Prevention Is Better Than Cure, Do Health Check

For many people, going to the doctor for medical check-up is something
they avoid unless they become terribly sick. In fact, the hospital is
usually the last resort for most people when they are sick, not to
talk of when they are well.

But doctors note that the hospital is not only meant for the sick and
the ill, but it is also for those who seem to be well.

Family physician, Dr. Femi Omolola, notes that going to the doctor can
be a helpful way to determine one's health condition and also helps
one to make the necessary changes before small problems become bigger
issues.

Omolola says you must have "a sickness and in health relationship"
with your doctor by going for regular medical check-ups, even when you
are well.

According to the expert, terminal illnesses such as diabetes, cancer,
osteoporosis and heart diseases, which kill millions of people, could
be detected and prevented through regular medical check-ups.

Omolola states, "It is painful when I see hopeless cases that could
have been tackled if only the patient had come for screening or
check-up, may be 10-or five years earlier.

"Take, for instance, breast cancer. If lumps are removed earlier, the
chances of you developing breast cancer later in life would have been
reduced by 90 per cent. But if you don't come for screening or undergo
medical examinations, how will you know that you have a malignant
tumour growing inside of you?"

He adds, "Look at cervical cancer that is killing women every day; it
is curable when it is detected early. But if the woman does not go for
pap smear, how will the doctor detect it early? We must develop a
relationship with our personal doctor and you don't have to wait till
you are sick before you go for screening.

"Women, especially, need to have regular health checks. See your
doctor for regular medical check-ups to help you stay healthy and also
to pick up early warning signs of disease or illness.

"Many diseases such as cardiovascular (heart) disease, diabetes and
some cancers can be picked up in their early stages; and it is at this
early stage that treatment is effective."

Again, consultant gynaecologist, Dr. Lanre Durowoju, notes that 80 per
cent of sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea, syphilis,
and other diseases that affect sperm motility and fertility could be
detected early if infected persons go for regular medical check-up.

The expert notes that many STDs and STIs usually would not give an
infected person any symptoms until they have caused irreparable
damages to reproductive organs, hence the need for regular testing and
screening.

Durowoju states, "If you are sexually active and you are between the
ages of 15 and 29, you should get tested for Chlamydia every year.
Chlamydia is very common and does not always show symptoms. It causes
infertility, but it can be detected through a simple urine test.

"Any man that has more than one sexual partner -- whether married or
single -- must undergo gynaecological screening every year to check for
STDs. It will not give you any symptoms if you are infected; so until
you do a basic urine test, you will not know and this could affect
sperm production and count. If you are at risk of other sexually
transmissible infections, ask your doctor about further testing."

How often should you have a medical check-up depends on your age and
your health condition. Doctors note and recommend that people of all
age groups need to go for checks at least once every two years.

Durowoju adds, "Even a three-month-old baby needs to be screened by a
paediatrician for signs of heart diseases, asthma, autism and other
diseases that could affect his or her health later in life. Most cases
of hole-in-heart could have been detected if the parents took those
children for health checks early.

"Prevention saves money, but chronic conditions require costly
treatment. Also, people who see their doctors regularly are more
likely to take steps to improve or maintain their health."

The doctors have said it all, ignorance is no bliss. Here are some
basic blood tests that experts recommend that one should do every year
to keep diseases at bay.