The smallest lifestyle changes can have the biggest impact. When it comes to looking after your health, the phrase “prevention is better than cure” has been around for decades, and there is a reason that it’s there. Let’s talk about preventative health today.
Preventing an illness is always better than trying to cure it in the end. If looking after your health matters to you, then you need to start on the top and work your way to the bottom from mental health to physical health, early detection of hearing loss to early podiatry appointments. Doing so is in your best interests, now and over time. Early detection for any illness is going to be better than finding out too late. So, let’s take a look at three preventative health measures to consider:
1. No more smoking
Stop smoking. We’ve seen the warnings since we were children — We all know that smoking is not good for our health. However, it is an addiction for most people, which makes it hard to stop.
Despite a decline in smoking rates, vaping rates have surged because people believe that vaping is healthier than smoking. And it’s not. Your lungs are still going to be attacked, and it’s a gateway to smoking cigarettes. If you’re looking to quit vaping or smoking, then you need to reach out to a doctor and get onto a program to stop.
2. Keep a healthy body weight
Work on maintaining a healthy weight. When your weight becomes too high, your blood pressure goes up. Your heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs and pancreas are all under stress too.
Research has also shown that obesity puts some people at risk of premary spontaneous CSFR (CSF stands for cerebrospinal fluid and R stands for rhinorrhea). Keeping your BMI in check makes sense too as you want to be able to be active, play with your kids, and enjoy an overall higher quality of life than if you find it hard to be mobile because of extra weight.
3. Preventative health: Get regular hearing tests
Get your hearing checked in the same way that you would go for regular sight tests. You need to check on your hearing from time to time. If you’re doing so, you’re going to be aware of any issues occurring early so that you can prevent them from getting worse and be having to deal with any further hearing losses.
Plus, it’s often easier to treat the hearing issue early on, versus if it is in a more advanced stage. Consider getting a hearing exam every 3-5 years if you’re between 20 and 60 years old, then annually after that point.
4. Healthy eating
A balanced approach to food is what this is all about. Food is not medicine, but a balanced diet helps to keep your weight in check, and it helps to keep you feeling better for longer.
Your energy levels will be better and your mental health may improve too. Consider speaking with a dietitian rather than going on any fad diets to ensure that you are looking after your health properly and not starving your body.
Concluding words on preventative health
By now it’s clear that lifestyle changes can have a big impact. Early detection can be lifesaving too. Quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight, getting regular hearing tests, and taking a balanced approach to eating are all friendly reminders to take care of your health.
What are some other proactive health-related suggestions? Comment below!
Top photo by Nuttawan Jayawan from Getty Images (Canva Free Content License).