Adopting preventative health measures is a simple way to live long and healthily. Often, men who get tied up with busy careers ignore their health, assuming that as long as they have no visible symptoms, they are in perfect health. However, many diseases may develop slowly in your body with no sign. Failing to notice them on time can mean costly, invasive treatment solutions at a future date. Such diseases may arise from genetic factors, lifestyle habits, work environment, stress, and even poor posture. A simple way to keep diseases at bay is to follow the recommended health care maintenance by age that outlines the right tests to do at every stage of life. Here’s a ready reckoner that you can refer to and follow health maintenance guidelines by age:

Preventative screening for men in their 20s and 30s

The earlier you start being aware of your health and adopting healthy habits, the longer you enjoy a fit and healthy life. Simple habits like keeping alcohol to a minimum, avoiding smoking, using sunscreen, drinking plenty of water, and exercising regularly can help immensely. Taking precautions, like avoiding unprotected sex or second-hand smoke, goes a long way in keeping you away from diseases. In addition, the following preventive screening guidelines for adults and getting these tests done during these years allows you to avert health problems in your 20s and beyond:
1. Testicular cancer: Critical preventative health measures in your 20s include screening for this type of cancer commonly found in the age band 15 to 34.
2. Cholesterol screening: While those at low risk for cardiovascular diseases can get screened every five years starting at age 20, you need more frequent testing if you are a high-risk individual.
3. Mental health: Mental health ailments like depression can strike at any age, and young individuals are at risk too. It helps to be aware of these issues and get screened if you notice any symptoms that may not be right with you.

Apart from these, regular check-ups must include the following:
• Eye check-up
• Dental check-up
• Blood pressure evaluation

Preventative screening for men in their 40s

There is a greater risk of developing conditions like blood pressure and cholesterol now, especially if your weight is not in control and you primarily lead a sedentary life. These following tests must be a part of your health care maintenance by age when you hit your 40s and preferably annually from now on. Apart from these, once you hit the 40s, you should go for regular screenings tests for the following ailments:
• Colon cancer: If you have not started screening for this yet, start when you reach your 40th birthday. If a family member has been diagnosed with this disease, your screening must start early and get done yearly.
• Prostate cancer test: The PSA and DRE tests are the standard methods used to screen for prostate cancer, typically developing at this stage of life.
• Diabetes: Those above average weights are especially at risk of diabetes and must make this screening test an integral part of preventative health measures now without fail.

Preventative screening for men in their 50s

Apart from the battery of common tests (such as eye check-ups, dental check-ups, and blood pressure), checking one’s lipid profile to check cholesterol levels is an important test from this age onwards. Added to these and your age 40+ regular screenings, you must also ensure:
• Colorectal cancer screening: Typically, a colonoscopy is advised at this age if you have not been screened earlier. A CT colonoscopy is done starting now if missed earlier and repeated every five years if you are not at significant risk. One should go for this test frequently if there is a significant risk of developing colorectal cancer.
• Lung cancer screening: Especially those with a history of smoking must get a screening test done for this ailment. Those exposed to pollutants at work are also recommended to get this done.
• Osteoporosis screening: This is a debilitating disease that is often overlooked. Osteoporosis can impair your lifestyle severely and reduce your mobility drastically. Bone density tests screen for osteoporosis and detect it in the early stages when it can be managed effectively before it affects your quality of life.

Preventative screening for men in their 60s and above

Metabolism slows down at this stage, making weight control tougher even with a controlled diet. However, a combination of a good, nutritious diet and appropriate exercise helps. Poor vision or poor hearing can affect your ability to enjoy life as before. Make sure these check-ups are part of your preventative screening at this age. Apart from the regular screenings already covered, by this age, you need the following:
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening: This is more important if you have a history of smoking or smoking at present. Tests like CT scans, ultrasounds, and MRIs are used to detect aortic aneurysms and prevent the possibly fatal consequences of an aortic rupture.
• Cognitive ailments: These are, again, ailments that may be hidden for a long time if you are not careful. Educate yourself on these diseases and watch out for common symptoms as you cross your 60s. Cognitive tests should become part of your preventative health measures by this age so that you can identify the disease in the initial stage and start treatment to curb its progression.
Getting preventative screening done the right way
Test accuracy is paramount when you are getting your preventative health measures done. It makes all the difference between a fit, healthy life and a debilitating illness. To fulfil your preventive screening guidelines for adults at each stage of life, choose NURA labs as your testing partner. Backed by Dr Kutty’s Healthcare and Fujifilm Japanese technology, NURA labs gives you accurate testing with state-of-the-art equipment in a comfortable and convenient environment.
Our trained, experienced technicians can get you through your preventative screening tests at the earliest with the least discomfort to you. Our lab is designed to put you at ease and offer a homely, pleasant atmosphere while you wait for your screening to be completed. Your reports are delivered to you at the earliest in a format that can be easily shared with your physician and stored for future reference. At NURA, we prioritise your comfort so that taking appropriate preventative health measures is a seamless, hassle-free task for you and your loved ones. Book your appointment online right away at your nearest NURA lab.

