Self health check up should be done daily

Dr. Vandana

MD - Pathology · General Physician 

Health checks you should do everyday

Health is not mere absence of disease or infirmity. It is a state of complete physical , social and mental well being and you feel fit. An ideal way of ensuring health is to be observant and careful about any bodily changes that may convert into certain symptoms later. Although you cannot yourself diagnose diseases, there are 6 one-minute health checks which should be done by everyone, everyday.

1. Check The Color of Urine: Keep a tab on the color of your urine everyday. Healthy or normal urine is usually colourless or just pale yellow. Hint of any colour in your urine is not a good sign. If you are dehydrated or have urinary tract infection, your urine will be dark yellow in colour. Take this hint and start drinking more water - best thing to do is drink water every thirty minutes, throughout the day. If there is blood in your urine, it would be an indication of kidney stone or bladder infection or any kind of growth in the urinary tract.

2. Skin Health: Your skin shows how healthy you are. Cracked and dry skin tends to be itchy. Alongside, it also shows signs of health ailments and nutritional deficiencies. Be a on a lookout for changes in colour, texture, rashes, bumps or flare-ups. These changes could be symptoms of anything from skin allergy, dermatitis, psoriasis, allergy or cancer.

3. Nail Health: Nails are the direct indication of how our health is from within. Healthy nails should look strong, pink, clean and clear. Anything otherwise is a sign of bad health. Situations where there is discoloration on the nails or linear streaks could mean deficiencies, kidney diseases, fungal infection, hormonal disorder, anemia or even cancer.

4. Hair Health: Every day we lose up to 100 strands of hair and that is normal. We grow up ample amounts to balance this loss. However, if you are losing more hair than normal, it could be to do with deficiencies or hormonal disorders.

5. Gums Health: It is important for us to ensure that our gums are healthy. Bleeding gums can mean something as minor as bacterial infection to something as big as heart diseases. Either way, have regular checkups done and consult your dentist at any sign of bleeding gums.

6. Eye Health: Check your eyes daily, any change in colouration need to warranty a visit to the doctor. Healthy eyes are white, so if your see redness or yellow colour, you should be concerned. Red eyes could be anything from sleeplessness to cold, flu, conjunctivitis or other infections. If yellow, you might have contracted jaundice.