Medicover
Should I do the tests if I’m healthy?
Many of us, especially in our youth, don’t pay much attention to our diet, exercise or getting regular check-ups. Many patients also believe that they should only see a doctor if they experience severe pain.
Meanwhile, according to research, regular medical check-ups, as well as following basic rules of a healthy lifestyle, help us avoid many serious diseases or diagnose them at an early enough stage to allow complete recovery in many cases. Many common lifestyle diseases may not have any visible symptoms at first. You can protect yourself only through taking preventive measures.
Prevention is...
The term "prevention" involves various activities that help us stay healthy, as well as detect and treat diseases early on. There are three levels of prevention that are connected and complement each other.
Primary prevention serves to reduce the risk of disease and is closely linked to our lifestyle, i.e. healthy eating, physical activity and avoiding addictions. Secondary prevention involves the early detection of diseases at an asymptomatic stage by means of screening tests, such as a Pap smear, mammogram, or colonoscopy. Tertiary prevention involves the appropriate treatment of detected diseases, e.g. hypertension or diabetes, which prevents the occurrence of complications, explains Dr Agnieszka Motyl, specialist in family medicine and epidemiologist at Medicover.
What diseases are detected by screening tests?
Standard preventive measures focus on the most common diseases affecting patients today. These are chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, tobacco-related diseases, cancer and infectious diseases, as well as pre-contraceptive care and care during pregnancy.
There is a difference between standard and occupational prevention, which is performed separately in accordance with occupational health regulations and focuses on risks for specific professional groups.
The basic preventive measures carried out by a doctor, nurse or midwife include taking the patient’s medical history, performing a physical examination, taking measurements (weight, height, waist size), performing additional examinations, administrating preventive vaccinations, prescribing medications and counselling.
Healthy lifestyle
Patient self-awareness plays a huge role in prevention. The first and most important step is to understand that our health depends on our daily choices. Adhering to several basic rules reduces the risk of many lifestyle diseases.
This is what Dr Agnieszka Motyl has to say about this:
The first thing is rational nutrition (unprocessed foods, five servings of fruit and vegetables, limiting simple sugars and saturated fats). Secondly, avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol. The third important issue is exercise, at least 30 minutes every day or most days of the week. Then there is maintaining a healthy body weight, and finally – maintaining a balance between private life and work.
In addition, it is extremely important to undergo regular medical check-ups, regardless of whether we are healthy or suffer from any ailments. The frequency and type of these check-ups depend on several factors. According to Dr Agnieszka Motyl, they are as follows:
The scope of screening tests and the age at which they should be performed depends on the patient’s gender, current state of health, and family history in terms of chronic diseases, especially cancer. These check-ups should be performed every three years.
Important tests
What preventive actions should be taken by patients who are serious about their health?
Every year we should get our blood pressure checked, as well as get a physical check-up of our skin, lips, mouth and throat, lymph nodes and thyroid. Every few years we should check our weight and height, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, get blood and urine tests, check cholesterol and glucose levels, as well as undergo the SCORE cardiovascular risk assessment.
After the age of 50, additional tests are recommended: screening for colorectal cancer (faecal occult blood every 2 years or colonoscopy every 10 years), and densitometry (bone density test) for elderly patients.
Preventive vaccinations
We should not forget about preventive vaccinations, which are important for preventing serious diseases - the Medicover Prevention Standard recommends vaccinating against hepatitis B, pneumococci and meningococci in this regard. Obligatory vaccinations also include the combined vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and varicella. We also recommend that our patients get the flu shot every year, which eliminates the risk of serious complications from this disease. In addition, we recommend vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) to all girls, says Dr Agnieszka Motyl.
Tests for women
Women's health is particularly important for society. It is women who to the greatest extent shape the habits of future generations and contribute to promoting a healthy lifestyle in their families.
Pap smear
Every woman should undergo regular gynaecological examinations. After reaching puberty, it is important to see a doctor regularly for a gynaecological examination, PAP smear and a breast examination. It is recommended that women undergo a PAP smear no later than 3 years after commencing intercourse, or at the age of 25. After that, the examination should be performed every 3 years.
Breast self-examination
Throughout their lifetime, women should also perform breast self-examinations to check for any lumps (they should be instructed on this by a gynaecologist or midwife).
Mammogram
After the age of 50, the list of preventive examinations should also include a mammogram. Due to the increasing incidence and mortality rates among Polish women from two of the most common cancers (breast and lung cancer) patients should be aware of what can be done to prevent these diseases.
- Based on the European Code Against Cancer, we can give women a lot of advice that will help minimise the risk of cancer, says Dr Agnieszka Motyl. The main issues are avoiding smoking and drinking alcohol (or limiting it to only one serving per day), and weight control (prevention of obesity).
Healthy lifestyle
Exercising daily, eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables per day, as well as limiting the consumption of products containing animal fat are helpful in the fight against cancer. We should also avoid excessive sun exposure and use sunscreen, especially in the case of children and adolescents. Equally important is receiving preventive vaccinations against hepatitis B and human papillomavirus. We must also remember to regularly undergo examinations (PAP smear, mammogram, colonoscopy), explains the doctor.
In addition to leading a healthy lifestyle and undergoing screening tests, you should also watch for any signs of cancer symptoms, which include lumps, non-healing wounds (including inside the mouth), skin lesions that change shape, size or colour, new and growing skin lesions, bleeding (other than regular monthly bleeding), and such chronic symptoms as coughing, persistent hoarseness, bowel irregularities or unexplained weight loss.
Tests for men
According to statistics, women live on average 6-8 years longer than men. This is primarily due to the lackadaisical attitude many men have towards their health. Meanwhile, there are many typical male ailments that can easily be avoided if appropriate preventive measures are taken.
What diseases affect men?
Typical men’s diseases include coronary heart disease, abdominal obesity, as well as cancers of the genitourinary system: prostate, kidneys and bladder.
Coronary heart disease
Preventing coronary heart disease mainly involves following a proper diet, exercising regularly and avoiding stimulants. To avoid the risk of heart attack, men should regularly check their cholesterol and blood glucose levels, as well as weight and blood pressure.
Prostate cancer
In order to enjoy good health for as long as possible men over 50 should, in addition to the mentioned tests, consider performing a PSA blood test. It is used for early detection of prostate cancer. PSA is an antigen produced by the prostate gland. Its elevated level in the blood may, though not always, be a sign of prostate cancer. Regardless of the decision to have a blood test, symptoms such as pressure on the bladder, more frequent and problematic urination both during day and night, and blood present in the urine are symptoms that should not be ignored and should be checked with a doctor.
In conclusion, it is worth stressing once again that prevention is a very broad concept and may involve practically everything we do every day - our actions and choices can either protect our health or slowly destroy it. As in all other aspects of life, prevention should be approached with common sense. It is intended to extend our life and improve its quality, not be an end in itself, so there is no need to overdo it when it comes to screening tests. Dr Agnieszka Motyl also warns against undergoing tests that have not been scientifically proven to be useful in the prevention of diseases, such as cancer markers.
