Maintaining Good Overall Health Through The Years

Most of us try to avoid visiting the doctor as much as we possibly can

, even when we have good insurance coverage. But for all of us, there are routine checks that have to occur so that we can maintain our overall health.

After all, we have to remember that we become at risk for serious illnesses as we age, but we are more likely to recover quickly and live longer if we catch them in their earliest stages. This can only happen if we are getting regular checkups.

So, if you haven't had a recent visit with your doctor, it's time to call the office and make an appointment. If you don't have insurance, search for a physician-owned clinic--they frequently take patients without coverage and will work out a payment plan with you. But many office visits are under 100 dollars despite lack of insurance, so you should be able to pay up front.

If you find yourself in the position to look for a new general practitioner to handle your health concerns, I recommend that you find one of your gender. Some of the tests we have to have are uncomfortable enough by themselves--it only gets worse (in my opinion) when performed by someone of the opposite sex.

I experienced this during my most recent breast exam. Though there was a female nurse present for propriety's sake, the exam was done by a male doctor, and though he did everything in a routine fashion, I felt myself blushing with discomfort the entire time.

If you have had the same physician for many years and feel entirely at ease with him or her, then you can disregard this bit of advice. But many people feel as I do, so just keep this in mind.

Breast and prostate exams are necessary, gender-specific tests, but both men and women need to make sure they are having regular colonoscopies. Too many people avoid this exam because it is uncomfortable, but colon cancer is a leading killer of men and women in the United States, though it is treatable if detected early enough.

Discuss your concerns with your doctor. Knowledge is power. Talk about risk factors--not just for colon cancer, but for all potential diseases that could occur. The more you know about each procedure, the more you will be steeled to handle the temporary distress that can happen.

You should also remember that most major tests only last a few minutes and only need to be done once every six months, year, or every other year (depending on the procedure). So, you can sigh with relief--not only that it will be a long while before the test has to be done again, but that you might have saved your life by doing it.

by: Art Gib

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