4 Reasons Why It's Better to Spend on Breast Cancer Prevention

 Breast cancer is one of the most fatal diseases in women. As per a WHO report, 65% cases in India are diagnosed only when they reach stage III or IV - an advanced stage of the disease. Cancers can only be cured successfully if they are detected early. Early detection of breast cancer is the key to treatment, cure, quality of life, and survival - and the key to early detection is 'preventive health checkup'.

Some people think health checkups are costly or not worth the cost. But they are actually cheaper than finding treatment for cancer that has advanced. Health checkup is like getting servicing your body. Here are four reasons why spending money on preventing breast cancer makes more sense.

1. It gives you peace of mind along with actionable information

Your checkup reports your current status of health. Based on that you can be at peace that your health is perfect, or you could take corrective lifestyle actions for preventing the risks your reports indicated.

2. It saves your out-of-pocket or unexpected expenditures 

Cost of health checkups are way lower than treatment, especially when the stage of cancer is at an advanced stage. Moreover, early detection through checkups gives you an edge - survival.

Have a look at the comparison of modalities of treatment, survival rate and cost of treatment in various stages of breast cancer.

3. It avoids stress and mental trauma for the sufferer and their families

Regular health screenings can save the patient and their family from trauma, pain, mental agony and financial setback - if you compare, you'll see that the cost of prevention is almost negligible.

Breast cancer at Stage 1 is definitely curable; at Stage 2 it is highly manageable. However, if it reaches Stage 3 or 4, it is very difficult to treat, and survival reduces to a few years.

4. It is an investment for your overall health

Health checkups are your tool in prevention. Ideally, you should go for routine full body health checkups at least once a year. It helps you in understanding the performance and functioning of the organs, hormones and metabolism in your body, any abnormalities or deficiencies that might be developing, and the risks that you might have towards certain diseases. As your lifestyle affects your health over time, you should be regular with your screenings. You might be able to cure deficiencies and disease risks including breast cancer with minor lifestyle improvements. 

Stay a step ahead of breast cancer, book your cancer screening tests like sono-mammography and more in this comprehensive health checkup package.

The 4 Types of Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic health problem that affects the way your body breaks down food to produce energy. When your body is unable to move sugar (glucose) from your bloodstream into your cells, you have too much sugar in your blood. Over time, such high blood sugar levels can damage your blood vessels and result in diabetes. It can also increase your risk of developing certain other fatal health conditions.

When it comes to diabetes, prevention is the best policy!

The 4 types of diabetes and their defining factors.

Prediabetes

Being diagnosed with prediabetes means that your blood sugar levels are higher than the normal level but not high enough to be qualified as type 2 diabetes. However, prediabetes can be a precursor to type 2 diabetes. You can only know about it from your blood test reports.

 

Type 1 Diabetes

It is an autoimmune disorder that  can't be prevented. A combination of your genetics and other environmental factors triggers the immune system to attack the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. When the body's immune system starts to destroy insulin producing cells, there is no insulin to move glucose out of the blood. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and teens.  People having a family history of type 1 diabetes are at an increased risk.

Type 2 Diabetes

It is the most common diabetes worldwide. Type 2 diabetes mainly occurs because of insulin resistance - which means that the body is not able to utilize the insulin made by pancreas how it should and the glucose doesn’t move out from blood into the cells. The excess buildup of sugar in the bloodstream starts creating a problem for the pancreas, making it produce less insulin.

Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes happens to some women during their pregnancy due to elevated levels of certain female hormones. It can create health challenges for expecting mothers and their newborns. Almost 50% of all pregnant women with gestational diabetes are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

How to lower your risk of developing diabetes

The most important point for lowering your risk of diabetes is to understand your risk factors - family medical history is an essential aspect to know. For diabetes prevention is the best solution. Read further to know what you can do to lower your risks:

• Create a well-balanced, nutritious meal plan

• Time your meals and eat in controlled portions

• Avoid carbs, refined sugars, saturated fats and processed foods

• Maintain a healthy weight

• Keep yourself physically active, even if it is walking for 30 minutes

• Exercise at least 5 days a week

• Get full body health checkup done annually

• If you are at high risk for diabetes, get blood sugar tests done every 3 months

 

A fitness checkup has the tests that can analyze the sugar levels in your bloodstream and inform you how your insulin function is performing. Book it now to understand your risk levels and modify your lifestyle to prevent diabetes and other critical health conditions.

10 Common Invisible Disabilities You Should Know About

 

What is an invisible disability?

