Health Arena With Dr Adesina: Don’t Blow A Gasket, Go For Medical Check-up Today!

October 17, 2018

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HEALTH ARENA, Dr SUNKANMI — Dr Olasunkanmi Adesina Is A Public Health Policy Analyst & MD/CEO, Academy Hospital And Maternity Centre

Health Arena With Dr Adesina: Don’t Blow A Gasket, Go For Medical Check-up Today!

HOW I BLEW MY FIRST CAR GASKET

Driving school lessons were fun. Practical sessions were more interesting than classroom lectures. As students, we would always jump inside the driver seat for practical sessions. When I got my first car, I couldn’t wait to hit the road on my way to work every morning. I had mastered basics aspects of driving. What didn’t occur to me was culture of regular checks on components of the car within the bonnet. After the first few weeks of driving own car, having racked up a few hundreds kilometers, with environmental temperature of 36 degree, AC at 100% level, speed at 60kph, I heard a large bang from inside the bonnet, while steams emanated from several points. I maintained composure, pulled over, switched off ignition and got out as fast as possible. I wasn’t the only one that heard the bang. People gathered immediately. Workers from nearby mechanic workshop came around. Everyone was talking at the same time. I kept hearing “overheating” from so many people. Mechanics took charge. Attempts made to open the bonnet, while everyone maintained safe distance. The bonnet was eventually forcefully opened. Steams let out haphazardly. People ran helter-skelter to avoid burn injury. I later identified myself as the driver/owner of the car to the lead mechanic.The man looked at me and said, “Overheating”. I didn’t understand that.

He repeated “overheating”.

“What happened” I asked

“You might have blown your head gasket. You were not paying attention to the rising car temperature. The car overheated. You were not paying attention. Probably, you blew your gasket”.

“I don’t understand”.

“When last did you add coolant in the radiator?”

“I’ve never added anything.”

“How long have you been driving this car?”

“I just bought it two months ago. And I drive it every day. A few long hours journey in between. But I’ve never opened the bonnet”.

“The radiator coolant level has been low for some time. The temperature was rising. You didn’t pay attention. Then you blew your gasket.”

“Is there a remedy?”

“Hopefully. Next time, you may not be that lucky. Cars have been burnt beyond recognition because of thiskind of oversight. Always pay attention to your cars to avoid catastrophe.”

“Thanks. Lessons learnt.”

HOW MUCH ATTENTION ARE YOU PAYING TO YOUR BODY?

When last did you visit your healthcare practitioners for routine medical checkup? Is it only when you are not feeling fine that you visit your doctor or you take care of your body the way you take care of your car? Are you paying attention to your “gasket”? When last did you check your body’s “brake oil and engine oil”? Looking after oneself is not a top priority for many, despite the fact that health screening is an excellent way of assessing your current health and wellbeing. Screening tests can find diseases and conditions early when they are easier to treat. The goal of screening is to help people live longer, healthier lives. Proponents of screening programs stress that in addition to the potential of early disease detection, they also provide the opportunity for screening participants to change unhealthy lifestyles through the so-called lifestyle counseling. Consequently, participants’ long-term health outcomes are expected to improve, and future health care costs should decrease. Remember, your health is your greatest asset and early detection can save lives!

WHAT IS HEALTH SCREENING?

Health screening means active search for a disease in patients who are presumed to be healthy. While screening isnot able to reduce the likelihood of a certain disease, it may reduce its negative consequences.Health screening programs consist of blood and urine tests and procedures like X-rays and ultrasound. It is usually done at regular intervals like once a year or once in two to three years, or when a person reaches a certain age. However, not all screening tests are necessary or helpful. It is best to consult your doctor before going for health screening.

