When it comes to health, prevention is better than cure. Now more than ever, preventative health care is becoming commonplace as people become more educated and empowered about their own health. It is important to regularly visit your doctor, even if you do not feel sick. Health checks are designed not only to identify underlying medical conditions, but also to help catch any potential health issues, identify risk factors and illnesses before they start to cause problems.
Many diseases such as heart issues, diabetes and cancer can be often diagnosed early. Finding problems early means that you have better chances for effective treatment. Whilst a health check does not prevent you from developing a health problem, it can make you aware of areas that need attention.
What is a health check?
A medical checkup, also known as a physical exam, is a routine test performed by a doctor to assess a person’s health. Health screenings are vital for maintaining your health. Just because you feel well, it does not always mean that you are not at risk of a potential disease.
Through regular medical checkups, a person has access to vital information that will help them monitor their wellbeing and make changes in their lifestyle for long-term healthy life.
When you have a medical check-up, your doctor will ask you about your medical history, family’s history of disease, vaccination status, medication use and your lifestyle, including your diet, physical activity, weight, alcohol consumption and smoking.
A general medical checkup will include the following:
General physical examination: A routine physical examination that includes checking parts of your body that could help identify signs or symptoms of potential diseases. This may include examining the following: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, throat, joints, abdomen and chest.
Skin check: This includes review of your skin, moles, birthmarks and other spots that may be an area of concern.
Laboratory tests: A complete blood count and a complete metabolic panel to check if you might have potential diseases, irregularities or vitamin deficiencies. The basic test should check blood sugar, cholesterol and urinalysis.
Vital sign checks: This includes checking your blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. This can help identify a number of potential health problems.
Immunisation check: This includes checking your immunisation status and if you need any necessary vaccines such as tetanus, influenza, hepatitis A/B etc.
Additional checks: Depending on your age, gender and medical history, your doctor may ask you to do additional checks such as MRI, ultrasound, X-Rays, mammography, colon or prostate cancer screenings.
Why are regular health checks important?
For many people, health issues do not become apparent until there is a physical symptom. Going for a regular health check helps to catch problems early on and avoid a wide number of diseases.
Understanding your risk factors is essential for preventative medicine. Detecting and preventing health-related problems beforehand helps to avoid serious and permanent damage. Periodic health checks will also make you more aware of your health and help you make necessary lifestyle improvements for a healthier future.
Health check-up programs are designed not only to detect health issues, but also to educate people about their wellbeing and improve their quality of life. Occupational and lifestyle health checks provide a useful guide on how to change certain habits, behaviours, practices and adopt healthier lifestyles. For example, if you work with a computer it might be a good idea to have a regular eye test and revise your work ergonomics. If you are an athlete, you may need to consider sports and an athlete health assessment.
The benefits of regular check-ups include:
It reduces your risk of getting sick
Detects potentially life-threatening health conditions or diseases early
Increases chances for early treatment and cure without complications
Improves treatment outcomes
Assesses your risk of future medical issues
Do healthy individuals need full-body checks?
The simple answer is yes. General recommendation is that people of all ages and all health conditions should have a regular health check-up. Just because you feel well it doesn’t always mean that you’re not sick or are at risk of a potential disease.
The frequency and complexity of medical screening depends on many factors such as your age, health, risk factors, family history and your lifestyle. Speak to your doctor to understand your health screening plan.
Here are some general guidelines to help you decide how often you should have health checkups:
Age 18-30 – once in every 2-3 years
Age 30-50 – once in every 2 years
Age 50 and above – once in a year
Recommended health checks
Check-up programs for women
Health check-ups for women may include:
Laboratory tests (A complete blood count and a complete metabolic panel, as well as urinalysis)
Blood pressure screening
Gynaecologist consultation including pelvic ultrasound examination
Cervical cancer screening (Pap smear test)
Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
Abdomen ultrasound examination
Mammography (breast ultrasound)
Thyroid examination
Prices from 650 euro
Additional examinations may include:
Eye examination
Dental check-up
Skin examination
Hearing testing
STD testing
A colonoscopy (for women over age 50)
Check-up programs for men
Health check-ups for men may include:
Laboratory tests (A complete blood count and a complete metabolic panel, as well as urinalysis)
Blood pressure screening
Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
Abdomen ultrasound examination
Urologist consultation (including testicular and prostate exam)
Prices from 540 euro
Additional examinations may include:
Eye examination
Dental check-up
Skin examination
Hearing testing
STD testing
A colonoscopy (for women over age 50)
Check-up programs for smokers
Health check-ups for smokers may include:
Laboratory tests (A complete blood count and a complete metabolic panel)
Blood pressure screening
Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
Echocardiography
Chest X-Ray
Veloergometry
Spirometry
Ultrasonography of blood vessels of the lower limbs
Ultrasonography of blood vessels of the neck and head
Price from 730 euro
Health check-up programs for your heart
Laboratory tests (A complete blood count and a complete metabolic panel, including cholesterol levels and blood triglycerides)
Blood pressure screening
Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
Obesity tests
Specialist consultation
Headache check-up program
Laboratory tests (A complete blood count and a complete metabolic panel)
Blood pressure screening
Brain MRI
Head and Neck vessel check
Electroencephalography
Specialist consultation
Screening for cancer
Screening for cancer may include the following:
Full body MRI
Laboratory tests (A complete blood count and a complete metabolic panel including oncology biomarker profiling)
Endoscopy