Increasing your general wellness means increasing your knowledge of diseases and understanding your risks. Your risk of becoming ill or suffering from different medical conditions changes throughout your life. This is a guide to the ways you can maintain good health and increase your vigilance against possible diseases. It is important to have a general practitioner who will get to know you and understand your health conditions.
I am a young women (19-39)
- General health: get a full check-up once a year, including discussion about weight, smoking, alcohol consumption. This also includes surveillance for depression and thyroid diseases and surveillance of moles.
- Heart: Have your blood pressure checked every year, and a cholesterol check routinely.
- Reproductive screening: Have a cervical (Pap) Smear every year for cervical cancer screening. Ensure you know your HIV status and practice safe sex.
- The Senses: Have a hearing test every ten years. Make sure you are seeing your dentist regularly to avoid nasty surprises.
I am in my middle age (40-49)
- General health: get a full check-up once a year, including discussion about weight, smoking, alcohol consumption. This also includes surveillance for depression and thyroid diseases and surveillance of moles.
- Heart: Have your blood pressure checked every year, and a cholesterol check routinely. Ask your doctor to check your blood sugar level to check for diabetes every one to three years.
- Reproductive screening: Continue with cervical (Pap) smears every year. Ensure you know your HIV status and practice safe sex.
- The Senses: Have a baseline eye test at 40 and continue every two years. Continue with hearing test every ten years and make sure you are seeing your dentist regularly.
I am a mature woman (50-65)
- General health: get a full check-up once a year, including discussion about weight, smoking, alcohol consumption. This also includes surveillance for depression and thyroid diseases and surveillance of moles.
- Heart: Have your blood pressure checked every year, and a cholesterol check routinely. Ask your doctor to check your blood sugar level to check for diabetes every one to three years.
- Strong bones: Discuss having a bone mineral density test after you reach the menopause.
- Reproductive screening: Continue with cervical (Pap) smears every year. Ensure you know your HIV status and practice safe sex.
- Keeping a healthy gut: Guard against colonic polyps and cancer by having a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years or colonoscopy every ten years. Faecal Occult Blood tests may also assist in ensuring any colon problems are picked up before they develop into cancer.
- The Senses: Have a baseline eye test at 40 and continue every two years. Continue with hearing test every ten years and make sure you are seeing your dentist regularly.
I am older and wiser (above 65 years)
- General health: get a full check-up once a year, including discussion about weight, smoking, alcohol consumption. This also includes surveillance for depression and thyroid diseases and surveillance of moles.
- Heart: Have your blood pressure checked every year, and a cholesterol check routinely. Ask your doctor to check your blood sugar level to check for diabetes every one to three years.
- Strong bones: Have at least one bone mineral density test to ensure you are not at risk of increased fractures from weak bones.
- Reproductive screening: If you have had three negative smears and are not at high risk, you can choose whether to stop having cervical (Pap) smears. Ensure you know your HIV status and practice safe sex.
- Keeping a healthy gut: Guard against colonic polyps and cancer by having a flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years or colonoscopy every ten years. Faecal Occult Blood tests may also assist in ensuring any colon problems are picked up before they develop into cancer.
- The Senses: Have a baseline eye test at 40 and continue every two years. Continue with hearing test every ten years and make sure you are seeing your dentist regularly.