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Should you have regular check-ups or wait for symptoms?

Health
 How often do you go for medical check-ups? (Photo: iStock)

Many people maintain a heightened awareness of their health status.

Some take it to the level of having a formal medical review every so often, say annually for example.

Others go by symptoms and recommended health screening programmes.

Is any of the choices better than the other?

Regular medical reviews mean a visit to the doctors’ every so often, regardless of any prevailing symptoms.

Your physician then looks you up from head to toe, aiming to spot any telltale signs of anything that may potentially lead to a diseased state.

Some tests may be ordered, either randomly or directed by other factors like your age and medical history.

It isn’t unusual to end up with some intervention even when you didn’t have any symptoms.

If you are generally well, and remain conscious of your health status, you may choose only to see physicians whenever unusual symptoms arise.

This mandates your doctor to focus on your symptoms, eventually narrowing down to a specific diagnosis and treatment. You avoid random medical evaluations and interventions that may not be beneficial in the long run.

Combining such an approach with being up to date with recommended health screening tests is optimal. That means adhering to recommended screening intervals for conditions like cancer and metabolic diseases.

Those with a regular medical ritual dictated by static time intervals aren’t necessarily healthier. Medical research data isn’t really supportive of such an approach.

Most annual medical reviews in healthy individuals rarely come up with anything. So it becomes a waste of time and effort for many.

In addition, such reviews sometimes pick up something that takes you onto an interventional pathway that is ill advised. You may end up with costs that are difficult to justify. Some have actually ended up being harmed by ill-advised interventions following such ambitious medical rituals.

Is there a middle ground?

Well, it all depends on the approach you choose to take in matters of your health. If you are a hypochondriac, you may only be comfortable with a medical ritual that keeps you reassured.

But it helps to maintain a sense of objectivity. Avoid overdoing stuff.

After your check-up, ask questions. Resist the temptation to get over-diagnosed, and subsequently over-treated.

Others who are pragmatic can go by how they feel. Ignoring the occasional odd and inconsequential symptoms is okay. Lingering and unusual symptoms are best checked quick.

Dr Alfred Murage is a Consultant Gynaecologist and Fertility Specialist. [email protected]

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