Visiting your doctor is something that’s encouraged that you do every now and then, but is there really a need for it? Well, depending on the individual, you might have to either visit frequently or not at all. Your needs are most important, but it’s encouraged that you make sure you’ve had your health checked from time to time; and that you make time for the check-up when possible. It generally doesn’t take long to have your health checked, so even if you go once every few years, you can at least relax knowing you’re in good health.

It’s been a while

If you can’t remember the last time you visited a medical professional, that should be a good sign that you need to pay them a visit. It’s recommended that you make an attempt to visit at least every 2 years, or less depending on your health. If you’ve been perfectly healthy, some find it acceptable to only visit once every 5 years. In any case, if you’re concerned about your health since your last visit, you should make sure you schedule an appointment when you next have time.

You have persistent issues

You don’t have to call your doctor over every cough or sneeze, but when you’re having repeating conditions that don’t seem to stop – that’s when it should be concerning. There’s nothing wrong with having a common cough, it can be that and nothing else. If you’ve had a cough on and off for a month; you should consider contacting your doctor about it. Even if it’s just a phone call, giving yourself a moment to talk about it with a professional could give you some insight into it.

These problems won’t go away on their own, and if you leave them hoping that they will – they could get worse. A simple cough could turn into an infection, for which you’ll need antibiotics that your doctor can prescribe.

Embarrassing conditions

If there are any conditions you’ve noticed but are too embarrassed to do anything about, you should try to see a doctor regardless. A lot of medical professionals exercise discretion. For example, a sexual health clinic would make sure your symptoms or conditions are treated professionally and discretely. No matter the concern you have, embarrassing or not, you should make sure it gets checked.

Questions about medication

If you’ve recently considered taking on a new medication and you have pre-existing conditions or prescriptions, you should speak to your doctor about it. There are a lot of pills and capsules that will have negative effects on your health if the body is already experiencing something it clashes with. Go to your doctor with the new medication so that they can figure out whether or not it’s something you should take. If it does seem to cause problems with the pills you’re already taking, your doctor might prescribe alternatives that provide the same effect. In any case, you should leave it up to the medical professionals.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Whether we like it or not, we’re all going to get older – it’s an inevitability. What isn’t an inevitability, however, are the sicknesses, aches and pains, and loss of memory that is often seen as part and parcel of getting old. 

Although none of us can ever totally prevent the possibility of ill health, there are so many things we can all do to lower our personal risks and age as well as possible. Here are a few of the most effective:

Eat and drink well

It seems like this is always the advice, but the fact of the matter is that eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water while moderating your alcohol intake is the most important factor in your present and future health.

Eating a balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and oily fish will ensure that you get all the vitamins and minerals you need to protect your health and keep your brain firing on all cylinders.

Do puzzles
Puzzles like crosswords and sudoku and memory games for seniors are not only a  lot of fun, but they also help to keep your mind active. The more you use your brain on a daily basis, the fear brain cells you will lose as you age and the less likely you will be to develop issues like Alzheimer’s.

Obviously, when it comes to your health there are no guarantees, but a daily challenge to the brain could work wonders.

Take care of your teeth

You only get one set of adult teeth, so it’s really important that you do whatever you can to take care of them. As a minimum, you should brush and floss daily and see your dentist at regular intervals throughout the year. Doing this will not only help to protect against tooth loss and the wearing of dentures but since gum disease has been linked to illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, it could also help to prevent serious health issues too.

Pixabay – CCO Licence

Be active

Ideally, if you want to age well, you should be active every single day of your life. Whether it’s going for a brisk walk after dinner or hitting the gym for a tough workout, you need to keep moving if you want to maintain bone density, prevent strokes, diabetes, and heart disease and maintain good mental health. Active seniors are also less likely to have fallen, so although you may not be a senior now, you need to put the work in so that when you are older, you’re better able to cope and your quality of life is vastly improved.

Schedule regular health appointments

Perhaps most importantly of all, if you want to age well, you should make an effort to look after your health by having regular physical exams, hearing tests, and preventative treatments. If you avoid healthcare professionals like the plague, you’re less likely to catch issues early before they become a bigger problem.

Live well and look after yourself now and you can expect to live well and have a great life as you get older!

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda