These days almost every notable institution and organisation requires its members to undergo they thorough medical check ups. The same applies to job seekers. Sometimes they have to undergo a medical check up as part of the employment requirements.
 
Check ups are not friendly a topic for many adults because the first thing that will go through your head will be, "Is it really necessary? I feel perfectly well.”

It is in our indigenous culture that seeing a doctor is indicative of a serious condition of choice between life and death, or one is suffering unbearable pain.

As Dr. Edgar Kalimba of King Faisal Hospital explains, this mentality is very dangerous and unhelpful.

"Getting regular check ups is necessary to ensure that people live a healthier and longer life. Waiting to become sick before you see a doctor only complicates matters especially if the disease required earlier medication,”he said.

Many factors determine a person’s willingness to go for an examinations.

"Elderly people are diligent when it comes to visiting doctors because they realise how precious life is,” he said adding that people with chronic diseases will also frequently visit doctors.

He appreciates that for a few others, it’s a matter of principle since their backgrounds and lifestyles dictate that they go for medical test to avoid any surprises.

With today’s fast paced life where everyone is working longer hours, people are becoming more sleepless, fatigued and stressed. 

It is most unfortunate that all this is done at the great expense of our health. The least one can do is go for a medical check up to ensure that their bodies are still in good working order.

Some say that checks can detect symptoms of fatal diseases like cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure while still at their beginning stages and they can be prevented and treated in good time.

"Not all symptoms are easily visible to the human eye and can therefore go undetected. For example women many times don’t realise they have breast cancer till it is in its later stages, yet you would expect someone to notice if there was a lump in their breast. This goes to show how important these check ups are,” says Jennifer Ingabire, a recovering cancer patient.

Some people argue that these check ups are expensive and not affordable  but Kalimba has dismissed this as baseless.

"At least two check ups a year should be enough and this is not costly if you think about all the diseases you could be preventing,” he explained.

A health check is not complicated; it’s just a bit more intense. Tests are done on your blood to check for cholesterol and blood sugar levels, the ear, nose and throat are checked too for any infections.

Your abdomen may be analysed to see if the liver is not affected and people above the age of 60 should also be checked for cancers which tend to appear more in this age group.

Since the anatomy of a man is different from that of a woman there are also special tests and check ups for each of them. Every man should to go for prostrate examination to rule out any symptoms and signs of prostrate cancer.

Similarly one can also have a testicular examination check for any abnormal swellings that may be a sign of testicular cancer.
And for the ladies, it is important that you visit the doctor to check for any possible lumps in your breasts as this could be a sign of breast cancer. 

Self examination is heavily recommended on a monthly basis. Pap smear is also an important check to detect cervical cancer.

As the common saying goes, "prevention is better than cure.” Do not take this for granted, a regular medical check up my be the single most life saving act you ever did.

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