TYPES OF HEALTH SCREENING

Don’t Blow a Gasket, KeepTabs on Your Blood Pressure: If you are 40 years or older, you should check your blood pressure at least once a year. You have high blood pressure or hypertension if your equal to or higher than 140/90 mmHg. High blood pressure sometimes goes unnoticed until complications like heart and kidney failure sets in. These complications can often be prevented with early detection and treatment.
Cholesterol Check: A high blood cholesterol level means that you have more cholesterol in your blood than your body needs. The higher your blood cholesterol level is, the greater your risk of developing heart disease. Women should have their cholesterol checked regularly starting at age 45; men every 5 years beginning at 35. If you smoke, have diabetes, or if heart disease runs in your family, start having your cholesterol checked at age 20. The cholesterol screening, which is a blood test, would include tests for all types of fats present in the body. This would include: “bad” cholesterol (LDL); “good” cholesterol (HDL) and triglyceride.
Screening for Obesity: Obesity is the condition where the person’s body weight is well over the normal weight for his or her height and age. Obesity can lead to many medical problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and several cancers. All persons aged 18 years and older should be screened once a year. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to measure an adult’s body fat.
Screening for diabetes: Diabetes is a disease in which too little or ineffective insulin is produced by the body. People with diabetes have abnormally high levels of glucose in their blood. This leads to damage and failure of various organs such as the eyes and kidneys. Screening for diabetes should begin at 40 years. Screening should be considered at an earlier age e.g. 30 years if you: are overweight / obese, have high blood pressure, have a close relative who has diabetes, had diabetes during pregnancy, have abnormal lipid (fat) levels, have previously been confirmed with a borderline high fasting blood sugar level.
Hepatitis B Screening: Hepatitis B infection is an infection with Hepatitis B Virus. People with the infection may become seriously ill and eventually from abnormal liver condition/liver cancer. People that should undergo screening for this include: pregnant women, healthcare workers, person undergoing kidney dialysis,person with family history of HBV infection or liver cancer, people who engage in high-risk behaviors (such as having sex with prostitutes, having multiple sex partners, men who have sex with men, drug addicts who share injection needles).

CANCER SCREENING:Although screening does not prevent cancer, it may diagnose the condition when it is in the most treatable form. Cancers that can be detected by screening include breast cancers, cervical cancer, testicular cancer and colo-rectal cancers. There is definite impact on survival with early detection/treatment of cancers.

Screening for Cervical Cancer: All women who have had sexual intercourse should have their first Pap smear by 25 years of age. You have a higher risk of cervical cancer if you: smoke cigarettes, have sexual intercourse at an early age, have multiple sexual partners, have a history of sexually transmitted infections, are infected with a certain kind of viral warts. You should go for a Pap smear every 3 years.
Screening for Breast Cancer: Early breast cancer screening will be able to detect the cancer in its early stages for effective treatment. Regular mammography is the most reliable way to detect breast cancer before the lump can be felt. Breast Self-Examination (BSE) is breast examination done by the woman herself. BSE should be done from age 30 onwards. BSE helps women detect changes in their breast that may arise in the interval between regular mammography. Women above 40 years should be screened every 2 years; there is no need for mammography screening for women below 40 years.
Prostate Cancer Screening: Prostate cancer can only be cured if detected early before cancer cells spread from the gland to the areas. People that should be screened include: men above 50 years and men with a history of immediate family members who had prostate cancer.Digital rectal examination is a quick and reliable clinical examination of the prostate gland through the rectum with a gloved finger. Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test can detect the onset of cancer of the prostate gland.

Going back to the story of my experience regarding blowing my car gasket, since that particular incident, I have never taken routine check on my car for granted. Every Sunday, I check radiator coolant level, reservoir, engine oil, brake oil, power steering oil and wiper fluid. I check the condition of the lights, all indicators on dashboard, type of smoke from exhaust pipes and change in engine sound. ALL of these take less than 15 minutes. The implication is that I only spend 15 minute – a negligible fraction – of my spare time every week to prevent potentially dangerous occurrences. This is a car, by the way. How much more our body! How much time are wehave for our body? How much time do we spend in monitoring our body in order to prevent potentially dangerous medical ailments?A healthy mind and body are something that we often take for granted. All it takes is a little bit of attention on our part and good health is not that far from what one imagines. Being healthy is as much about eating right and exercising as it is about getting screened by a healthcare professional regularly. You cannot afford to blow a gasket. Take charge of your health. Get yourself screened today.

About the Author:
DrOlasunkanmiAdesinais a General Medical Practitioner and a Public Health Policy Analyst. He obtained first degree in Medicine and Surgery from LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, Oyo State. He obtained his postgraduate Masters Degree in Public Health at University of East London, UK. He is a Research Consultant and provides technical and programmatic supportsfor NGOs. He is the current MD/CEO of Academy Hospital and Maternity Centre, a private hospital located in Ibadan, Oyo State.For further enquiries, the author can be contacted via his personal email: drsunky14@yahoo.com

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