Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
It’s easier than ever before to take control of our health and wellbeing. Many of us try and live active lifestyles and watch what we eat. That’s only part of it though. Being a healthy weight and eating our five a day is no guarantee that we’re completely healthy (though it really does help). To get a true picture of our health, we need to make sure that we’re following our doctor’s advice and keeping up to date with our various health checks.
There are five important tests that you should not ignore.
Hearing Test
Most people don’t think about their ears and hearing unless there’s a problem, by that point, the damage may already have been done. Some causes of hearing loss aren’t preventable, but a lot of them are. Learn more about the causes of hearing loss. Looking after your ears by turning down your music, avoiding cue tips and keeping them clean and dry are all ways you can be proactive.
Get a regular hearing test too. This will be able to identify any issues before they become too severe.
Blood Pressure
Your blood pressure is a great indicator of your overall health. If you have high blood pressure, you are at higher risk of heart disease and stress. By getting your blood pressure checked regularly, you can make changes early. Your doctor can measure your blood pressure but you can also get it done at many pharmacies or buy an inexpensive machine to check it at home.
Cholesterol Levels
Having a healthy cholesterol level is vital to lowering our risk of heart attack and strokes.
Although people who are overweight are more likely to have higher cholesterol levels, being a healthy rate isn’t a guarantee that our cholesterol levels are healthy. The good news is that cholesterol can be lowered effectively with diet and exercise or your doctor may wish to provide you with medication to lower it.
A sample of blood is used to measure cholesterol. You can have a blood test done at your doctors or pharmacy. There are home tests available too that use a pinprick of blood.
Smear Test
Smear tests are vital in detecting early changes in the cervix and cervical cancer. However, many women miss their tests due to embarrassment, fear or other issues. In the US, over 8 million women didn’t arrange or attend their check-up. Cervical cancer is very treatable if caught early, so it’s vital that women attend their tests.
Eye Test
Just like a hearing test, it is common for people to only think about their vision when they are experiencing problems with it. An eye test is about much more than simply reading letters at a distance. In addition to checking your vision, an optometrist can detect the early signs of glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
You should get your eyes tested annually, especially if you work on a computer all day.
