Why are Health Check-ups important?

Why are Health Check-ups important?

Non-communicable diseases - the leading cause of death in the UK

In today's world, the most serious diseases are not Ebola or Influenza, but non-communicable diseases like heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, etc. Getting affected by these diseases is becoming a norm in the UK and almost 86% of deaths are accounted for it. The worldwide scale is much more worrying. It’s around two-thirds of deaths.  1 in every 16 people in the UK suffers from diabetes which is almost 6% of the UK population. Heart diseases cause 460 deaths each day. What do these figures say? Are they not becoming the biggest threat? How are we going to save ourselves from it? Let’s find out in this article.

Preventive health checks

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says there is a drastic switch from infectious disease to NCD across the globe in recent years. This is evident from the rising wave of deaths due to NCDs and increasing burden on health care day by day.

“Preventive is better than cure” quoted a learned man. Such preventive care for NCD can be taken by avoiding tobacco, unhealthy diet, alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, etc. Apart from this, there is one crucial act which has to be done to avoid NCDs. What is it? It’s your preventive health check-up. Yes, a health check-up is an undeniable requirement for preventing NCDs. Early diagnosis of these diseases and preventing it from reaching the advanced stage is a worthwhile strategy. There is a general belief among people who are young, fit and active will not get affected by NCDs. People are also reluctant to take up health check-ups thinking that they are stronger. But that’s not true. Even if you are fit, they can be caused by physiological, environmental, genetic and behavioural factors.

Why do some people tend to ignore health check-ups until their problems become severe? Are these tests pointless? No. They put the health in perfect condition. Nothing could go wrong in taking up the tests. All they do is save the precious life. So, it is always important to take up health check-ups.

Benefits of Health check-ups

People visiting the clinic when only they are sick has become a thing of the past. Today, people take up health check-ups and often seek advice from doctors to stay on top of their health. What led to this radical change? The potential benefits of Health check-ups stand as the absolute answer. Let’s know them in detail.

Identifies the onset of diseases

The significance of health check-ups lies not only in the treatment of illnesses but also in their avoidance. Imagine if you have an insidious disease developing inside your body. You may seem quite normal like others and perform your daily chores smoothly. But without any symptoms, the disease lies dormant inside you. However, gradually one fine day it will peep out and you can be at risk. Won’t it be an arduous situation? Before your disease drags you to a complicated stage, you can get rid of it with health check-up. When you get screened, your test results will reveal the doctor all the details about your health. Your simple visit to a clinic for screening can save you from ailments or diseases which are highly dangerous.

Helps with better treatment and better cure

When your medical problem is at an exacerbated stage, it becomes really difficult for the doctors to cure it. Treating any disease at its nascent stage is easier. Isn't it? Taking the right health check-up is essential for this. The health check-ups can help increase your chances of treatment and help you find a more timely cure. For example, let us consider cancer. If it is identified in its early stage, it can be treated easily. It is also possible to stop it from reaching an incurable stage. Not only cancer, but most reversible conditions can also be fixed with timely health check-ups. The demise of these diseases in their early stages saves you both money and time.

Helps to monitor existing conditions

Due to your busy lifestyle, any kind of disease can spark off in the body regardless of your age or sex. To treat you, your doctor can suggest medications, lifestyle changes, food to be included or excluded, etc. The health check-ups can state whether the treatment is working on you or not. How? Your insightful health check-up report with accurate results will duly showcase how far your existing conditions have progressed. Based on your report, your doctor can decide what improvements can be made to your treatment plan.

Cuts down your healthcare costs

What is the most daunting task of undergoing any treatment? The jumbo medical bill! Certain medical conditions require surgery or some costly medical procedures for its cure. If these conditions are identified and treated in their initial stages, it saves you a lot of money. This way the health check-ups help you save your pocket. To avoid exorbitant costs and financial drain for expensive and lengthy treatment procedures, health check-ups are must to have. Most importantly the breadwinners should make use of the health check-ups to avoid poverty which is caused by huge medical bills. By mitigating the risks, health check-ups always save you money in the long run.

