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The Things to Check for Better Health

Health and bridge has been in the spotlight a lot more over the past year. With COVID-19 as a potential danger, people everywhere are cautioned to take better care – and if you’ve been feeling under the weather lately, there are a handful of things to have checked.

When should you see a doctor? There are two ways to answer this. First, see a doctor as part off a regular medical routine once every couple of months. Second, see a doctor whenever you deal with a symptom of anything for more than a few hours to days.

I’ll illustrate this with an example: One night, I developed a slight cough. The cough continued for a few hours, and eventually continued throughout the night. While I figured that I would feel better by morning, I definitely didn’t. Finally, it switched from a cough to persistent vomiting.

The result? Emergency stomach surgery. Who thought that would have been the end-result of what began as a few-hour cough? 

Always see your doctor when something seems up. Malaise refers to a general feeling of “not feeling well” – and it can be a strong indicator even if you don’t show any obvious symptoms, but especially when you do.

Here are some of the most important things you can check for your general, better health.

#1: Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a condition that can affect your health in a myriad of unpleasant ways – and it’s one of the health conditions where it might not always be obvious. Standard blood pressure measures 120 over 80, and the nature of blood pressure conditions can go either low or high.

If you experience sudden symptoms (or you know that there’s a family history of any related conditions in your line), it’s time to see your doctor.

It’s a good idea to have your blood pressure levels checked at least a few times per year. Where your condition is chronic, invest in a small blood pressure monitor for home and travel.

#2: Blood Sugar

Blood sugar, on the other hand, describes how your body processes sugars and the foods that become sugars in the body. There’s a range of different conditions that might be caused by blood sugar imbalances – and the condition can be temporary, but can also be chronic.

Just like blood pressure, the condition can have a lot to do with family history. Environmental factors also play a large part in the diagnosis and management of blood sugar-related conditions.

Again, check your blood sugar levels throughout the year, even when you’re sure that you feel fine.

#3: Cholesterol Levels

High cholesterol is one of the biggest modern health problems – and if you develop this problem, medication and an immediate switch to the healthiest possible diet are usually the recommended avenues. High-fat diets and anyone struggling with their weight can be called “at risk” of developing cholesterol issues; and again, consider yourself warned about the potential of your own risk early if someone in your family has similar health problems.

#4: Allergy Screenings

Are you allergic to anything? The thing about allergies is this: until you actually encounter something you’re allergic to and show a negative reaction, you don’t necessarily know that your allergy exists. This can be extremely dangerous – and if you don’t know, allergies can sometimes happen spontaneously at any point during your life.

Go for an allergy screening. 

Allergy screenings can help you to establish exactly what you might be allergic to. It’s the best way to avoid any potential risk when it comes to allergies.

#5: Diet

Diet has everything to do with health. That’s why the first thing I tell people who report that their health has been “under the weather” to look at their diet – preferably, with the help of a trained dietary professional.

Are you getting enough of the right things? And the right things generally are not what you think. Bodies respond differently to the same diet – and what works for person number 1 might not work as well for you. That’s why seeing a professional is best.

As another note on diet, snacking isn’t what you think: there’s a lot of bad press attached to snacking, but it’s not all bad. The body needs something to get through the average day – usually broken up into smaller meals that you might as well call snacks. It’s just the type of snack that makes the difference.

#6: Anything Ever Unusual

Remember to check your health for anything unusual. Signs, symptoms or feelings that you are not used to are all things that can signal something else – and with a few tests and the right doctor, you might be lucky enough to find out what’s causing these symptoms.

It’s hard to manage a health condition if you don’t know what it is – or you don’t know what effect it’s currently having on your system. 

Instead of leaving it to chance, check.