I have a confession to make. I'm 29 years old, I drink too much, I dont eat enough healthy food and I dont have a GP.
Like many people, my approach to my health is based on dealing with problems as they arise. If i have a headache, I take a paracetamol. If I have a sick stomach, I hope for the best and wait for it to pass. If I am really, really unwell I go to the local "walk-in" GP centre, pay my money and see a Doctor that I have never met before.
The chance to do a full "executive" health check is welcome, then, but a little daunting. What if ther eis something wrong? Do I really want to know? The Charter Medical Group does health screening at its centre in
They're hefty sums but the latter screen lasts two and a half hours, involving a range of examinations with a Doctor and Screening Nurse Specialist. Customers of Vivas Health can get a €35 contribution towards a basic screen and €140 towards an executive screen, making them more affordable.
Dr. Omar Imtiaz, the GP at the Charter Medical centre, recommends that people get a full screen every year, on the principle that kowing about your health can help you to prevent illnesses. The first examination is paper based - a series of questions about your health, your family's medical history, your diet and even a personality test. Then its in to Dr. Imtiaz for the full physial examination, which covers everything from blood pressure, pulse and temperature to a test of your reactions, your thyroid function, your heart and your lungs.
Dr. Imtiaz is keen that people should understand their bodies, so he explains every test, turning the examination into a learning experience. Then its onto Marie Byrne, the Screening Nurse Specialist, for the next steps, including ECG, blood and urine samples, eye, ear and lung tests and calculations of my height, weight and body mass index.
I'm pleased to hear that my vision and hearing are perfect and I'm not yet obese. Last on the agenda is an examination of my diet. my drinking habits and my ability to cope with stress. I feel I have failed the last part, although I have to wait a few days for the full results.
Seeing the results laid out in front of you brings a mixture of reactions, although overall is a positive report. My blood count, kidney test, diabetes test, iron levels, bone rofile, thyroid function test and heart and lung examinations have all come back as normal.
I also have a "Type B personality, which is adsociated woth a lower health risk thatn a "Type A". A resting hear tbeat of 45 beats per minute is a source of some pride, although your "ecg needs further interpretation by a cardiologist" raises an eyebrow. The biggest surprise is my cholesterol level, which at 2.9 is well below the recommended level of lower than 5. "Liver function tests and alchohol liver changes" have somehow come back as "normal", but Byrne has recommended a "modification of habits" to fewer than ten pints per week.
Other recommendations include "Start to introduce small changes gradually into your eating habits and lifestyle. Try to make the best food choices. Get adequate rest, and drink the recommended amount of water every day (1.5-2 litres). Its gently scolding but I'll live another day.
