VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: lek. Patryk Jasielski

Preventive examinations of most of us are associated with periodic examinations allowing us to work, or with regular cytology and mammography. It is connected with the necessity of going to the doctor and performing various, often unpleasant, tests. However, there are also "tests" that you can do by yourself every day, and in your own home.

The daily preventive examinations available at home include regular observation of your body. In the case of many diseases, their first symptoms can be noticed on their own, as long as you can look closely at your body. Looking at your skin, eyes and mouth more than once can tell you a lot about your he alth. It is also advisable to regularly self-examine the breasts in women and self-examination of the testicles in men. This allows you to detect the first disturbing symptoms, undertake quick diagnostics and effective treatment. Learn about simple daily examinations that you can do yourself at home.

Pressure and pulse measurement

This is a test for which we only need a blood pressure monitor. Currently, there are many automatic devices available in pharmacies at a reasonable price. They are easy to use and allow you to independently measure your blood pressure and pulse, i.e. the heart rate, on a daily basis.

They greatly facilitate the diagnosis of arterial hypertension. This is because when measuring in a doctor's office, you often get a higher pressure than it actually is. This is caused by stress and is called the "white coat" effect.

Independent measurements also allow you to control the effectiveness of the treatment of hypertension. Is it not necessary to increase doses or change medications.

The second useful parameter is the heart rate. Too high and too low may indicate heart disease, thyroid disease and others. Persisting incorrect values ​​should prompt you to see a doctor.

Sugar measurement

Another easy-to-perform test is measuring your blood sugar (glycemia). All you need is a device called a glucometer.

It is a daily test performed by people with diabetes. The sugar level is easily measured, it is enoughprick your finger and draw a little blood into the test strip.

Too high values ​​may indicate diabetes. In diabetics, the measurement of glycaemia allows for the assessment of disease control and treatment, whether it is adequate.

Stool appearance

What a stool looks like can tell you a lot about your he alth. It is all about its color, smell, and the degree of formation. It is also important to control the frequency of bowel movements. If the stool is ≤2 a week with great effort and is dry and clumped, then constipation may be suspected.

In turn, frequent bowel movements (more than 3 a day) with a watery stool indicate diarrhea. Discolored, cream-colored faeces may indicate diseases of the bile ducts such as gallstones and liver disease.

Tar-colored faeces indicate bleeding from the intestines or stomach, and the presence of fresh blood on the toilet paper of hemorrhoids. These are indications for an urgent visit to the doctor.

A smelly, difficult-to-rinse stool is often a sign of a high fat content. Such a symptom is observed in diseases of the pancreas, disorders of digestion and absorption in the intestines. Rarely, parasites such as pinworms and tapeworms can be seen in stool or on paper.

Appearance of urine

Monitoring urine output is also one of the important studies that can tell a lot about your he alth. The daily amount is important. Too little can indicate dehydration. It can also be a symptom of kidney disease.

Too big appears, among others in diabetes and metabolic diseases. Another important feature of urine is its color.

Correctly straw colored. Brown and cloudy may appear in urinary tract infections and in diseases of the liver and biliary tract. Red is present when blood is present in it, but also after eating red beet.

Urine can also foam in the toilet. This is often a sign of an excessive amount of protein excreted with it. Odorized urine appears in the presence of infections, but also after eating certain foods, e.g. asparagus, and in metabolic diseases.

Watching skin

Watching the skin is also an important aspect of taking care of your he alth, which must not be forgotten. It is worth observing regularly skin birthmarks, both old and new ones. If a nevus is regular in shape and evenly colored, does not grow in size, or has no ulceration within it, it is probably a benign lesion.

Sudden enlargement of the lesion, irregular color and shape, the presence of ulceration, itching may raise the suspicion of developing melanoma. Inany situation of anxiety, it is worth consulting a dermatologist.

When examining the skin, judge its color. Yellowing may indicate jaundice associated with liver disease.

Petechiae and large, easily formed bruises may suggest a bleeding disorder. Overall pale skin and hair loss are common symptoms of anemia. The sudden appearance of severe stretch marks accompanies endocrine diseases.

Breast self-examination

This is another important preventive examination that should be remembered by all women. It is recommended to perform it at least once a month, on the 7-10th day of the cycle. Self-examination begins with looking at your breasts in the mirror.

Then use the three middle fingers to examine the breasts while in the shower and while lying down. During this, the hand on the examined side should be placed on the head. The entire breast should be examined, including the side part that goes down to the armpit. If you feel a lump or thickening when touching, consult your doctor.

Other disturbing features that can be seen during self-examination are a retracted nipple, mucous or bloody nipple discharge.

Also skin redness, ulceration, so-called orange peel or pain should prompt you to consult a specialist.

Testicular self-examination

Just as women should examine their breasts once a month, men should also have their testicles checked. Regular examination is advisable, preferably under a shower in warm water. Examine the scrotum first and then carefully examine each testicle with your fingers.

I look for possible unevenness and nodules in their structure, which should not be there properly. If anything disturbing is detected, consult a doctor immediately.

Viewing tongue and mouth

It is a test that we can also perform every day, e.g. during the morning toilet. The appearance of the tongue and mouth can change with different diseases. The general pallor of the mucous membranes in the mouth occurs in anemia. In addition, the tongue is often smooth and hurts.

A burning, itchy tongue with cracked corners of the mouth is sometimes seen in vitamin B12 deficiency. When examining the mouth and tongue, it is also worth assessing whether you can see disturbing, protruding lesions that are ulcerated and irregular.

It could be a developing cancer. It is also worth assessing the condition of the teeth if possible, if there is no obvious caries.

Watching eyes

It is also advisable to check your eyes at least once a day. Pale mucosa and cyanosis undereyes may be symptoms of anemia. Bloodshot conjunctiva is observed in various eye diseases, with lack of sleep and in conjunctivitis, allergic, viral and bacterial.

Puffiness in the form of "bags under the eyes" is one of the symptoms of kidney disease. Yellowing of the proteins is often the first symptom of developing jaundice.

In the rare Wilson's disease, resulting from a disorder of copper metabolism, you can observe a golden ring on the cornea, the so-called Kayser-Fleischer ring.

Weight measurement

Regularly measuring your weight is also a pretty good indicator of your overall he alth. It is advisable to weigh yourself at least once a year. Unless you are on a diet, then you can do it more often, e.g. once a week, but not more often. Both unintentional weight loss and gain are worrying.

Unplanned weight loss by 10% of your original weight within 6 months should be consulted with your doctor. It may indicate a developing disease, e.g. cancer. Sudden gaining weight may also be a sign of an illness.

It is not always the result of overeating and lack of exercise. Sometimes it is a symptom of various diseases, including endocrine, i.e. related to the hormonal balance. This is also an indication for a doctor's appointment.

To sum up, we can largely take care of our he alth ourselves by regularly observing our body. Most of the home "preventive examinations" are very simple and do not require any devices.

Even such trivial things can detect the disease at an early stage. In case of any doubts, it is worth consulting a doctor and not ignoring the disturbing symptoms.

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