Seven Simple Self-Checks That Could Save Your Life
Introduction: Every year, millions of people die from preventable diseases, which are entirely avoidable. Actively getting health check-ups is the most effective way to reduce mortality. However, when faced with annual or biennial check-ups, many people have only ideas but no action: too busy to find time, feeling the cost is too high, and fear of medical examinations are the main reasons why many people resist check-ups. To this end, the latest issue of the American "Reader's Digest" magazine recommends seven simple yet potentially life-saving "home check-ups" for us. You don't need any equipment and can complete them in ten minutes.
Self-Check 1: Palm Test for Anemia
Iron-deficiency anemia can lower your immunity, making you feel fatigued, with lower back pain, and blurred vision. And the clue to this disease is your palm.
Home Check-up: Open your palm and see if the palm lines are pale. "Regardless of your natural skin tone, abnormally pale palm lines, gums, or the inside of your eyelids are a signal that iron deficiency is affecting blood circulation in the subcutaneous capillaries," says Dr. Winkler of the Texas Health Science Center. If the palm lines are pale, it's best to go to the hospital for a routine blood test.
Self-Check 2: Breathing to Predict Asthma Risk
The terrifying thing about asthma, a respiratory disease, is that it brings unprecedented challenges to patients' daily lives, and even daily exercise can pose a life-threatening risk to these people. In the United States, "neglected" asthma sends 1.8 million people to the emergency room each year. A recent survey involving more than 4,000 people showed that 10% of them had undiagnosed asthma. "Don't take asthma lightly; it can make your life 'even more difficult,'" says Dr. Paul Enright of the University of Arizona.
Home Check-up: In a breathing status study involving nearly 27,000 people, researchers found that two questions could predict 90% of asthma: 1. Have you ever felt short of breath? 2. Have you ever experienced chest tightness or shortness of breath during exercise or strenuous activity? "If your answer to one or both of these questions is 'yes,' you should be aware of the risk of asthma," says Dr. Enright.
Self-Check 3: Stepping to Reflect Heart Condition
A steady and regular heartbeat is the cornerstone of life. Among all stroke cases, 20% are caused by heart rhythm disorders. It is estimated that about 2.2 million people in the United States have symptoms of atrial fibrillation, and one-third of them are unaware of it. Letting them know their physical condition can greatly reduce the incidence of stroke.
Home Check-up: Place your fingers on the artery in your wrist or neck to feel your pulse, and step in time with the pulse for one minute. If your heartbeat is irregular, you will find it difficult to keep up with the pace. A large number of scientific studies have shown that such a simple test can predict up to 90% of atrial fibrillation. If the test result is not ideal, you can rest for a moment and then repeat it after your breathing and heartbeat have stabilized. If you still find it difficult to keep up with the rhythm of your heartbeat, it's best to seek medical attention promptly.
Self-Check 4: Stretching to Detect Arteriosclerosis
Healthy blood vessels are as flexible as balloons, expanding and contracting regularly every day to carry blood throughout the body. However, factors such as aging, weight gain, a sedentary lifestyle, and diabetes can lead to plaque formation in the arteries, making them harder. You don't need complex medical examinations; a small movement can tell you whether your arteries are as soft as stockings or as inelastic as old tires. A recent survey showed that the most flexible people in the sit-and-reach test also had the most elastic blood vessels. What's the connection? Dr. Kenta Yamamoto of the University of North Texas Health Science Center points out that the arterial wall, like the muscles in your hips and back, is composed of smooth muscle cells and connective tissue. Therefore, hardening in one area will have the same effect on other parts.
Home Check-up: Sit on the floor, extend your legs straight, with your toes pointing towards the ceiling and forming a 90-degree angle with your calves. Bend forward at the waist, reach towards your feet with your arms, and try to touch your toes. "If you can't reach your toes, your risk of arteriosclerosis may be increased. If you haven't had your blood pressure measured in the past year, now is the time to do so," says Yamamoto.
Self-Check 5: Waistline Predicts Risk of Early Death
"The longer the belt, the shorter the life" is absolutely no joke. Even if you are not overweight, a large waistline can increase your risk of early death. A recent survey of 360,000 people in nine European countries showed that even for people who are not overweight, a large waistline can increase the risk of premature death in women by 79% and double the risk in men. A Harvard School of Public Health study of more than 40,000 women showed that a large waistline increases the risk of fatal heart disease by three times.
Home Check-up: Stand naked in front of a mirror, wrap a tape measure around your waist, and then move it down until the bottom of the tape measure rests on your hip bones. This is the position recommended by the National Institutes of Health. Do not hold your breath or pull the tape measure too tight, and record your waist measurement. For men, a waist circumference over 94 cm increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease; a waist circumference over 102 cm is considered high-risk. For women, 81 cm is the danger threshold, and 89 cm is the high-risk threshold.
Self-Check 6: One-Minute Depression Quiz
Dr. Alex Michel, a psychiatrist at the University of Leicester, analyzed 41 studies worldwide and found that 50% of depression cases are misdiagnosed or missed.
Home Check-up: Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand say that only two simple questions can confirm 97% of depression patients.
1. In the past month, have you been bothered by feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?
2. In the past month, have you been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?
If your answer to one or both of these questions is "yes," you should communicate with a psychologist in a timely manner.
Self-Check 7: Two-Minute Diabetes Quiz
If not treated in time, diabetes can increase the risk of heart disease and shorten life by 10-15 years. A survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the early detection rate of diabetes is only 4%, and another 5.7 million people have been "living with" diabetes without knowing it.
"You only need to spend two minutes answering 6 questions to find out how close you are to diabetes," says Dr. Peng Xijun of the Department of Public Health at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Home Check-up: Choose your answers and then add up the scores.
1. Your age? (Under 40: 0 points; 40-49: 1 point; 50-59: 2 points; 60 and over: 3 points)
2. Your gender? (Male: 1 point; Female: 0 points)
3. Are there people with diabetes in your family (parents or siblings)? (No: 0 points; Yes: 1 point)
4. Do you have high blood pressure or are you taking medication for high blood pressure? (No: 0 points; Yes: 1 point)
5. What is your weight status? (Normal: 0 points; Overweight: 1 point; Obese: 2 points; Extremely obese: 3 points)
6. Do you engage in physical exercise? (No: 0 points; Yes: -1 point)
If your total score reaches 4 points, you should be alert to the risk of diabetes; if your score is 5 or higher, it's best to go to the hospital for a blood sugar test.