A lot of people remain hesitant when the idea of a check-up surfaces. Truth be told, not everybody is a fan of annual physical examinations and screenings. Too often, people have the notion that one only visits the doctor when over-the-counter medicines fail to offer relief.
Manila Doctors Hospital’s Industrial Medical Services Department addresses the basic questions on health check-up and quashes misconceptions about some medical procedures.
1. What is a health check-up?
A health check-up is an appointment done to see your doctor for many different reasons, such as when you are experiencing a new health problem, looking for a specific diagnosis or treatment, or for ongoing follow-up of a long-standing problem or disease.
2. Why are check-ups important?
Health check-ups can be your primary prevention against diseases because through this, health problems can be addressed before they even start. It also helps in identifying a person’s risk factors for common chronic disease. It is also helpful in detecting disease that has no apparent symptoms (secondary prevention) and more importantly, a health check-up is important to promote healthy behavior.
3. How frequently should I go to my physician?
An annual health exam is ideal. However, people who are taking prescription medications require more frequent evaluations.
4. What are screening tests?
Screening tests are the means of finding diseases in people who do not yet have any signs or symptoms of the disease being screened. The goals of screening include helping people live longer and healthier lives.
5. What tests should I undergo?
The tests you need will depend on your age, gender, risk factors—like family history of cancer or hypertension—and lifestyle preferences. If you are at risk for a disease, your doctor will recommend proper screening tests. If you already have a health condition, the risks and benefits of the required tests and actions to be done afterwards will usually also be discussed.
6. Is it easy to tell if I have a serious heart disease?
Not necessarily. For example, the symptoms of heart attack are chest pains or discomfort but you may also experience shortness of breath, nausea, light-headedness, and pain or discomfort in one of arms, the jaw, neck or back. If you have any reason to suspect that you might have a heart disease, go to your health care provider. He or she may order an ECG or Stress Test for confirmation.
7. Is it true that ultrasound is for pregnant women only?
Absolutely not. Ultrasonography encompasses many different procedures. One is pelvic ultrasound which is used to evaluate pelvic pain, pelvic mass, vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy and after giving birth, pelvic infection, and trauma as well as to locate intrauterine devices of foreign bodies. Another procedure is renal ultrasound which is important for evaluating kidney diseases like cystic kidney disease, hydronephrosis, and chronic kidney diseases. Transrectal ultrasound is useful for early diagnosis of prostate cancer to determine the volume of the prostate gland for BPH therapy and to evaluate men with infertility problems or tumors in the reproductive of genitourinary tract.
8. What are the benefits of liver function tests for men?
The Liver Function Tests, or blood test to measure ALT (or SGPT) and AST (or SGOT) levels, among others, are used when liver disease is suspected. Examples of these include a history of jaundice, alcohol-induced liver disease, fatty liver disease, and diagnosed hepatitis.
9. At what age should a person be screened for cholesterol?
The screening for lipid disorders should start at age 35 for low-risk males. For individuals with increased risk for coronary heart diseases, screening should start at age 20-35 for men and at age 45 for women.
10. Is it true that PSA test is a cancer test?
No. The PSA test measures levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the prostate, not cancer. PSA is produced by the prostate in response to a number of problems, including an inflammation or infection of the prostate gland, enlargement of the prostate gland, among others.
Manila Doctors Hospital offers an extensive line-up of health packages that would best address your needs and requirements in attaining healing and wellness.
This holiday season, MDH is offering 50% off on all its room rates for elective procedures, such as annual health check-ups. Pre-booking is until November 30. Actual availment of procedures is on December 22-31. For inquiries, call (02) 524-3011 local 2640 or 8125.
• For inquiries on health check-up packages, call IMSD at (02) 524-3011 local 3350 or 8140. IMSD is open Mondays to Fridays from 8 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and is located on the first floor of Manila Doctors Hospital, 667 United Nations Ave., Ermita, Manila.
source: interaksyon.com