Regular health checkups are necessary to identify the existence of any underlying health conditions in your body. Since not all medical conditions develop symptoms, knowing if certain diseases have already infected you is difficult.
One example of this is prostate cancer. It is a life-threatening condition that does not show any signs or symptoms. Note that some people who develop cancer are asymptomatic. That is a significant health dilemma that thousands of people can encounter.
Why is it essential to discuss underlying health conditions with your doctor? For some people focusing on “health is wealth” is synonymous to focusing on just diet and physical exercises. However, they don’t realize that other factors cause diseases to develop. These factors may include genetic inheritance disorders and lifestyle.
A person can obtain a particular disease because it runs in the family. That is how genetic inheritance plays a vital role in learning how you can acquire an infection or illness that your siblings or parents have. These illnesses include heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and obesity.
High blood pressure or hypertension, for example, is one of the most dangerous disorders that a person can get if it already exists in a family member. A family with a history of the condition can expect other members to have the disorder, so regular checkups and frequent visitation to the healthcare professional are necessary to nip the bud as soon as these conditions are detected.
The prevalence of knowing your health status during these times
COVID-19 pandemic has played a huge role in reinforcing the benefits of detecting underlying health conditions in advance. We all know that people with underlying health conditions are more susceptible to the Corona Virus. Studies show, people who were aware of their health vulnerabilities took precautions, enrolled in the vaccination process in the initial phases, and survived the pandemic. The rest had to struggle.
Knowing your underlying health conditions is also beneficial when you have chronic diseases, diabetes, HIV and alike. This would help your doctor prescribe medications that do not interact with your existing medications. For example, metformin reacts with amlodipine (Norvasc), which is a common blood pressure medication. In some cases, oral contraceptives can also interact with metformin. These are things your doctor will consider while prescribing you the right medications if they are aware of your underlying health conditions.
Takeaway
Discussing underlying health conditions with your healthcare professional can help you and your doctor take meaningful measures to avoid unfavorable situations.