“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  ~ World Health Organization.

Preventive Healthcare is applied to "healthy" people; its primary objective is prevention of disease and promotion of health. It involves measures taken to identify and minimize risk factors for disease, improve the course of an existing disease and screening for early detection of disease. It also involves health promotion, which is aimed at modifying the individual’s social circumstance and lifestyles so that their health is improved or maintained and disease is prevented. Another aspect of Preventive Healthcare is early identification of high-risk individuals prone to major life-threatening illnesses like heart disease and cancers due to stress and related aspects. This helps in taking timely, precautionary lifestyle modification measures or treatment.

Some diseases like cancer cannot be cured if they are diagnosed at an advanced stage while some disorders like heart disease may result in sudden death without any previous warning signs. Prevention, in such cases, is not only better than cure but is often the only option for a healthy life.  Modern lifestyles don’t leave people with quality time for healthy routines. It then becomes necessary that periodic health checkups be done for early detection of risk factors and diseases.

Diabetes, Obesity, Hypertension, Stress, High Cholesterol, Heart Diseases… Most of the diseases are “silent”; we often do not have any early symptoms. Hence regular screening tests are the only way for all these diseases as they are quite debilitating. They seriously impair normal life and if left untreated, lead to complications and may even cause death.

Fortunately, these diseases can be easily prevented and even fully cured if detected early. Some of these diseases can be ‘Managed’ so that you can lead a near normal life. All that you need to do is to make slight modifications in your lifestyle, eat regularly and responsibly, exercise, avoid stress, and sleep well.

Regular health check – ups coupled with these lifestyle changes, can go a long way in the prevention, early detection and cure of these diseases.