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Before the breakdown
I remember that when I served in the Army Medical Corps many years ago, all our vehicles - from ambulances to staff cars - used to regularly undergo what they called 'Preventive Maintenance'.

Each vehicle had a designated day of the week - and on this day it had to be taken to the depot where the carburettor, plug points, brakes, battery, tyre pressure, etc. were all carefully checked by the mechanics. They made sure these were functioning okay and that oil, water, brake fluid and petrol were all topped up - and then signed the vehicle off as being in satisfactory condition. It was a logical precaution to regularly assess these vehicles and take early remedial action because they were subjected to such harsh working conditions.

Recalling those Army days, I sometimes wish that our patients would take as good care of themselves as the army did of its vehicles!

Getting a breakdown
I am not suggesting that everybody should take a weekly day off work to see their doctor for a check-up. But taking care of one's body by doing this sort of regular 'retentive maintenance' is a sensible way of ensuring that one's body doesn't suddenly 'have a breakdown'. Getting an annual check-up is certainly not a luxury that you undertake only if you have a little spare time. Most of us go to see our doctor only on the rare occasions when we get ill.

This is sad - because if you make it a point to see your doctor on a regular basis, potential problems can be detected in their early stages and serious diseases diagnosed before they reach the incurable stage. When you go to see your doctor for a check-up, some of the most important things to have checked are:

Blood Pressure: High blood pressure (Hypertension) can lead to heart attack or a stroke, which are common causes of death in our country. Measuring blood pressure is quite painless - it does not require any injections or needle pricks and can be easily done in the doctor's office. If your blood pressure is too high, you can discuss with your doctor what changes you need to make to your diet or lifestyle to reduce the pressure. Lowering elevated blood pressure does not always mean that you have to take medication.

Cholesterol: This is a waxy type of fat that is carried in the bloodstream. It gets deposited on the inner wall of the arteries and can clog up your circulation. Having high cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease by narrowing your arteries and reducing blood flow to vital organs. If any of your family members (parents, brothers, sisters) have a history of Cardiovascular disease like heart attacks, strokes or high blood pressure, it is imperative that you get your cholesterol checked - because the tendency to have high cholesterol runs in families, and finding out early means you can take steps to bring your cholesterol levels down. Checking your cholesterol can be done by a simple blood test.

Diabetes: If you are overweight, over forty, or have a parent or brother/sister with diabetes, then you have a good chance of developing this serious condition, which if uncontrolled will damage your heart, kidneys, eyesight and sexual function. In its earliest stages, diabetes does not cause symptoms - and you can have it without knowing it. Diabetes is said to be present if the amount of sugar (glucose) in your blood is too high - and your doctor could do a simple blood test and check if you have high blood sugar.

Sexual health:- If you feel you have a problem about Erectile Dysfunction (the inability to achieve or maintain an erection for sexual intercourse - a condition that is very common) talk to your doctor. There are several simple tablets that can be used to treat this condition. If you want to know about contraception, you can get advice from your doctor about the method that will best suit you and your partner. Sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, Hepatitis B and Herpes can ruin your life - as well as that of your partner - because you may be harbouring an infection picked up previously and not know it. If you have any suspicion that you could be carrying such an infection, ask your doctor about getting a blood test. Remember, your doctor is there to assess, advise and assist you - not just to fix you up when things break down!

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