Invisible disability includes various medical health conditions that are not detectable by the eye. They are, therefore, a hidden disability that can be present in different symptoms, like dizziness, debilitating pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, loss of hearing and vision, and neurological impairments. These disabilities need advanced diagnostic techniques to be found. Invisible disabilities can hamper the ability to perform daily tasks, deteriorate the quality of life and cause chronic diseases like diabetes. 

 

10 common invisible disabilities

1. Chronic pain: It can be caused by injuries, bone, joint and/or back health issues, arthritis.

2. Chronic fatigue: It makes people feel tired all the time without any apparent reason. It severely affects the ability to perform everyday activities. 

3. Fibromyalgia: It is one of the leading causes of chronic musculoskeletal pain and it can also impair a person’s daily functioning.

4. Diabetes: When the body is unable to manufacture enough insulin, it can not process glucose causing diabetes. If not effectively controlled, it can lead to cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure and kidney issues. 

5. Mental health disorders: They can’t be seen but their symptoms are extreme. Conditions like depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, schizophrenia, ADHD, cause profound impact on a person’s overall health and functioning, and degrades the quality of life. 

6. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): It is a specific mental health disorder that is activated by a painful and traumatic event or experience.

7. Multiple sclerosis: It is a chronic neuromuscular disease that progresses over time and can render the person unable to do daily tasks.

 

8. Lyme disease: It is a tick-borne illness that can cause heart problems, eye inflammation, hepatitis, and severe fatigue if allowed to progress.

9. Crohn’s disease: It is one of many health conditions that are due to irritable bowel disorder. Sometimes, it can lead to life threatening complications.

10. Traumatic brain injury: It is a bBrain dysfunction that results from an outside force, like a violent blow to the head - mostly caused by car accidents or sports injury.

Invisible disabilities affect a person’s ability to even perform day to day activities like brushing hair, etc. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt early detection and preventive healthcare in one’s lifestyle. Yearly complete body health checkups can help in detecting any abnormalities developing in the body at an early stage. Finding out debilitating health conditions like diabetes early helps in making appropriate medical interventions and lifestyle modifications to manage the condition, and live a better quality of life.

Important Laboratory Blood Tests That Can Be Ordered From Home

 

Regular preventive health checkup is one of the most main ways to keep a check on your overall well being. In the times of the Corona pandemic, even if you don’t want to step outside and stay at home, you should not miss your health checkups. Now, you can order your full body checkup at home, and get all the important tests that are required for your disease prevention planning.

As the health checkup gives the report of your current health status, you should get your health checkup done at routine intervals or as suggested by your physician in case of an already existing health condition. With laboratory tests, you can see the changes that your body undergoes over time and how your lifestyle is affecting your health. This empowers you to make informed choices about your health goals.

Important blood tests

• Complete blood count (CBC): checks for 10 different cell components in your blood, like red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit. Abnormal CBC levels may indicate the following health conditions:
• Iron deficiency
• Inflammation in the tissue 
• Viral/bacterial infections
• Deficiencies like vitamin B6, B12
• Heart diseases
• Cancers
• Thyroid function test: checks the status of your thyroid functioning. The thyroid is responsible for regulating body functions like your metabolism, body temperature, hormones, mood, and energy. Abnormal levels of thyroid indicate health conditions such as:
• Protein levels
• Testosterone or estrogen levels
• Thyroid growth disorders

How are these tests done at home?

• You book them online
• Select the date and time for sample pickup from home
• Detailed instructions and do’s and don’ts are provided to you
• Lab technician come to your house for sample collection
• Lab technician follows all Covid safety measures
• Sample is sent to a high end lab for workup
• Reports are delivered within 48 hours in your email

You can select the test package according to your age. The reports of your laboratory tests help you in changing your lifestyle according to the guidance of the physician that is included free with your tests. Your laboratory health checkup package includes counselling by an expert pre and post test. Find the best whole body laboratory test package in your city.

Most Common Health Problems After 30 And Their Prevention

 Some latest healthcare studies have shown that few health conditions that were previously only associated with old age are affecting younger adults who are in their 30s. Most of these conditions are chronic lifestyle diseases that are caused due to lifestyle choices such as smoking, alcohol dependence, improper food intake, and lack of physical activity.

 

The first step is to understand the reasons and spread awareness about them. Let your peers know that:

• Early detection helps in preventing and treating these diseases by recognizing them at an early age
• Lifestyle diseases are preventable and treatable
• Obesity and a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of developing these diseases
• Yearly health checkups are essential for catching them early and thereby taking early actions for your health
• Lifestyle modifications based on the health checkup report can keep these diseases at bay

 

Which are the common lifestyle diseases that affect you in your 30s?

