Healthy Life

by Joy Mystic

Surveys conducted by insurers show that some 16 out of every 100 policyholders register claims under the health policy every year. This shows that the cost of treating 16 policyholders is equal to the premium collected from 100 policyholders. Insurers have discovered that they can make substantial money out of health insurance if they were able to prevent at least one out of 100 policy holders from falling ill. They are now offering free health check-ups and discounts on gym memberships for policy holders.

The same financial logic can be applied by us also. If you fill up a tooth cavity early you can definitely save the amount that you need to spend on root canal treatment. In many cases, the things that require surgery does not occur overnight, but build-up over a period of time. This can be detected easily through regular check-ups. Consumer survey reports show that more than fifty percent of money can be saved through early check-ups, exercise and balanced diet. The idea is to avoid severe health complications which in turn can affect your financial situation.

We all know that blood pressure is a function of stress and anxiety rather than heredity. If BP is not so high you can keep it monitored through counseling, yoga and meditation instead of direct medication. The early signals such as constant headache and body ache can be monitored. You can get your BP checked once in a week if you suffer from severe stress and hypertension. Otherwise check-up once in a month is enough. You can get your BP tested for Rs.50 from a general physician.

If your parents or grandparents are diabetic, it is better to monitor your sugar levels twice a year. Consumer surveys show that India has the largest number of people suffering from diabetes, around 50.8 million followed by China and the United States. This report was released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). It is estimated that, by 2030 nearly nine percent of the country’s population is going to be affected. People can join a gym or just go for a walk in the nearby park for half an hour every day. This will help to reduce your BP. Eventually it helps in the production of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good”cholesterol. HDL cleans out excess cholesterol and helps you to maintain an ideal BMI (Body Mass Index).

Most working professionals have a cervical or lower back pain. They spend 90 % of the time in front of a computer. Consumer reports reveal the fact that every six out of ten is have the problem. Just take a half hour walk daily and you can feel the difference. Most of us visit dentists only if we have a dental problem. It is better to get a check-up once in every six months so that you can ensure your oral hygiene. Dentists can provide you good oral hygiene techniques. You can also have a look at the consumer health magazines. By ensuring the above things you can save the pain and money for a cavity treatment or a root canal.

Consumers should take a stress test periodically; this reflects arterial blood flow to the heart and points out various imbalances. This test has been proved to be the most effective these days. If your family has a background of cardiac problems, you should carry out a test at least once in a year. An Echocardiogram can be used to detect the location and extent of heart muscle damage depending on the results of stress test. The test ranges from Rs.500 to Rs.2000 depending upon the hospital and the city you choose. The extreme cases are bypass surgery that falls in a range of Rs 1-5 lakh, angiography around Rs 10,000 to a lakh and open heart surgery (Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh).

Consumer guidelines for good health insist women above 40 to have regular checkups for internal cysts. All the check-ups, dental visits or simple diagnostic tests may not be covered under the medi-claim. But you can avoid health complications if you spend some time and money for this. Conduct eye test, kidney and liver function test if you are diabetic or if you have marginally higher sugar levels. ECG is helpful only if it is taken during a chest pain or discomfort, else you can do stress test. Some of the potential risk factors are family history, early death of either of the parent, overweight, smoking etc. Such patients should monitor their health with regular check-ups.

Finally, you can end up saving up to 50% of medical costs with regular check ups, exercise, healthy diet and zero tobacco leading to a healthier lifestyle.