Our body operates like an engine and like one, it needs maintenance. Think of how you fix dates to get your car serviced or how you lift the bonnet now and again to check the oil level. Your body needs you to check in, just like that or even more.

How often do you go for checkups?

With the rate of people who do not schedule appointments with the doctor regularly, it seems like we’ve now become our doctors. Practicing self-medication and assuming everything’s okay without confirming. Once we experience headache, fever, or fatigue, we’re quick to assume it’s malaria and find ourselves in the pharmacy, asking for typhoid and malaria medication. Sometimes, negligence kills faster than a condition itself.

Here’s the question, why do people ignore having routine checkups?

After conducting a survey, we found out that many of us do not go for routine checkups because of financial constraints, fear of getting bad news, or “I’ll be fine”.

It’s better to have a thorough medical checkup so you can know the current state of your health. You can detect health threats early, especially those with little or no physical symptoms, for example, hypertension.

So, how often should one go for checkups?

This is dependent on your age, risk factors, and health status. Get a medical checkup at least once a year, especially if you are 40 years of age or older. Also, people with chronic conditions like diabetes or hypertension and people taking medication should visit the doctor routinely.

If financial constraints stop you from getting routine checkups, organisations offer free screenings, don’t shy away from them. We can’t enjoy the good things in life if good health is compromised.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself.