Staying healthy requires you to know the state of your health. It is not enough for you to only visit hospitals when you are down with an illness. Sometimes, that could be prevented if you go for a regular check-up. Check-ups are good preventative measures that could save you a lot, not just in money, but in time and wellbeing as well. A medical check-up or general medical examination is like an inspection of the body to check how fit you are. Various parts of the body are examined, depending on the kind of check-up that is being done.
One good thing about going for a medical check-up is that it allows for the early detection of a problem. Sometimes, one might look and feel physically fit but have an underlying health issue. At this point, the disease is in the early stages and remedy is easy. By the time it becomes obvious, such as when the person begins to look ill, the disease would have become more serious, more intrusive, and become more expensive to treat. So, do not count on your physical fitness as a sign of how healthy you are. Go for a check-up today.
In this article, we have arranged some of the important check-ups you should go for, as a Nigerian. Make sure you do not miss any of them.
General Medical Consultation
This is the first step to having a medical checkup. You need to have a consultation with your physician and discuss any sickness or symptoms you might be having. The doctor will ask questions about your clinical history, tell you diseases you are at risk of developing, and recommend for you tests to undergo.
Malaria Check-up
Malaria is a prevalent sickness in Nigeria. Many people go years without coming down with any kind of sickness, other than malaria. It usually comes with a fever with symptoms like hot head, headaches, sweating, loss of strength and appetite, and so on. Many people often wait till these symptoms are present before they can start treating malaria. The problem is sometimes, is that malaria could be in your body without exhibiting any of these symptoms, putting you at great risk since you would not be treating it in any way. Other times too, you might have symptoms that are similar to those you have during malaria bouts, but it could be caused by something else.
So, a malaria check-up helps with the detection of the sickness in the first place, so you can begin treatment. It also allows you to be sure that you indeed have malaria, so you do not treat something else, harming your body the more. Learn how to prevent recurrent malaria.
HIV Test
Getting a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) test regularly is compulsory if you have an active sexual life or keep multiple partners. Gone are those days when being diagnosed with HIV was like a death sentence. That alone kept many people away from taking the test. These days, managing HIV is easier and one can live a long and normal life with it. But for that to happen, one must begin treatment early, which only comes after early detection of the virus. That is why you should go for an HIV test if you feel you have been exposed to the virus one way or the other.
Eye Test
Are your eyes blurry? Go for an eye test. The longer you delay, the worse it gets. If you feel you have a problem with your sight or vision, then it is important you go for an eye test. The sooner the issue is corrected, the better. There are so many common eye problems in Nigeria that you can avoid by doing regular eye tests. Sometimes, a pair of glasses may be prescribed, which you are to wear temporarily or for a long time, other times, surgery may be required. But early detection, with the help of a check-up, can save your eyesight from getting worse.
Blood Pressure Test
By all means, if you should have blood pressure tests at least twice a year. High blood pressure, or hypertension, often results in death, which could happen suddenly. But before death occurs, the person’s blood pressure would have been high for weeks or even months. Undergoing a blood pressure test allows you to know your blood pressure levels. If it is high, you would be advised on what to do to reduce it, which includes dietary changes, lifestyle changes, and so on.
BMI Test
This test is done to the determine the body mass index (BMI). It is done by using a person’s weight with their height. The BMI results can give an idea about whether a person has the correct weight for their height. BMI tests can indicate whether a person is underweight or if they have a healthy weight, overweight, or obesity..
Other medical tests that are performed in full body screening:
- Blood and urine tests
- Lipid Profile Test
- cardiac system: Chest X-Ray, ECG & 2D Echo Cardiography
- Vitamin Check
- Abdominal Check: Ultrasonography of abdomen & pelvis
- Thyroid Function Tests: TSH, T3, T4
- Kidney Function: Blood Urea, Uric Acid, Serum Creatinine
- Stool Test
- Liver Function tests: SGPT, SGOT, Serum Bilirubin
- Pulmonary Lung Function tests
- Diabetes tests: Blood Sugar Fasting, Blood Sugar PP
- Hepatitis B tests
- CT Calcium Scoring
- Total body fat percentage
- Mammogram
- PSA
- STD tests
- CT Coronary Angiography (Heart)
- CT Screening of Neck Vessels (Carotid)
- Bone Mineral Densitometry (BMD)
- Sono-mammography & Pap smear
How much is full medical check up in Nigeria?
The cost of a full medical check up in Nigeria varies depending on the hospital, and the medical checkup package they offer. However, you can expect the price of a full medical checkup in Nigeria to fall between the range of ₦50,000 to ₦150,000. If you have health insurance, you can also get affordable medical checkup.
YOU SHOULD ALSO READ:
- 5 Health Tests and Screenings Every Nigerian Should Do Regularly
- 5 Medical Tests Every Nigerian Should Never Ignore
- 5 Healthcare Devices Every Nigerian Should Have At Home
- How to Choose A Family Doctor in Nigeria
Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.