How many of us know that November is COPD awareness month? Not many at all. In fact, a surprisingly large number of people don’t know what COPD is and how seriously it can affect them. This November, the month officially designated national COPD awareness month, let us learn why it is critical to know about this disease, how it can affect us and what to do about it.

What is COPD?

COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, obstructs the flow of air from the lungs. Most often, COPD is seen in those with emphysema or chronic bronchitis, and these two can also occur together, worsening the patient’s condition drastically. The symptoms of the disease are not evident until lung damage has already begun. Although breathing difficulty is a symptom, this develops slowly over many years, and many people miss the progression of the symptoms until it drastically affects their life. Therefore, taking the right measures to spot the disease in its early stages is essential. Remember that COPD can lead to heart disease too and put you at greater risk of lung cancer.

Learning more about the disease in this COPD awareness month 2022 helps you understand how to avert the disease, identify it in time and treat it with the best outcomes.
Treatment for COPD begins after the condition has been diagnosed with simple tests like spirometry, blood test, or chest X-rays. Sometimes, further tests are recommended as required. Treatment includes:

• Tablets and medications in the form of inhalers
• Exercise for improving pulmonary health
• In limited cases, lung transplant

Common symptoms of COPD

During the COPD awareness month of November, campaigns are held to spread awareness about the ailment so that more people can learn about common symptoms and quickly get tested before the disease progresses. Among the most often seen early warning indicators are:

• A long-standing complaint of cough with mucous
• Inability to breathe deeply
• Wheezing
• Recurring chest infections
• Gasping for breath when walking, climbing stairs or doing mild exercises
• Difficulty breathing during routine activities

Since most of these symptoms are very common with other ailments or simple exhaustion, many people fail to take these seriously. Often, these are written off as ageing signs, a bout of cold, or allergies. Ignoring the symptoms allows the disease to develop and damage the lungs further undetected.
Chest pain, weight loss, and swelling of ankles from oedema are less frequently seen symptoms of COPD.

Causes of COPD

One of the main goals of the national COPD awareness month campaigns is to educate the public about which factors cause this potentially devastating disease. COPD is the result of the lung or the airways becoming inflamed due to damage. The most common causes of COPD are:

• Long exposure to pollutants
• Smoking or exposure to cigarette smoke, i.e., second-hand smoke (almost 9 out of 10 cases of COPD are caused by smoking)
• Dust/chemicals exposure at the workplace (even grain or flour dust can cause COPD)
• A genetic condition called Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency

Preventive measures

The good news is that COPD can be treated, and the treatment outcomes are excellent when the disease is detected early. With the right treatment at the right stage, COPD symptoms can be managed without affecting your quality of life. Here are some preventive measures:

• Avoiding smoking and second-hand smoke is the first and most effective way to tackle COPD risk
• Those who smoke should stop immediately to curb the progression of the disease

Avoid exposure to other pollutants in your environment (such as dust, fumes, chemicals, and smoke)
Apart from these, one simple way to prevent COPD is to track your overall health and identify if you are at risk of contracting the disease so that you can take the right measures in time. Regular health screening can help by scanning for this disease and many others that can affect your entire quality of life.

Annual whole-body screening packages that include the right tests for evaluating pulmonary health and COPD symptoms allow you to verify year after year if your lungs show any initial signs of this disease. Remember that detection in the early stage gives you the best treatment outcomes with the least invasive treatment methods. This makes health screening your most effective tool in preventing COPD or ensuring that it is addressed before it affects your lungs.

