When people think about being sick they usually think about things like pain, fever or feeling really tired all the time. Some health problems do not make you feel sick right away. In fact some common health problems can be growing inside you for years without you even noticing. That is why doctors want you to come in for checkups even if you feel fine. If they find a health problem early you will have choices for treatment and you can prevent some really bad things from happening.
Here are some common health problems that can be growing inside you without you knowing.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a health problem that people have all around the world but a lot of people do not even know they have it. Usually you do not feel anything until High Blood Pressure has already hurt your heart, brain, kidneys or blood vessels. Getting your blood pressure checked is easy. Only takes a few minutes but it can help find a problem that might not be found otherwise for years.
High Cholesterol
High Cholesterol is like High Blood Pressure. You usually do not know you have it. You can feel perfectly fine. High Cholesterol can be building up inside your arteries. If High Cholesterol keeps building up it can increase your chance of getting heart disease and having a stroke. The only way to know if you have High Cholesterol is to get a blood test.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes grows slowly. Some people notice they are thirsty all the time or they have to go to the bathroom a lot. Other people do not feel anything at all when it first starts. If you do not take care of Type 2 Diabetes it can hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. You should get your blood sugar checked regularly especially if you have family members with Type 2 Diabetes if you are overweight or if you are over 35 years old.
Chronic Kidney Disease
Your kidneys help clean your body and get rid of water. The problem is that they can still work even when they are not working well. That is why Chronic Kidney Disease is often found when you get a blood or urine test not because you feel sick. If doctors find it early they can help slow it down.
Fatty Liver Disease
Fatty Liver Disease is getting more common in people who are overweight or have Type 2 Diabetes. Most of the time you do not feel anything when it first starts. Even though a lot of people do not get really sick from Fatty Liver Disease if you do not take care of it it can get worse. Hurt your liver. Eating healthy exercising and going to the doctor can help find and treat Fatty Liver Disease early.
Osteoporosis
Your bones get weaker slowly which is why Osteoporosis is called a problem. A lot of people do not know their bones are weak until they break a bone when they fall down. You might need to get a test to see how strong your bones are especially if you are older or if you are more likely to get Osteoporosis.
Certain Types of Cancer
Some kinds of cancer can grow for a time before you feel anything. You might not know you have cancer like colon cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer or breast cancer until it gets worse. Doctors have tests to find cancer before you feel sick so you can get treated and get better.
Silent Heart Disease
Not everyone who has a heart problem feels a lot of pain in their chest. Some people have what doctors call a heart attack and some people get heart disease without feeling very sick. They might just feel a little tired or get winded easily or feel uncomfortable in a way that is easy to ignore. If you have Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure or High Cholesterol you might be more likely to get heart disease without knowing it Who Is More Likely to Have These Health Problems?
Anyone can get these health problems. Some things make it more likely. These things include:
- Being over 40 years old
- Having family members who had health problems
- Being overweight
- Smoking
- Not exercising
- Having High Blood Pressure or Type 2 Diabetes
- Eating food
If you have one or more of these problems it does not mean you will get sick. It just means you should go to the doctor often.
Why You Should Get Checked by a Doctor
A lot of these health problems can be found with tests when you go to the doctor. Depending on how old you’re what your medical history is and what your risks are your doctor might want you to get:
- Your blood pressure checked
- Your blood sugar tested
- Your cholesterol checked
- Your kidneys tested
- Your liver tested
- Cancer screening
- A test to see how strong your bones are
These tests help find health problems before they get worse so you can get treated if you need to.
Take Care of Your Body
Feeling healthy is a thing but it does not mean everything is okay, inside your body. A lot of health problems grow slowly and quietly so going to the doctor regularly is important.
If you eat food, exercise, sleep enough do not smoke and go to the doctor you can stay healthy. If you do some things to take care of yourself now you might avoid bigger health problems later.