Helps Review your vital

What are your vitals? It's your pulse, body temperature, heartbeat, respiration rate, etc. Needless to say, sometimes the minor changes in these vital factors can build up and lead to major health concerns. Your health check-ups can keep tabs on these vitals and reduce the risk of health issues. This concludes your health check-ups are absolute essentials.

Makes you aware of Smart lifestyle choices

What is the key contributor to good health? It’s your Smart lifestyle choices. All your lifestyle changes can affect your health; even your sugar intake. Lifestyle change as new ideas which are both good and bad keeps emerging. Periodic medical check-ups are needed to maintain a track of your health and improve your lifestyle. How? Based on the test result, your doctor may warn you to make changes in your lifestyle like avoiding alcohol, quitting smoking, making diet plans, exercises, etc.

Prevents fear and stress

When health check-ups are conducted periodically, you will be aware of any suspicious illness in your body. When you know all is well your health and body, you will have fewer fears and worries about your wellness. If not even a small pain can bring you down. When there are no strange states in your health, your happiness quotient will also improve.

Boosts you

When your test results are good, it gives you a boost. When you feel good, your morale will see a hike. It will energise you to take up healthy activities and increase your spirits to continue maintaining a healthy body. Without spending on unnecessary medical bills, your financial condition will be stable; so your happiness. Many people may get inspired by your commitment to a healthy life. Imagine if you have poor health, it can hamper your productivity in your professional, social as well as personal life. On the other hand, good health is always a rewarding factor.

Longer and healthier life

You never plan to fall sick, but it does happen. A little bit of attention to your health by conducting your health check-up can make your life a longer and healthier one. When your fundamental organs like heart, brain, kidney, liver and thyroid perform well, your chances of a healthier life are high. Getting screened for infections and diseases has the utmost importance in keeping up your life. When diagnosed, the unparalleled advancements in the medical science help to cut down the problems in their early stage; this adds a few more years to your life. The average life expectancy will also see huge growth.

Age/Gender wise tests

You can choose any specific health package based on your age, gender, symptoms you have and what helps to improve your health. No matter how busy you are, how old you are, don’t ignore your health check-ups.

In your 20s and 30s

The following can be checked if you are in your 20s and 30s

  • Blood pressure
  • Glucose levels
  • Cholesterol
  • Dental check
  • BMI, waist and hip measurements
  • Certain cancer checks
  • Testes self-checks (men)
  • Breast self-checks (women)

People who are sexually active should do Sexually Transmitted Infection screenings and Pap smear (for women)

In your 40s

In your 40s, you can do the following tests along with the above-mentioned ones.

  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Cardiovascular tests
  • Mammogram for women
  • PSA for men
  • Eye checks

In your 50s and 60s

Along with the 20s, 30s, and 40s tests, you can include the following tests when you in your 50s and 60s.

  • Osteoporosis
  • Bowel cancer screening
  • Visual acuity
  • Hearing impairment tests

Health check-up Packages

Executive Health Check-up package

The hectic work-life of employees can push them to the brink of health destruction and snuff away their valuable lives. This package is meant for those employees who are stressing their lives to meet their monthly targets and deadlines. Along with a healthy life, it helps them get a productive and rewarding professional life. This package includes

  • Complete Blood Count with ESR
  • Blood Sugar Fasting & Post Prandial
  • Blood Urea and Creatinine (RFT)
  • Blood Grouping and Typing
  • Liver Function Test (LFT)
  • Lipid Profile
  • Uric Acid
  • HbAlc
  • GGT
  • Urine Analysis
  • ECG
  • Chest X-Ray
  • Pulmonary Function Test (PFT)
  • Ultrasound of Abdomen
  • Physician Consultation
  • Diet Counselling
  • Ophthalmic/ENT
  • Gynaecology Check

Well woman package

This includes all the tests which are vital and give the women a sense of security about their health. Women need special care during their pregnancy, pre-menopause, menopause and perimenopause. They are vulnerable to cervical cancer, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Before these issues take a toll on their health, they can take up health check-ups and reduce the damage of it. The below tests speak a lot about their health and what their bodies are going through.

