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When was the last time you went for your health check up? While some people go for medical screenings or health check ups often, many others avoid citing reasons!! It is worth mentioning here that medical or health screenings are essential as they would help us to track our overall health. Not only do we get to know about the health issue or disease present in us by means of health checkups, but also prevent or avoid them. These are the health check up or medical screenings every male above the age of 40 must undergo for the sake of their overall health and well being. Blood pressure: Usually, high blood pressure or hypertension might not show any symptom but the fact is that it would harm our heart health, kidney health etc. Therefore, men above the age of 40 must get their BP done frequently to track their cardiovascular health. Cholesterol test or lipid profile: By this test, we would be able to get details about bad cholesterol levels or LDL, good cholesterol levels or HDL and triglyceride levels in us. High cholesterol is shown by higher levels of bad cholesterol. By this, we might get heart attacks etc due to clogged arteries. It would be possible to maintain our cholesterol levels by health checkups. Screening for diabetes: Without causing any major symptom, type 2 diabetes is a very common health condition that can occur in those who are above the age of 40. Pre-diabetes or diabetes could be detected by fasting blood sugar tests. It is noteworthy that detection of diabetes by health check up would help us to avoid health complications. PSA test or prostate cancer screening: Prostate cancer could be detected at an early stage itself through this PSA test. Those with family history are advised to undergo this important test. Liver function test or LFT: A simple blood test would be enough to detect liver damage or fatty liver disease in us. It is true that this LFT would help us to detect early signs of liver stress and would help us to avoid liver damage. Colon cancer screening: The fact is that colon cancer is one of the common types of cancer in men. Hidden blood that is a possible sign of colon cancer could be detected by a yearly stool test or FIT. Men above 40 are advised to undergo colonoscopy also. Eye examination: Annual eye checkups are necessary and these could help to detect issues like cataract, glaucoma etc. It must be noted that these could lead to vision problems. It is known that after the age of 40 men might get these eye issues.

Improving health related outcomes like cancer etc would depend on the oral health care. This was revealed by a recent study done by AIIMS or All India Institute for Medical Sciences, New Delhi. It must be noted that oral health care must be done not only at the primary levels but throughout all health management. Information is that the study was published in the Lancel regional Health- SE Asia in July month. Poor oral health could be related to several health issues in us and these would include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer`s disease or AD etc. This was according to cancer specialists like Dr. Abhishek Shankar and Dr. Vaibhav Sahni. Truth is that oral health is connected to cancer risk and its prediction especially regarding cancer in head and neck based cancers or HNC. There is a relation between periodontal disease or gum disease and various cancers of the digestive tract, prostate, pancreas, breast, uterus and lungs etc. Cancer incidence could get elevated due to the presence of pathogenic oral bacteria lie Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Prevotella Intermedia etc. Overall survival would get affected. It has been confirmed by the recent systematic review that radiotherapy or RT to the head and neck region would alter the oral microbiome. Beneficial bacteria would be reduced and potentially harmful species would get increased. This would result in post RT complications. This was as per the research study. It was later brought out by some researchers that patients with severe periodontal disease undergoing IMRT or intensity modulated radiotherapy along with or without chemotherapy have higher chances of post treatment bone healing complications. Therefore, it is highly essential for the patients to maintain good oral health before/during/post RT because the oral health would play a huge role in survivorship outcomes.  Routine dental visits are associated with lower cancer deaths and this was as per the research study. The necessity of integrating oral health practices must be done not only at the primary levels but also throughout all healthcare settings. This has been confirmed by the doctors.

Have you consumed healthy foods in the morning in an empty stomach and experienced stomach discomfort etc later on? Then, you are not alone!! Truth is that healthy foods need not be good for us and they might not be the best choice to begin the day. It is worth mentioning here that healthy foods would have nutrients but their high acidity, fibre content or sugar content etc could result in certain issues in us if we consume them in the morning. The issues are sluggishness, stomach discomfort, energy crashes, poor nutrient absorption etc. It is necessary to avoid these healthy foods in the morning. Avoid citrus fruits: It must be noted that citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C but their acidic nature would irritate the lining of the stomach if consumed in an empty stomach. Those with acid reflux would get heartburns or discomfort if they consume citrus fruits in the morning.  Avoid raw vegetables: Though the raw vegetables have superb nutrients in them but they also have insoluble fibres in them. This could be harsh on the stomach if eaten in an empty stomach. There are chances of abdominal cramps, bloating gas etc if we eat them in the morning in an empty stomach. Avoid granola or muesli: Being rich in sugars and refined oil etc, consuming granola bars first thing in the morning could result in mid-morning energy crash. Blood sugar regulation would be disturbed throughout the day if we consume this in the morning in an empty stomach. Avoid green smoothies: Examples like kale and spinach can be healthy but raw forms are rich in oxalates and fibres etc. When we consume green smoothies first thing in the morning in empty stomach calcium absorption can get hindered and there are also chances of issues like bloating, gas etc. Avoid tomatoes: Our stomach lining could get irritated by consuming tomatoes (rich in vitamin C and antioxidants etc) in an empty stomach. We could get gastritis or acid reflux symptoms. Avoid bananas: High in sugar content and acidic, intake of banana in the early morning can spike the blood sugar levels and increase magagnesium in the blood also. By this, there could be disturbed heart health in some persons. Avoid avocados etc: Intake of avocados in an empty stomach in the morning can become too heavy for some individuals. Digestion could get slowed down and we might feel sluggish etc.