Do You Take Your Health Seriously?

I work around a lot of young people, around 23 to 30 years of age, and I've noticed how health concerns aren't taken as seriously for several of the younger people I work with. I also know that I didn't take my health very seriously when I was that age either.

Now I find myself looking more into my own health risk and family health history. I think this is mainly because now I have children and I want to know about what to look for as I age and how to talk to my kids when they turn into young adults about what they need to think about in terms of preventive health. In addition, what they need to screen for to ensure good health. Health screening isn't a new concept but for me it has been.

I think through watching family members and watching people not take their health seriously I think more about taking my own health seriously.

Health Screening Before Retirement

"I'm 57 and healthy with no history of health problems."

"Heart diseases runs in my family but I haven't had any health problems."

"I had high blood pressure in my 30s & 40s but I'm now 65 and I feel great."

What do these 3 statements have in common? Preventive health screening is appropriate for all 3 of these people. Regardless of your circumstances if you have no symptoms you can be at risk for certain health problems. The best way to address possible risk is to have preventive health screening. It makes sense to take control of your health with health screening.

Interestingly at the age of 65 and a family history of heart disease and diabetes after talking with my family doctor preventive health screening wasn't discussed. I started thinking about retirement and how I'm going to be a grandparent soon. Oddly enough close friends and coworkers didn't really seem to be involved in preventive health screening. I decided I wanted to stick around longer than most of the women in my family and get past 70 so I can spend time with my grandchildren.

Health and Money

Well I would typically argue that these two words should not be in the same sentence together. I mean how can you put a price on good health. It's what most of us want and strive for. Some of us get dealt hereditary bad luck some of us are just prone to health problems. But a good portion of us can prevent health problems with taking steps such as health screenings.

The truth is in the US medical care is top notch but not accessible to everyone. So money will remain in the same sentence with health until things change in our health care system. But I digress.

How can you head off the potential for money woes when it comes to your health. I go back to the idea of health screening. Preventive health can go beyond eating healthy and exercise. It can involve doing a family health tree and investing in preventive health screening. I did one years ago with my uncle to trace health issues and we found a history of sickle cell anemia and high blood pressure. With preventive health screening I was able to determine if I carried the sickle cell trait and as for blood pressure I learned how to use a blood pressure cup and I learned what the number meant whenever I had my blood pressure taken at a doctors visit. Plus whenever a doctor asked for questions about family history I knew what to tell him. Talk about being in control of your health.