Type 2 diabetes: The leading risk factor for developing diabetes obesity. Young adults are at higher risk for diabetes because of sedentary lifestyles, stress, and improper eating habits.

Hypertension or high blood pressure: it is also known as the silent killer because it doesn't show symptoms. It can damage the major organs like heart, kidneys, and brain. If left untreated, high BP can lead to heart diseases and strokes. 

Cancers: They can also develop due to excessive alcohol intake and smoking. Cancer causes the second most of all the deaths in the world. However, early screening and treatment can help in cure and survival.

 

How to prevent such chronic and prevalent lifestyle diseases?

Adopt a healthier lifestyle and follow the below mentioned preventive actions:

• Keep a regular check on your blood pressure
• Consume a healthy and balanced diet
• Increase your physical activity
• Keep control on your cholesterol and blood sugar
• Maintain a healthy weight/BMI
• Quit smoking
• Reduce alcohol consumption
• Be regular with your full body health checkups

 

Keep An Eye On These Common Signs Of Vitamins And Minerals Deficiency

A balanced and nutritious diet is suggested by doctors and dieticians. But do you know what that diet should be?

A balanced diet helps you maintain a healthy body. It provides your body with essential nutrients like water, micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, macronutrients, and calories. 

Not getting the required amounts of micronutrients like vitamins and minerals have adverse effects on your health. It might range from minor fatigue to serious illnesses. Let’s see what are the signs and symptoms caused by the deficiency of vitamins and minerals:

·        Night blindness

·        Dry skin 

·        Acne-like bumps 

·        Colour blindness

·        Recurring conjunctivitis

·        Macular degeneration

·        Ridges on nails

·        Coarse hair

·        Bleeding gums

·        Poor wound healing

·        Recurring cold and flu

·        Anemia

·        Obesity

·        Depression

·        Low bone mineral density

·        Osteoporosis 

·        Retinopathy and cataracts

·        Fertility issues

·        Muscle contractions and cramps

·        Tingling in fingers and feet

·        Restless leg syndrome

·        Eyelid spasms

 

Your body needs various vitamins and minerals for proper growth, and development of the body, and also to prevent chronic health conditions. All these micronutrients are not produced by your body on their own that is why you have to get them from your food. However, the amount of your nutrient consumption depends on your age, current health, and lifestyle. Not getting enough vitamins and minerals increases the risks of your body being nutrient deficient.

It is imperative to keep an eye on the consumption and absorption of micronutrients in your body. Most of these micronutrients interact with each other and sometimes hinder each other’s absorption. Hence, it leads to deficiency and further serious health conditions. 

 

You can know your micronutrient levels with full-body health checkups. Such health checkups analyze your Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, infections, and also other health issues like heart diseases, liver function, and cancers. 

Know your micronutrients status now with a complete body health checkup in your city.

  

Know Your Health Status by Master Health Checkup

As quoted ‘Health is Wealth’ having a healthy body helps to live a better and happy life. A healthy body is achieved through lifestyle modifications, which includes nutritious diet, exercise and routine health checkups. 

This old adage “prevention is better than cure” is relevant in Urban India than ever before, with environmental factors like lifestyle, family history and stress playing adverse impact on the wellness of our body.

Master Health checkup help to unearth a latent disease, or prevent its manifestation by modifying the risk factors. The potential risks of predisposed silent killers like cardiac diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and others can be managed, if diagnosed early. With an increasing number of lifestyle related diseases, and out of pocket expenses, it is great initiative from healthcare sector to come up with this idea preventive health check-up packages at an affordable rate.

Essentials of Master health checkup packages:

Most of the times, medical health check-up are broad in their approach, and examines multiple organ systems simultaneously to ascertain, whether an individual is healthy or not. It must also be taken care to avoid unnecessary screening examinations. This master health check up packages must ensure a net benefit from screening in order to efficiently deliver preventive services.These routine health check-ups can be customized depending on the basis of:

1. At-risk groups
2. Age
3. Gender
4. Occupation
5. Vaccination review

And as mandatory these medical health check fulfills minimum quality assurance standards at a reasonable cost which covers full body checkup. Current guidelines have proposed preventive health check-up and early detection approach for various disease conditions in the Indian context, which are:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Hypertension
• Dyslipedemia
• Screening for Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• Treadmill stress test
• Screening for cancer
• Breast cancer with clinical breast examination
• Cervical cancer with pap smear
• Prostate cancer

So, what are you waiting for, take control of your health and life through regular health checkup as early detection allows diagnosis, management and cure is possible. When everything is taken care of, our overall wellness is enhanced, leading us to live better every day and pursue aspirations.