“NO!”
“NEVER!”
“OVER MY DEAD BODY!”
Many Filipinos don’t want to see a doctor in their lifetimes, refusing to even step inside a medical clinic or hospital.
While doctors are respected members of our society, they are reminders of something unpleasant: death…sickness…pain…injections…blood…bitter pills…exercise…forbidden foods…forbidden activities.
So the idea of a full body check-up where a medical professional looks at the patient from head to toe, has the same allure as long brownouts at the height of a hot summer.
“Malayo naman to sa bituka eh.”
It’s really unfortunate that this is the attitude of many Filipinos because health checkups can literally save your life. They assess your overall health and detect any potential problems before they become serious.
In this post, we take the mystery behind the full body check-up and look behind the curtain to see what actually happens when you visit your friendly doctor. We might encourage people to come in on a regular basis. You know, before it’s too late.
Your Medical History
When you come in for a check-up, you either fill up a form that asks all sorts of personal medical questions or get interviewed by a nurse or doctor for your medical history.
The medical history is a comprehensive account of your health and includes information on:
allergies
previous surgeries
medical conditions
previous and present medications
immunizations
Hospitalizations
injuries
family medical history
lifestyle
You will be asked all sorts of questions and you’ll think, “What does it matter if my father had high blood pressure?”
They are compiling a comprehensive picture of your health. The more information they have, the better. So be patient.
In cases of hospitalization, your medical history will guide doctors to the best treatment decisions. So do your best to provide as much data as you can. When you come in for a check-up, bring things like medical records and prescriptions.
The Most Common Tests
Physical Examination
This is what kids remember most when going to the doctor. Well, besides the injection part.
The doctor takes a patient’s temperature, height, and weight. He takes his blood pressure and heart rate. He looks into the patient’s eyes, ears, nose, and throat.
He then reaches for his stethoscope, puts it on the patient’s chest, and listens as he breathes.
He palpates different parts of the body, touches different areas of the abdomen, checks for lumps, and observes your responses.
That’s the physical examination. It tells your doctor so much.
But because he cannot look inside your body, he will ask for some tests and send you to a medical lab.
Complete Blood Count
When doctors want to know what is going on inside your body, the first thing they look into is the count of the different components in your blood.
By counting red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc. from a given sample, a host of information is uncovered. For example, by looking at the results of your CBC, doctors recognize patterns, indicators, signs, and symptoms.
Your blood can give up information such as:
- nutritional status (Are you low on iron, folate, or vitamin B12?)
- infections and inflammations
- liver function (ALT/SGPT)
- blood abnormalities
- hormonal imbalances
That’s a load of data that goes into your healthcare. So getting pricked might hurt for a few moments, but the data from that sample goes a long way to protecting your long-term health.
Blood Sugar Test
Just like blood, sugar goes around. It energizes the cells of the body. And as a main fuel, it facilitates the different metabolic processes that keep us alive and healthy.
As such, the amount of sugar in the blood is an important indicator of health. The main condition to watch for is diabetes. That’s when the body is unable to regulate the sugar in the blood. Diabetes can lead to scores of other problems like nerve damage, kidney damage, and vision problems. That’s why doctors are on the lookout for it.
In order to take the blood sugar test, you may be asked to fast for 8-12 hours. This is so that the test won’t be influenced by recent food intake. You may also be asked to refrain from taking certain medications.
(That said, some hospitals and clinics no longer require fasting.)
Cholesterol Test
This test is also called a “lipid panel” or “lipid profile.” A blood sample is extracted from the patient, and from that, a measure of the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides can be taken.
A complete cholesterol test will account for:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL, the “bad” cholesterol)
High-density lipoprotein (HDL, the “good” cholesterol)
Total cholesterol
Doctors look at the cholesterol test to determine a patient’s risk of building fatty deposits in the arteries. A build-up of plaque is dangerous because, over time, it can restrict or even fully block blood flow. The danger is that such build-up will often have no symptoms, and unless a cholesterol test is taken, an individual may not know his exposure to a coronary event.
The older the patient, the more likely will the doctor order this test. If the individual is overweight, does not exercise, smokes, has a family history of heart attacks, and has diabetes, his risk for coronary artery disease is high. The doctor will most likely ask for a cholesterol test to help manage the situation as soon as possible.
Urinalysis
Like the blood, there’s a wealth of information one can extract from a urine sample. Because like the blood, urine also has different components. The presence or absence of these components indicates a possible health condition.
Also, the characteristics of the sample, like color, odor, and pH level can yield so much insight.
The presence of the following in urine may indicate a condition:
proteins (can be a sign of kidney damage or kidney disease)
glucose (indicates high blood sugar, which can be a symptom of diabetes)
ketones (can be a symptom of diabetes or indicate that the person is fasting)
blood (blood in urine can be a symptom of a lot of conditions, like kidney disease, bladder infection, or cancer)
nitrites (a sign of a urinary tract infection)
Fecalysis
Like urine, the stool can be a rich indicator of possible conditions. It can alert doctors to the presence of bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
It can also alert to the presence of blood, which may indicate a range of conditions, including hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, or colon cancer. Inflammatory markers can also signal some bowel diseases.
Digestive enzyme activity can also appear in the sample. This is important because it can give insights into the body's ability to break down food and take in nutrients.
Others
A battery of other assessments can be asked depending on the condition of the patient, medical history, or the purpose of the check-up.
X-rays, CT scans (Computer tomography), MRI scans (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and Electrocardiograms (EKG). These are non-invasive tests that look inside the body.
Depending on the reason for the visit, or the type of doctor you’re visiting, a fitness test and visual acuity, may even be taken. Rest assured, these are all for your own sake.
A regular visit to your doctor is important for prevention or early detection of health conditions. You may feel vulnerable visiting anybody with a white coat, but remember that all these tests are done so they can help you better.
They are not there to judge or put you in a negative light. They are trained professionals who went through the hardships of medical school in order to be of service to people like you and me.
Schedule a visit to your doctor, regularly. Yes, even when don’t feel sick.
BloodWorks Labs is your family’s partner in health and well-being. We are your one-stop shop for all your blood test needs.
We offer check-up packages to suit different needs:
Well-being Package
Diet/ Weight Management Package
Senior Citizen’s Check-up
Pre-employment Package
APAS Panel
Cancer Screening Tests
As a premium testing facility, BloodWorks Labs was the first in the country to introduce the Anti Acetylcholine Receptor (lgG) Antibody Test and the Anti N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor (Anti NMDA Receptor) Antibody Test.
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