You’re getting older, which means you’re starting to become more and more prone to more and more different kinds of illnesses, diseases, viruses, etc.

As difficult as it is to accept, more and more parts of your body are starting to weaken, which means you’ll be more susceptible to way more diseases than you used to be when you were in your 20’s or younger. Several of these diseases could be fatal, which only makes checkups, medical tests and medical screenings much more important and critical to maintaining your health. We all want to be able to live long, happy, and healthy lives and the best way to make sure we are able to do that is by getting checked by doctors.

Here are some things you might want to consider getting tested for, especially if it means life or death.

Checking yourself

This could be an option that is easier and more accessible to those who struggle with finances and don’t have a healthcare option. This could also be an easier and more accessible option to those who don’t have problems regarding health care or finances, but just don’t feel like going to the doctor’s office. For example, it is very easy to check yourself for appendicitis. Appendicitis occurs when you have inflammation in your appendix. In response to the infection causing its inflammation, the appendix will start to swell up and, if left untreated, will burst. If you have appendicitis, your symptoms would be a dull pain near your upper abdomen that later transforms into a sharp and harsh pain in your lower abdomen. If you want to check yourself for appendicitis, you should point your hand on the right of your lower abdomen and jab your skin inward.

Hold your hand still for a couple seconds, and then let go. If you suddenly feel hot, sharp, and extreme pain, then you very likely have appendicitis and should go to the doctor to have your appendix removed. Appendicitis is definitely not the only thing you can check yourself for, you can check yourself to see if you have numerous other diseases, illnesses, or malfunctions that can be fixed in a simple manner. However, if you start to feel like you may have a problem regarding your health, you should still go see a doctor. In these cases, doctors know best and will know exactly how to help you and manage your symptoms.

Annual Physicals

After you hit age thirty, it is highly recommended for you to get a physical every year. This is the age where your body starts to naturally weaken, which means it needs more help to block out important diseases that could be fatal. You need to be aware of what could be threatening your body and how to make sure you stay safe from those threats. Annual Physicals check several vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and temperature. If your blood pressure is less than 120 over less than 80 than you have normal blood pressure. However, if your blood pressure is at 130 over 80 or higher, then doctors will diagnose you with high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension.

High blood pressure increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and numerous other health problems. Doctors check your heart rate to make sure that your values are between 60 and 100. Values that are in between 60 and 100 are considered normal and generally healthy. However, some people have heart rates slower than 60 but are still live lifestyles that are healthy, and doctor approved. If your respiration rate ranges from 12 to 16 breaths per minute, you have a normal respiration rate for adults and shouldn’t be concerned yet. If your respiration rate is at about 20 breaths per minute, this may be a sign of heart and/or lung problems.

A temperature of about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average temperature for a human adult, but other healthy people can still have a temperature that is slightly higher or lower than the average. Annual physicals help make sure that you aren’t at risk for anything such as high blood pressure, diabetes, strokes, as well as heart and lung disease.

Checking your cholesterol

Getting your cholesterol checked is very beneficial when it comes to getting LDL cholesterol out of your arteries. LDL cholesterol is the type of cholesterol that is present in the blood as low-density lipoprotein. A high proportion of LDL cholesterol is associated with heart disease. This means having a lot of it in your arteries would heighten your risk of heart diseases that would most likely be fatal. Something else that could increase your risk of heart disease is having a low HDL cholesterol level. HDL cholesterol is the cholesterol that is present in your blood as high-density lipoprotein.

A generally high portion of HDL cholesterol is also associated with low coronary heart disease. Getting your cholesterol checked would also check if you have any triglycerides in your system. Triglycerides are a certain type of fat that can end up residing inside of your blood. This can lead to a very big increase in the risk of potentially getting a heart attack and/or a stroke. High cholesterol usually has little to no symptoms, and it could lead to very damaging and fatal illnesses. This means you could have a heart or lung problem and have no possible way of knowing without getting tested.

Diabetes

In the United States, approximately 29 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with diabetes at one point in their lives. Diabetes is rapidly spreading across the globe, and it will severely impact the rest of your life. A blood pressure that is higher than 135/80 mm Hg could very possibly be a symptom of diabetes. Diabetes testing includes a blood test, an FPG test (fasting plasma glucose), and/or an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).