which identifying abnormal results can lead to effective interventions that may prevent serious disease from developing.
- Tertiary prevention is a process for optimising health once a disease has been diagnosed. An example is a management plan to prevent a person from having another heart attack once they already have established heart disease.
- Preventive interventions our doctor may use at your checkup are the following:
- Screening tests are useful in the early detection of disease. Some examples include the physical exam, blood pressure reading, Pap test, and laboratory tests.
- Immunisations include shots such as a tetanus booster, flu shots, and other vaccinations.
- Medication prescription may be as simple as suggesting that a person with heart disease risk factors take an aspirin daily.
- Counseling for health promotion either before or during a health problem may decrease the burden of suffering or prevent the disease. Examples of counseling topics include smoking cessation, safe sex practices, and pre-pregnancy advice on folic acid supplements.
What can you expect at your checkup?
- Clinical history : It is important to update information on your medical record. Some of the items you will likely be asked about include the following:
- Dates and results of previous preventive procedures (such as prior immunisations, Pap tests, mammograms, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure readings)
- A complete and updated family history of diseases
- Your past medical history including a review of all medications you take
- Information about your workplace and leisure and living conditions at home
- Your habits such as drug use, alcohol use, smoking or exercise
- Information about your normal body functions such as eating, sleeping, urination, bowel function, vision, and hearing
- Physical examination and diagnostic tests
- The number of physical examination maneuvers our doctor performs and tests that are ordered will vary depending on your gender, age, and information obtained from the clinical history.
- The physical exam is most useful in identifying disease in people who already have symptoms, but it is often of little use as a screening test in people who have no complaints.
Our recommendations are for healthy people. Those with specific diseases or who are at increased risk for certain health problems may be required to see the doctor more often and may undergo certain other tests. It is important that you and our doctor mutually decide on a checkup plan that is suitable for you.
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