Health checks, antibiotics, and some health advice

Visiting the doctor soon? You should be! Regular health checks can detect signs of serious diseases before you notice any symptoms. Part of this detection process involves asking your doctor for advice about any concerns you may have, no matter how small.

What follows is some information about health checks, antibiotics and a few health pointers.

Here are a variety of checks and tests that your doctor can use to monitor your health.

• Blood pressure check: High blood pressure can make you susceptible to heart attack, stroke and kidney failure.
• Bone density scan: A test for osteoporosis (brittle bone disease).
• Cholesterol test: A blood test to determine whether the blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which can increase the risk of heart disease, are too high.
• Eye test: This can reveal high blood pressure, glaucoma and diabetes.
• Fecal occult blood test: A screen for bowel or colon cancer.
• Mammogram: An X-ray for detecting breast abnormalities and early-stage breast cancer.
• Pap smear: A cervical swab shows cell changes that could develop into cancer.
• Prostrate-specific antigen (PSA) screening: Early PSA screening may reduce the risk of metastatic prostate cancer by up to 35 per cent.
• Skin cancer check: Malignant melanomas are curable if identified and treated at an early stage.

Antibiotics are lifesavers for serious bacterial infections such as pneumonia. However, excessive use of antibiotics can breed antibiotic-resistant bacteria and also destroy large numbers of the protective 'good' bacteria that reside in your intestine. Both of these effects can make you more vulnerable to other infections.

If you're prescribed antibiotics, take a probiotic supplement such as acidophilus during and following the course to replace the beneficial bacteria the drug might wipe out and to help keep your immune function strong.

If you have to go to the hospital, listening to a relaxation tape could shorten your stay. Research has shown that visualisation and guided imagery can reduce pre-and post-operative anxiety.

Ask at a bookshop or a New Age store for suggestions.

A dangerous interaction between a drug and a vitamin or herb is rare, but it can happen. So be sure to always give your doctor a full description of exactly what you're taking.

Keep this information on health checks, antibiotics, and general health advice in mind to help yourself live a healthier life.