Basic health tests and tips for every age

The 20s is a good time to start going on those regular medical checkups.

MANILA, Philippines – Don’t be tempted to let your annual work-up or medical tests slip. Studies have shown that regular checkups and screenings can help you stay out of the doctor’s office for the rest of the year. Makati Medical Center lays out the essential tests you need in your 20s through your 50s to help you enjoy every decade of your life in good health.

The 20s is a good time to start going on those regular medical checkups. Simple tests that you can do on your own, like watching your weight, makes a lot of difference. Watching your weight does not only pay off vanity-wise, but also ensures that you are not at risk for high cholesterol levels and diseases such as diabetes.

As we move on to our 30s, gender-specific medical exams should be given more attention. Women need yearly clinical breast exams, Pap smears, and pelvic exams to save them from infertility-causing diseases. Fast becoming common among females, too, is melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. For men, going for a testicular exam helps in the early detection of testicular cancer.

Women and men in their 40s need to have blood glucose levels checked every three years for diabetes. At this time, too, men need to start taking annual digital rectal exams to look out for enlarged prostates. For women, one of the most important medical tests to have is the yearly mammogram, helpful in the early detection of breast tumors.

The golden age of your 50s is no excuse to be lax about your health either. Supplementing your healthy habits with additional exams ensures early detection and treatment of diseases. It is strongly advised that both men and women undergo a colonoscopy every five to 10 years as colon cancer has one of the highest fatality rates among various forms of cancer.

The Health and Wellness Centers at the Makati Medical Center helps optimize health at any age. The Executive Health Center offers the most comprehensive series of medical evaluation procedures for a broad range of patient needs. The Center, in partnership with other MakatiMed Centers of Excellence, such as the Corporate Health and Wellness Center, provides thorough examination packages for all ages.

The Executive Health Center also has cardiac, diabetes, and gastrointestinal examination packages geared towards the screening of these particular life-threatening diseases for high-risk individuals. Women’s Health and Youth Health packages are likewise available to serve these specific needs.

“Whether young or old, you have to make time for regular health checkups,” says Dr. Gregorio Ocampo, head of the MakatiMed Executive Health Center. “It is the most effective way of catching diseases before they worsen, or even before they develop. Early detection and regular screenings go a long way in preventing serious diseases.” -(The Philippine Star)

For more details, call 8888-999 or visit the Makati Med website at www.makatimed.net.ph.