Don't forget your regular health check-ups.

Báo Thái Bình•04/08/2023

Regular health checkups play a crucial role in protecting oneself, detecting diseases, and ensuring timely treatment. However, many people remain indifferent and do not pay enough attention to regular health checkups, only seeking medical attention when their bodies show clear signs of abnormality with obvious symptoms.

People register for medical examinations at healthcare facilities.

Neglecting regular health check-ups.
Being busy with work, assuming minor illnesses and neglecting regular health checkups, searching for doctors on Google, relying on word-of-mouth advice, or borrowing prescriptions from people with similar symptoms are some of the reasons and methods many people choose instead of undergoing regular health checkups. As a result, many have paid a heavy price, only to find out later that their condition is too severe.

With only symptoms of a persistent cough, patient PTH from Quynh Ngoc commune (Quynh Phu district) went to the Provincial General Hospital for examination and discovered she had stage 4 cancer. She is currently receiving treatment at the Oncology Center of the Provincial General Hospital. Patient PTH shared: "I rarely go for health checkups. By the time I went to the hospital because of the persistent cough, the disease was already in stage 4. If I had known, I would have gone for examination and treatment sooner. I hope everyone tries to have regular health checkups, get early detection and treatment, and not let it get as severe as mine."

Patients with PTH (Parachnoid Hyperplasia) are not uncommon. Dr. Pham Thu Huong, Deputy Head of the Outpatient Department at the Provincial General Hospital, said: "Some patients come to us with very severe complications. For example, musculoskeletal diseases. Patients with bone and joint pain go to the doctor for examination and treatment. If they follow the treatment plan correctly, the disease will gradually improve, not immediately. However, after hearing advice from others or believing instructions on the internet, many people buy medicine and treat themselves. After a while, they return for examination with very severe complications, affecting the cardiovascular system, blood pressure, and skin. Therefore, we advise people to monitor their health at home when they have common illnesses with mild symptoms. However, if monitoring and treating symptoms at home for about 1-2 days does not improve, or even worsens, they must go to a medical facility immediately. People who have been diagnosed with chronic diseases should have regular check-ups at reliable medical facilities to have an effective treatment plan and avoid unfortunate complications that may occur."

Regular health check-ups play a crucial role in helping people detect diseases, receive effective treatment, and reduce treatment costs. However, many people still lack awareness of the importance of regular health check-ups. In the outpatient departments of hospitals, the percentage of people undergoing regular health check-ups remains limited; most only have a general, routine check-up when they have a specific illness.

Make it a habit to have regular health checkups, and avoid letting illnesses become too severe.
Dr. Pham Thu Huong added: Diseases that were previously common in the elderly can now affect younger people as well. There are many packages for routine health checkups, but medical facilities usually offer a basic, minimally invasive package. This basic package includes a clinical examination, a history check, a review of current symptoms, and the use of visual, palpable, percussion, and auscultatory techniques to detect any visible conditions such as skin and mucous membrane diseases. In addition, patients will undergo paraclinical tests such as blood and urine tests, checks of vital functions, biochemical function of the kidneys, liver, and metabolic organs, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, and abdominal ultrasound.

Health check-ups will be categorized by age. Individuals aged 16 and above should have regular check-ups with a basic package. In addition to the basic package, those aged 16-30 should be screened for infectious diseases and pre-marital reproductive health issues. Those aged 30-40 should prioritize screenings for metabolic disorders, endocrine diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Women should be screened for breast and cervical cancer, while men should be screened for prostate cancer. For those aged 50 and above, more intensive screenings for cancer and metabolic diseases are necessary for both men and women.

Mr. Vu Van Loi, residing in Tran Hung Dao ward, Thai Binh city, underwent a routine health check-up at the Provincial General Hospital.

After receiving advice from doctors and understanding the importance of regular health check-ups, many people have proactively gone for check-ups. Due to his advanced age and underlying health conditions, Mr. Vu Van Loi from Tran Hung Dao ward, Thai Binh city, regularly goes for check-ups to monitor his health. He shared: "At my age, my health fluctuates frequently. I also have cardiovascular disease. During check-ups, the doctors perform tests, diagnose, and provide timely treatment guidance. I think everyone should maintain regular health check-ups; only then can diseases be detected early and treated promptly."

As society develops, the structure of diseases changes. Besides acute illnesses and infectious diseases, there are now diseases with very subtle symptoms such as endocrine disorders, metabolic disorders, diabetes, and cancer. Therefore, doctors recommend that people have a health check-up once or twice a year, with a six-month interval between check-ups.

Hoang Lanh

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