Early detection or diagnosis of a disease has great importance in the life of any person. If diagnosed at an early stage some diseases can be cured fully or certain disease state can be reversed. Treatment also becomes easier, the quality of life is preserved, and the risks associated with the disease are prevented.
Early detection leads to more cures and longer survival rates.(1)
A regular routine check-up is very necessary to detect any malfunctioning going on inside the body. The routine body check-up involves the following tests.
- Complete blood count
- Blood sugar(fasting and pp)
- Creatinine
- Liver function test
- Lipid profile
- Uric acid
- Urea
- Electrocardiogram
- Lung function test
- Chest X-ray
- Pap smear for women
- Treadmill test
- Echocardiogram
- Ent consultation
- Dental consultation
- Diet counseling
- Vitamin analysis
- Thyroid hormones test
If any problem is detected in the above tests, advanced tests are advised accordingly.
How frequent you should go for the routine analysis totally depends on your age, gender, health status. There are certain risk factors which make chances of getting the disease more likely. These include family history (such as close relative suffering from cancer, diabetes, coronary artery diseases), lifestyle habits (such as smoking, excessive drinking), or the environment you live or work in.
Importance of Early Detection Of Diseases
If we talk about the importance of diagnosing a disease early, the benefits are numerous, as it is a way to save lives and maintain the quality of living. Below are listed few amongst those numerous benefits of early disease detection.
A Disease Might Be Treatable
If a disease is detected early when the symptoms might not have reached a severe state in which it might have caused damage to other organs, the disease would be easy to treat without any complications. It causes less distress to the individual as he can return back to his healthy state early.
Symptoms Might Be Reversible
Some diseases cause the development of irreversible symptoms with time, and in such cases, the patient can just be given medicine to palliate the disturbing symptom. These people have to live with the disease. Such diseases if detected early can be reversed or completely removed from the body.
Diagnosis Is More Accurate In The Early Disease Process
As the disease advances their complications increase, as other organs related or non-related start getting affected. As a result, the symptoms start mixing up and coming to a diagnosis as to why a particular symptom has appeared becomes difficult. Early diagnosis in such cases helps in curing the disease at an early stage without causing distress to other body organs.
Helps Family
If a person has some kind of life-threatening disease where there cannot be any treatment only interventional measures can be taken, family in such cases suffers too.
Family is closest to any person and their problem brings a feeling of burden and stress amongst the family members as well. Early detection and diagnosis of the disease at the beginning stage eases the stress and also removes the feeling of regret for not becoming aware earlier.
Helps You Plan Well And Make The Best Possible Choices
Early diagnosis may prevent unwise choices which might otherwise be made in ignorance and in haste. The person himself or with family can sit and take the right decision on how to proceed with the treatment. He can plan his legal and financial commitments beforehand.
It’s Empowering
An early diagnosis can enable a person to take part in his own legal, financial and long term care planning and make their family aware of their wishes.
Use of Available Resources
If detected early a person can learn tips and strategies to manage and cope with the disease. He can also plan properly and use any resource if available.
Taking as a whole, if any of the diseases are diagnosed early its cure is easier and the quality of life is also preserved. Stress to self and family members is also reduced.
