staying on top of our health

Now more than ever it is important to make sure we are staying on top of our health. We have seen the terrifying effects that the surprise attack of COVID-19 have caused. It is frightening to know that there are diseases in the world that we cannot predict/control. This is why we must remain responsible for staying in control of the things we do know about.

One major role in remaining healthy is practicing prevention. This includes eating a well-balanced diet, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, staying active, abstaining from tobacco, and limiting alcohol consumption. There are also prevention techniques that keep you from immediate harm such as not looking at your phone while driving. Another huge part of prevention that many seem to overlook is weekly, monthly, and annual check-ups with a physician. 
 
Below are descriptions of daily, weekly, monthly, and annual physical, medical, and emotional prevention care and their benefits. 
 
Daily: 

• Exercising Daily: Everyone knows that exercise is good for you! However, not everyone knows the specific prevention that daily exercise does for our bodies. According to health.gov, exercise has been proven to help prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, hypertension, depression, anxiety, and even some forms of cancer. 

• Eating A Well Balanced Diet: A well-balanced diet also prevents chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease as well as depression. If you use it right, food can be the best medicine of all. 

 

• Good Sleep: Good sleep can be linked to both regular exercise and a healthy diet. If you aren’t practicing the two prevention techniques above, you might not be getting enough sleep. Good sleep prevents overeating, depression, fatigue, and even chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.  

• Avoiding Immediate Danger: This is more of a common-sense prevention technique. We all know the activities that are dangerous to our immediate health. These include smoking, texting while driving, drinking while driving, and involving yourself in risky behaviors. It is best to avoid all of these. 

 

• Practice Safe Sex: Using contraception is a great prevention technique. Contraception and “protection” prevents STI’s (sexually transmitted infections) and pregnancy. Talk to your doctor before using contraception as some will prevent pregnancy but not STI’s. 

 
Weekly: 

• Making Time for Yourself: This is preventive care for emotional distress. It is important to make time for yourself and check in on how you are doing regularly. Monitoring how you feel and practicing self-care can help in preventing stress and depression. Self-care techniques include meditation, exercise, sleep, or anything that makes you happy and at peace. 

 

• Making Time for Your Family: This is important in preventing family strain. It is essential to understand how your family is feeling regularly so you can happily coexist. If one member of your family is feeling sick or down, it can affect the whole family. 

 
Monthly: 

• Self Breast Exams: It is important to know that there is a time and place for breast examination. Women shouldn’t start examinations until they reach a certain age. You may need to start at a younger age if you have a history of breast cancer in your family (see below for more information). Women begin breast exams later in life because there have been many “false positives” in previous breast exams when starting too early. It is important to know your body and any changes that might come up throughout life. This is why self-breast exams are important. 

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​Annually/Biannually: 

• Mammogram: It is recommended to start getting mammograms from ages 50-69. This is because it has been proven to be more beneficial for older women. Mammography for women ages 50-69 lowers the risk of dying from breast cancer. If you have a history of breast cancer in your family, you may need to start getting mammograms earlier (ages 40-49). There are cases where doctors recommend starting with a baseline mammogram at ages as early as 35. Talk to your doctor to find out the best time to start. See this article for more information: 

Susan G. Komen Article

• Prostate Check: Men should start getting prostate exams at the age of 50 (if you have an average risk of prostate cancer), 45 (if you have a high risk of getting prostate cancer), and 40 (if you have a very high risk of getting prostate cancer). Men should be getting a prostate exam every two years. For more information, visit this website:

Cancer.org Article

• Pap Smear: Women should be getting a pap smear starting at age 21. A pap smear screens for HPV. If the results are normal, your doctor may tell you to wait three years before your next pap smear (depending on your age and risk). For more information visit this website:

CDC Article

• Blood work: It is important to check on your blood work annually to see if there are any deficiencies or abnormalities. For example, if you have high cholesterol, it is important to get blood work done regularly to manage cholesterol levels. 

 

• Skin Check: Making an annual visit to a dermatologist is good preventative care for skin cancers such as melanoma. 

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• Annual vaccines: Though my kids and I do not receive the annual flu vaccine, I believe it is important for everyone to do research on which vaccines are best for you. Each parent and individual needs to make their own choices according to their beliefs and what they think is best. Vaccines have been proven to prevent viruses such as the flu and tetanus. Read more about the different types of vaccines here:

Vaccines.gov article

I am not a doctor and cannot advise on these topics. However, I have found that preventative care has always been beneficial to me and my family. Taking care of our family and ourselves should always be a priority. If we aren’t healthy, then we can’t fully enjoy life!