REGULAR HEALTH EXAMINATIONS MAY AVERT DISEASE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 74, 28 July 1948, Page 7

REGULAR HEALTH EXAMINATIONS MAY AVERT DISEASE

(By the Department of Health) Doctors are often able to warn us, if we give them the opportunity, of the dangers that will develop if we don’t correct this or that fault in our make-up, physical and mental. First, doctors can detect the presence of organic disease as well as conditions which 1 may predispose to disease, to be followed by correction or control of the condition. Secondly, they can detect, if we’re frank with them, habits of living that are detrimental to health. The whole story of a regular check on our health is an old story to the armed forces in this and other countries. It’s inexplicable that so many of us in civilian life neglect this plain, commonsense step of a regular, say an annual, visit to the doctor. In civilian preventive medicine we have some highly interesting findings from laboratory work, particularly in the common degenerative diseases. It may be that some of these are due to unintelligent living in youth and middle age. It has been proved over and over again, particularly in countries where mass figures count, that periodical health examinations save not only cumulative misery but also the loss of income due to laying off as ' a result of predictable diseases and conditions. Blood pressure, some forms of heart disease, urinary abnormalities and digestive irregularities are the most common pointers to coming trouble. In most cases they are readily detectable by doctor, even where they were not suspected by the patient. It is easy enough to neglect yourself, but just as easy to be wise. And it hurts less.