5 Medical Must Dos For 2018
1. Get Screened. Many diseases are preventable or treatable if caught early enough. In 2018 have your prostate checked, schedule a colonoscopy, get a mammogram. Your doctor can tell you which tests are most appropriate for you based on your age and medical history.
2. Start taking Vitamin D – especially during the winter months. Vitamin D plays a key role in your body’s absorption of calcium. Recent research suggests that vitamin D may also have benefits in fighting infections, reducing heart disease risk factors, and preventing diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and some types of cancers (especially colorectal cancer). Taking vitamin D supplements during the winter months is especially important since our bodies do not receive enough sunlight during this time to produce sufficient quantities of this essential vitamin.
3. Make sure your immunizations are up-to-date. Routine immunizations are essential to your health and periodic boosters are needed to maintain immunity. Check with your doctor to ensure your immunizations are up-to-date. In some cases a blood test might be needed to confirm your immunity to certain diseases.
4. Get a sexual health test. Many people don’t notice any symptoms when they have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea. If left untreated, chlamydia can affect a person’s ability to get pregnant. You can’t tell by looking at someone whether they’ve got an infection, so it’s important to get a check-up if you’ve ever had unprotected sex. Getting tested and treated for STIs is a simple process, and most infections can be cured.
5. Quit Smoking. It is the single best thing you can do for your health. Measurable health benefits begin within 8 hours of quitting and after 1 year your risk of smoking-related heart attack is cut in half.