Health Screen
Most of our grand parents lived to a ripe old age. They hardly saw the doctor and doctors were not so many those days and when you need to see one you have to travel to town. That included visiting a dentist. It is also quite costly and even more so when you add the transportation costs. Sometimes we would take a trishaw instead. Most of us recovered from a bout of flu or illnesses naturally. You only really saw a doctor due to measles or chicken pox or a very serious bout of flu. People did lots of manual work and even play was manual.
Those were the days where life was simple and our diet too consists mainly of rice or porridge with some fish or pork and canned food and the egg was a cheaper and most convenient means of nutrition. Other meats were luxury that you partake only a few times a year each with a small portion. Today, you can have chicken, pork, beef, mutton and duck all within the same day.
We spent lots of our time outdoors and in the natural terrain of kampongs in or around where we explored real birds and bees, plants and waterways. We got our vitamins from the sun. We collected freshly laid eggs from the chicken coups when I visited relatives. We walked long distances to a bus stop and buses do not stopped at every stop so it means more walking. Today's children may think that chickens grew in plastic bags in a super market.
The people I knew who died were usually due to old age or a serious bout of disease like diabetes, dengue or due to accidents. I had a neighbourhood friend who died when he was in primary three due to dengue. I lost a friend. In today's stressful world we lived in, you read about and hear of folks dying suddenly and in some recent cases, the fitter people are dying. Why? Because I think fit does not mean there are no underlying problems in us.
So today we have state of the art tests and screening to help read our blood pressure, test our blood, check our cholesterol and determine our heart's condition. Are people then flocking to get themselves checked? At least once a year? Yes, I detected more and more are doing so as each year when I go, I can experience the surge in people - the longer queue. You can do a complete examination from head to toe, your hearing, eyesight, ECG, treadmill, BMI, blood and urine tests.
Some Won't
Some folks I spoke to would not like to go for early detection. Their reasoning is simple. If they are happy and are ignorant of what's lurking in them, they have no worry but if they found out that something is wrong with them they will worry till they fall sick and then maybe die eventually from it. May be that was what our grand parents felt in their time as each time they see their friends go to the hospital, very few made it back. But haven't technology improved tremendously such that many more procedures and techniques are less intrusive? Indeed, very often, early detection is of great importance. I think folks especially older ones are simply of the view that they hated going through series and series of tests. There is also the added burden of high costs involved.
Early Detection
Early detection can usually save lives. Some folks still dread being referred to here and there and being tested for so many things that in the end they felt better to give up. If they were to detect that there is something wrong with the reading of your heart and refer you to a heart surgeon do you fear? Do you feel anxiety?
Six months ago, I felt so lethargic that I decided to start training at the gym and started running. A few friends warned that I might get injured or die. "Just do some walking" they would say but with the way most of us eat and drink, it wouldn't be enough. The important thing is to start slow and easy and then sustain it without overdoing and if you don't feel well do not exercise. Listen to our body, it is intelligent.
The problem is that what is happening to us is a result of what we have been doing the last 10 or 20 years and not yesterday, last month or last year. It is going to be very hard to reverse things but that is not to say it is impossible. Probably some sacrifice is needed and it surely involve changing lifestyle and habits, things that are deeply ingrained in us such as diet and exercise or lack of.
It is going to take great determination and desire. Our busy lifestyle is another hindrance. Why do people read their fortune from their palms or birth dates which is not something that is proven depending on your personal belief and yet not have their health condition read by medical experts? If you do not do the comprehensive one, at least have the basic important ones done.
Don't wait, go and have it done. Make it a yearly affair if you are older. I know it is somewhat troublesome from our busy schedule but all you need is half a day or less. Have your health screened. I am hoping to have an even better report card than the last one. Cheers to good health for all!
So today we have state of the art tests and screening to help read our blood pressure, test our blood, check our cholesterol and determine our heart's condition. Are people then flocking to get themselves checked? At least once a year? Yes, I detected more and more are doing so as each year when I go, I can experience the surge in people - the longer queue. You can do a complete examination from head to toe, your hearing, eyesight, ECG, treadmill, BMI, blood and urine tests.
Some Won't
Some folks I spoke to would not like to go for early detection. Their reasoning is simple. If they are happy and are ignorant of what's lurking in them, they have no worry but if they found out that something is wrong with them they will worry till they fall sick and then maybe die eventually from it. May be that was what our grand parents felt in their time as each time they see their friends go to the hospital, very few made it back. But haven't technology improved tremendously such that many more procedures and techniques are less intrusive? Indeed, very often, early detection is of great importance. I think folks especially older ones are simply of the view that they hated going through series and series of tests. There is also the added burden of high costs involved.
Early Detection
Early detection can usually save lives. Some folks still dread being referred to here and there and being tested for so many things that in the end they felt better to give up. If they were to detect that there is something wrong with the reading of your heart and refer you to a heart surgeon do you fear? Do you feel anxiety?
Six months ago, I felt so lethargic that I decided to start training at the gym and started running. A few friends warned that I might get injured or die. "Just do some walking" they would say but with the way most of us eat and drink, it wouldn't be enough. The important thing is to start slow and easy and then sustain it without overdoing and if you don't feel well do not exercise. Listen to our body, it is intelligent.
The problem is that what is happening to us is a result of what we have been doing the last 10 or 20 years and not yesterday, last month or last year. It is going to be very hard to reverse things but that is not to say it is impossible. Probably some sacrifice is needed and it surely involve changing lifestyle and habits, things that are deeply ingrained in us such as diet and exercise or lack of.
It is going to take great determination and desire. Our busy lifestyle is another hindrance. Why do people read their fortune from their palms or birth dates which is not something that is proven depending on your personal belief and yet not have their health condition read by medical experts? If you do not do the comprehensive one, at least have the basic important ones done.
Don't wait, go and have it done. Make it a yearly affair if you are older. I know it is somewhat troublesome from our busy schedule but all you need is half a day or less. Have your health screened. I am hoping to have an even better report card than the last one. Cheers to good health for all!
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