I’m sure you’re familiar with the old saying, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” But how true is it? If you think about what the adage is portraying, it tells you how important it is to be proactive about your health and to encourage people to have preventative-type measures done on a regular basis. Some examples of preventative actions include having your annual wellness exam and screening labs completed, remaining current on vaccines, eating healthy and exercising, and managing stress.
Wellness Exams
Scheduling an annual wellness exam with your healthcare provider will ensure that an overall “check-up” is completed. This will likely include screening for different types of cancers and chronic health conditions. Females should have Pap smears, mammograms, and bone density scans completed. Males should have prostate cancer screenings done. Colonoscopies should be completed for adults starting at the age of 50. Skin cancer screening should be completed on a routine basis. For adults with a positive history of tobacco use, lung cancer screening should be conducted. This visit can also be used to screen for anxiety, depression, substance-related problems, and intimate partner violence.
Screening labs are ordered to check for chronic health conditions such as anemia, kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, electrolyte abnormalities, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders, and vitamin deficiencies. By having routine labs checked, your healthcare provider can help guide you on ways to prevent chronic health problems. Based on your medical and family history, your provider might order different tests to ensure you are being proactive about your overall health.
Vaccines
Staying current on vaccines is a great way to be proactive about your overall health. Getting the annual influenza vaccine is one way to help prevent getting the flu. Remaining up to date on tetanus vaccine is another proactive measure for your health. For older adults, getting the shingles vaccine can help prevent an outbreak of shingles that can cause long-lasting nerve pain. The hepatitis vaccines can help prevent you from contacting the viruses that could cause liver damage. Pneumonia and meningitis vaccines help protect you from getting illnesses that could cause lasting detrimental effects.
Diet and Exercise
Eating healthy is another great way to be proactive about your health. This can prevent obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Eating a diet low in saturated fat and high in fruits and vegetables can help maintain a healthy weight, thus reducing the risk for diabetes. Being mindful of dietary salt intake can help prevent you from developing high blood pressure, and eating foods that are low in cholesterol can prevent excessive amounts of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Exercising is another great way to be proactive about your health. Experts say exercising at least 30 minutes per day can reap benefits – such as strengthening the heart, building muscle, and managing weight.
Managing Stress
Another thing that you can do to be proactive about your health is to manage your stress levels. This can be done by exercising, relaxing your muscles, deep breathing, eating well, making time for hobbies, talking about your problems, and eliminating triggers. Stress can cause harm to the body if it is allowed to build up for a period of time, so it is important to deal with it accordingly to prevent its damaging effects to the body.
There are several different ways to be proactive in your health. If you are struggling to find ways to prevent major health problems, discussing your concerns with your healthcare provider is a great start.
Remember, it’s better to be proactive than reactive when it comes to your health.
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