  • Complete Blood Count with ESR
  • Blood Sugar Fasting & Post Prandial
  • Blood Urea & Creatinine (RFT)
  • Cholesterol Total
  • Cholesterol LDL
  • Cholesterol HDL
  • AST (SGOT)
  • ALT (SGPT)
  • T4, TSH
  • Uric Acid
  • HbA1c
  • Urine Analysis
  • ECG
  • Chest X - Ray
  • Ultrasound - Abdomen
  • TMT / Echo
  • Pap Smear
  • Mammogram
  • Gynaecology consultation
  • Dietician Counselling
  • General Physician Consultation

Well man package

This package offers a complete overview of the health status of men. Men can check their health condition quarterly, half-yearly or yearly based on their necessities. If they are experiencing any symptoms and signs of medical issues, it is advised to avail this package at the earliest. The below tests are included in this package to identify and safeguard men from dangerous diseases.

  • Complete Blood Count with ESR
  • Blood Sugar Fasting & Post Prandial
  • Blood Urea & Creatinine (RFT)
  • Cholesterol Total
  • Cholesterol LDL
  • Cholesterol HDL
  • AST (SGOT)
  • ALT (SGPT)
  • Sodium
  • T4, TSH
  • Uric Acid
  • HbA1c
  • PSA
  • Urine Analysis
  • ECG
  • Chest X - Ray
  • Ultrasound - Abdomen
  • TMT / Echo
  • General Physician Consultation
  • Dietician Counselling

Mater health check-up Package

It covers the entire body including all the organs and systems. These health check-ups are vital because they help to identify any medical issue at an early point. Based on your results, you can bring changes in your lifestyle like healthy diet, physical activities, avoiding stress, etc. You can take up the following tests, even when you think everything is perfect with you; because diseases rarely show their faces out in their nascent stage.

  • Complete Blood count with ESR
  • Blood Sugar Fasting & Post Prandial
  • Blood grouping & typing
  • Blood Urea & Creatinine
  • Liver function test
  • Lipid profile
  • Thyroid panel
  • Uric acid
  • Sodium
  • Potassium
  • Chloride
  • GGT
  • Urine Analysis
  • ECG
  • Chest X – Ray
  • Pulmonary Function Test
  • Ultrasound - Abdomen
  • TMT / Echo
  • Physician Consultation
  • Dietician Counselling

There are also Basic Health Check-up packages, Paediatric Health Check-up Packages, Pre-Marital Health Check-up Packages, Diabetes Package, Cancer Package, Geriatric health check-up package, tailor-made packages, etc. The range of tests and checks may differ from each clinic.

What is a full body health check-up and what does it include?

Your health can get deteriorated at any time. The sole aim behind full body health check-up is preventative health care. This helps to lower the risk of various diseases by telling you the abnormal conditions in your body. It also helps to maintain healthy habits and take effective steps to stay on top of your health. Overall, going for a full body health check-up is an investment which will return you with health and happiness in your life. The parameters covered in this package are Extended Lipid Profile, Extended Liver Profile, Renal Profile, Renal Profile, Anaemia Screen, Diabetic Profile, Arthritis Screen, Electrolyte Profile, Blood Counts, Complete Urine Examination, and Vitamin Profile. In a nutshell, this package includes

  • Pathology Test - Blood Group, CBC with ESR
  • Test for Diabetes - Glycosylated Haemoglobin, Blood Glucose – F & PP
  • Urine Test - Routine
  • Stool Test - Routine
  • Test for Heart Diseases -Lipid Profile
  • Test for Liver Diseases -Liver Profile
  • Test for Hepatitis B - HbsAg
  • HIV
  • Test for Kidney Diseases – BUN, S. Uric Acid, S. Calcium, Creatinine
  • PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen)
  • Diagnostic Tests – ECG, Chest X-ray, USG Abdomen & Pelvis, Stress Test + 2D Echo Screening Bone Densitometry, PFT, Audiometry
  • Consultations – Physician, Cardiologist, ENT, Surgeon, Dentist, Ophthalmologist, Dietician

People who are in 19-21 age groups can check every 2-3 years; while 22-64 years old can check every 1-3 years. If you are over 65, it is advised to avail these tests once a year.

