It is essential to monitor your health and make the necessary checks to ensure you are healthy. You should monitor your health if you have a family member with certain diseases or illnesses.
You don’t have to see your GP every time you need any tests or checks. There are always private options. You should always visit your GP to find out what tests are available for free. However, if you don’t have the time or resources, you can always look into private health insurance companies and testing providers that can test you for any condition.
As a precaution, here are some important health checks and tests that you should perform. These checks and tests may reveal something you didn’t know about your health, so it is well worth the effort.
Check for high blood pressure
To have your blood pressure checked, you don’t need to pay anything. You can have your blood pressure tested at your GP on request, or you could visit your local pharmacy where they offer it for free.
High blood pressure is more common among older people. However, it’s possible for younger people to have high blood pressure. One in ten women aged between 25 and 34 years old are affected, while just over one percent of men age 25 to 34 years are.
High blood pressure can lead to serious health problems such as angina (chest pain), stroke and heart failure.
High blood pressure is not usually associated with any obvious symptoms. Many people are unaware they have it. High blood pressure can cause vision problems or headaches in some cases. A blood test is the only way to determine if you have high cholesterol.
Check for high cholesterol
High cholesterol can increase your risk of developing serious health problems so it is important to check your cholesterol.
This test can be performed by visiting your GP. However, if this is not possible due to any reason, you can order a online cholesterol test. This type of test is offered by several companies. I recommend the one that offers a detailed analysis of your lipid profile. They will analyse the levels of specific fats in your blood, including total cholesterol, good cholesterol(HDL-Cholesterol), and bad cholesterol (LDL–Cholesterol).
Medichecks, Doctorcall and Doctorcall are two examples of private companies that do detailed lipid profiles.
Medichecks has been a good choice for me. I also purchased their cholesterol test online (for my fiancée). We received our results quickly and had a pleasant experience dealing with them.
Glucose levels test
Diabetes or prediabetes may be indicated by high glucose levels in the blood.
Diabetes can lead to serious, long-term health issues. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and vision loss in those over 50. It is important to be diagnosed early so that you can begin treatment.
You can have your glucose levels tested by your doctor, but you can also buy a Blood Glucose test at home. This test can be purchased at many pharmacies. If your glucose levels are too high, you may need to have further monitoring.
Vitamin D deficiency test
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to various diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. In the UK, everyone is advised to take vitamin D supplements in the autumn and winter. You are most likely to be deficient if you haven’t been supplementing. Vitamin D can only be obtained through food, so it is important to get enough.
I have done many vitamin D tests over the years to monitor my levels. I find that I need to supplement in the summer, even though I do not use the sun as much as I should and avoid suncream.
Better You Vitamin D Test was my first choice. I loved the company and later discovered that Cerascreen offers vitamin D tests (with free shipping) and can be purchased on Amazon. There is a lot more choice today than there was a few years ago when it comes to vitamin-D testing.
Moles check
The UK has seen an increase in skin cancer rates due to cheap vacations abroad.
It’s particularly important to have your skin checked if you have been sunburnt previously. Your moles may be fine, but you won’t know until you are tested.
If you notice changes in your skin, it is important to have your moles examined by a specialist.
Even if you don’t see anything, it is still worth getting a checkup just to be safe. I was able to find private clinics that offer this service by doing a quick internet search.
- Bupa UK
- Skin Health UK
- The Mole Clinic
- Nuffield Health
You should have your moles professionally examined if you have many. It is expensive (PS100+), but it is an affordable way to live a longer life.
These are the top health checks that you can make today to help you live longer and be healthier. Are you planning on getting tested for any of these conditions?
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