This COPD awareness month 2022, book your appointment at your nearest NURA labs for comprehensive screening for not just COPD but a host of other potentially dangerous diseases. We offer whole body screening packages for both men and women, comprising all the necessary tests you need to undergo to track your health completely. Our testing is backed by Dr Kutty’s Healthcare and powered by the cutting-edge tech expertise of Japanese Fujifilm to deliver accurate, timely results. Talk to a friendly NURA labs technician today to know more.

A decade ago, the only time we thought of a medical facility was when we got sick. However, this trend has changed today, which is a good thing for us. In today’s world, more people are giving their health importance well before sickness. It means we are heading towards a healthier, more productive population too. But this is not as common as it needs to be. If you are one of those who feel that thinking about health issues when you are perfectly healthy is unnecessary, here are a few points that may change your mind. Read to know why and how a regular medical health check-up can benefit you.

Reason 1: Peace of mind

As we age, we often find ourselves stressing how long we will live and what costs will be incurred in our medical treatment. Routine Health check-up tests can put these morbid thoughts out of your mind and reassure you simply by giving a quick appraisal of your health. A clean doctor check-up report reassures you that you are fit and fine and don’t need to worry about diseases and death.

Reason 2: Avert dreaded diseases in time

Did you know that many dreaded diseases like cancer or heart ailments can be averted if you detect them early? Yes, even cancers can be treated if you catch them early. This happens only when you go for a routine check-up regularly. For example, suppose your annual preventive health check-up list includes colon cancer screening. In that case, you may spot this disease’s probability before developing cancer. Taking the proper precautions at this point enables you to avoid the disease.

Reason 3: Keep medical costs within reason

One of the main reasons our health worries us excessively is that medical treatment costs are sky-high and rising yearly. While even doctor consultations and specialist fees are incredibly high, if we have a condition that requires hospital admission or medical procedures, the costs are near prohibitive these days. How to keep these costs down? Simple, by going in for a regular health check-up every year that tells you if you are fit and if anything is going wrong. You can prevent the disease from developing in your body, thus eliminating the medical cost associated with treatment. Or you can treat it early, thus eliminating the need for long-term, costly treatment.

Reason 4: Treat ailments at early stage and quickly

A preventive routine health check-up cautions you about diseases you are at high risk for so you can make changes in your lifestyle well in advance. For example, if your medical check-up reveals poor heart health, you can quickly make lifestyle and dietary changes to improve the condition and avert a heart condition. Similarly, suppose your routine health check-up tests indicate a propensity for respiratory illnesses. In that case, you know that you must avoid smoking or even passive smoke exposure or exposure to pollutants of other kinds. In short, you can identify the problem early and adopt simple, quick treatment methods to resolve the issues.

Reason 5: Periodically review medications

Many of us are on regular medications for a variety of diseases. This could be blood pressure, heart conditions, thyroid imbalances, or even simple deficiencies. Often, we fail to review the medications we take and adjust them regularly. A routine medical check-up is an excellent opportunity for us to do so without fail every year and ensure that we aren’t taking any more medications that are absolutely necessary. Periodic review and adjustment of regular medications prevent overdose or under-dose and enable us to stay in control of our health.

Reason 6: Making life adjustments as we age

What our body could handle when we were 20, it can no longer deal with at age 40. For example, we may have maintained poor sleeping patterns at age 20, but by the time we reach 40, the lack of enough sleep can start to affect us in many adverse ways. Also, if we have been doing something wrong since birth, the effects will begin to show up as we age. Wrong posture is an excellent example of this. Poor posture since childhood can start to show its impact as we age in the form of aches, pains, and even severe arthritic issues. A regular check-up pinpoints such ailments and prompts us to identify the cause. Once we know this, simple adjustments can improve our quality of life, prevent painful conditions and keep us fitter and healthier as we age.

Reason 7: Improves longevity

If your preventive health check-up list includes all the proper tests, then you are in the know about your body, its condition, and what you must do to keep diseases at bay or in control. You have the opportunity to start treatment well in time to get the best outcomes, even for potentially fatal diseases, while you keep others from even developing in your body. This is how a routine medical check-up can improve your life span.

If you have not regularly done your routine check-up tests, you may not know which ones are essential. Let that not deter you. At NURA Ai health screening center, we have designed a comprehensive preventive health check-up list that covers everything you need for a whole-body medical check-up. You must book your appointment today for an entire body check-up at your nearest NURA. Backed by AI-powered Fujifilm Japanese imaging technology and Dr. Kutty’s Healthcare’s medical expertise, NURA gives you the most accurate testing you can get most conveniently.