What is an annual comprehensive health check-up?

Any disease can knock your door at any time without any invitation. How do you prepare yourself? It is highly recommended to undergo annual comprehensive health check-ups. They help to identify the onset of any disease. The diseases are doing their rounds very aggressively; to prevent them you should work more hard to prevent them. Undergoing complete pathological check-up yearly delivers you with good health at all times.

Annual comprehensive health check-ups can also check for Complete Blood Count, E.S.R., Blood group (Rh), Pap-smear (for women), PSA (for men), Chest X-ray, Diabetic Evaluation, Cardiac Risk Evaluation, Lipid Profile, Liver Profile, Kidney Profile, etc. These tests help clear all doubts about your health and improve your longevity.

How much does a full health check-up cost?

Health is the greatest wealth one can have. Money is no excuse when it comes to your health. Not even all the money on this earth can get back your lost health. Having said that you will never regret paying for a full health check-up. Paying a small amount from your wallet for a check-up is better than a lengthy cheque for your bypass surgery or kidney transplant. So it is always worth investing in your health check-ups. Based on the comprehensive nature of the package you choose, the cost can range from 45£ to 400£. This money spent can save your life from potential health issues and gift you a longer life. The clinics in London offer cost-effective check-ups without draining your money. Investing in your health check-ups can benefit you a lot in your current as well as future life.

What is genetic testing and how does it work?

Genetic testing is a kind of medical examination which helps to detect the presence of any genetic disorder or suspected conditions. Genetic tests are usually performed on the samples of

  • Blood
  • Hair
  • Skin
  • Amniotic fluid (the fluid that surrounds the foetus during pregnancy)
  • Other tissues

Your DNA, the database which stores all the information about your body functions, is an integral part of this genetic testing. This DNA, chromosomes and proteins are the elements which can show changes after sample analysis. With this, you can discover the cause of your disease, identify the risks of developing any disease down the line, check whether you might pass any disease to your kids, help to choose the treatment, etc. Based on the above mentioned usages, the genetic tests are identified by different names like Clinical genetic tests, Diagnostic test, Presymptomatic test, Carrier test, Prenatal test, Newborn screen, Pharmacogenomic test, and Research genetic test. Before preparing for your genetic tests, you can also gather information about your family history and diseases which run in your family.

How to use Zealth to book a health check-up online?

If you are planning to monitor your health condition, you can avail the health check-ups from any one of the clinics in London. Your concern can be how to get your check-up done. It’s easy with Zealth. It brings to you the list of the best clinics in London covering major locations in the city. You might expect your test to be done in a clinic which is nearest to you in your location; just name it, Zealth has it.

Spending hours and standing in long queues to get your health check-up done are things of the past.  Now, just with the tap of a button, you can get access to your health check-up. Zealth has made this possible for you. It provides easy access to lab and clinics to perform your health check-up in the UK with its online appointment booking facility. Zealth also brings you the ratings and reviews about each clinic. This helps greatly in choosing the right clinic as per your needs and necessities by comparing what people say about them. On the whole, reaching your health check-up is made smooth and seamless by Zealth.

How Zealth Works?

Step 1: Select your location and type of test to be performed using the "Search" tab.

Step 2: Choose your preferred clinic from the search result.

Step 3: Select the health check-up package and add them to your cart.

Step 4: Fill in the necessary details and checkout.

Isn’t it so simple? You can book your appointment instantly without any delay.

Are you worried about the confidentiality of your health data? Zealth ensures your data is safe and secure; except the clinics, no one else has access to your details. All the clinics are verified and ensure you and your family are healthy always.

You can be proactive about your health easily with Zealth. Just take up your health check-up today and get yourself checked; rule out the possible menaces and stay happy and healthy.