Health Check Up? Anyone bother?

eh i dunno

Right lads i'm 29 and wondering does anyone bother getting a health check up? I've never had one and would'nt even know what they check for? Are they more expensive than the normal trip to the docs? Debating going for one even though i dont think there is much wrong with me

Snazzy_Chazzy

Trying to get my BF do to one of these! He has bad skin condition Psoriasis and also has red blood the odd time appearing in his number 2s.
Think ill book him to

http://www.materprivate.ie/health-check/

He hasnt been at a doctor since he was 13 and hes in his 30s its mad

um7y1h83ge06nx

I had an issue a few months back and because of that and the fact I felt tired I went for a GP check-up.

He did my blood pressure, full blood tests, checked my testicles for anything suspicious and more besides. Can't remember how much it cost but it was well worth it.

eh i dunno

Ugh i dont fancy the blood in the number 2 to be honest. He should definately go. I just feel tired and ache a bit. Maybe its old age. I eat pretty healthy and only have about 5 beers a week and exercise twice a week. Think im paranoid to be honest :eek:

Wolfe Tone

As a man I wont be going to the doctor unless I am near death "ah sure it will go away on its own"

Snazzy_Chazzy

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

As a man I wont be going to the doctor unless I am near death "ah sure it will go away on its own"

Never a truer word spoken......... and a few hail marys for good measure

seamus

Snazzy_Chazzy wrote: »

Trying to get my BF do to one of these! He has bad skin condition Psoriasis and also has red blood the odd time appearing in his number 2s.
Think ill book him to

http://www.materprivate.ie/health-check/

He hasnt been at a doctor since he was 13 and hes in his 30s its mad

I don't think it's all that uncommon for men to not see their GP for years on end. Women, with their womanly bits, tend to make a habit of some form of regular check-up. Indeed it's encouraged from puberty that girls go for regular checks and the need for various things like contraceptive pills or IUDs mean that they will see someone at least semi-regularly.

Men tend to not go to the doctor unless something is falling off. We deal with aches and pains using the power of pretending it's not there and taking painkillers. "Odd" pains, bleeding where you're not supposed to bleed from, and so on are left alone for a week or two and will often go away, and men write that as off as "no need to see a doctor, it's gone away".

I broke a kneecap when I was 11 and since that healed, I can actually recall every specific instance where I went to a doctor, and why. At 23, I went to my GP when I had a bad cold because I needed a sick note. I wouldn't have bothered if I didn't need a sick note. At 25 I came off my bike and smashed my face on the ground. I went to the VHI swiftcare clinic and got five stitches in my lip. I removed them myself with a small scissors 7 days later.
Last year (at 28), I had a strep throat and went to the GP to get antibiotics and a sick note.

It's not that I have any problem going to a doctor, but I know from past experience that if I leave things alone, they go away. So I leave them alone, and they go away. My wife would be telling me after day one that I should go to the GP tomorrow. But I tell her I'm waiting a week, and inevitably it's gone, I haven't had to take a day off work and I've saved €60 + medication costs.

In my experience, this is the way that most men think. This does seem to be changing somewhat and the "health check" for men 30+ is getting more attention to help catch things before they become serious health issues. It's something I've been considering for a short while now as I approach 30.

Obviously some men are worse than others, particularly the older generation. My father in law shrugged off a sore wrist as a sprain for 3 weeks. When he finally went to the doctor, it was broken in 4 places. I tend to go on a case-by-case basis and use my own judgement. It works for me. I had bruised ribs last year, possibly cracked. I looked up what the potential treatments are (none!) and decided that it would be pointless going to a GP and paying for a consultation and X-rays, etc when the "treatment" would be exactly what I was doing - nothing!

sam34

tbh, those health checks run by private organisations tend to be expensive, and there is very little there that a GP could not do.

plus, if they discover a problem, they send you to your GP to sort it anyway.

see a GP instead, better continuity of care and cheaper.

Condo131

Snazzy_Chazzy wrote: »

Trying to get my BF do to one of these!
........................ has red blood the odd time appearing in his number 2s.

This could be anything from bleeding piles to something more serious. Either way it needs seeing to NOW! If it is "just" piles, it must be pretty uncomfortable and needs seeing to. On the other hand, if its something more serious, ignoring it isn't going to make it better. In any critical illness, early diagnosis is absolutely vital - take it from me!

Snazzy_Chazzy wrote: »

He hasnt been at a doctor since he was 13 and hes in his 30s its mad

You're absolutely right!! ...its mad!!

Addendum: As Sam says GP is probably best as first stop. With the bleeding, imho, GP is likely to refer for a colonoscopy anyway. Don't let this put him off - he needs to check this out - no ifs/buts/fears!

In short, if its something simple.....he can rest easy after the checkup
If its serious, then he may still have the possibility of nipping it in the bud.

This is a no-brainer!

Stheno

Snazzy_Chazzy wrote: »

Trying to get my BF do to one of these! He has bad skin condition Psoriasis and also has red blood the odd time appearing in his number 2s.
Think ill book him to

http://www.materprivate.ie/health-check/

He hasnt been at a doctor since he was 13 and hes in his 30s its mad

Send him to a GP, especially one you trust, and have yourself. If you think he won't be honest go with him as support, men find health issues terribly hard to discuss with GP's male or female.

A standard health check will not really cover his problem with blood in his number twos. I'd one last year, it did full bloods, mammogram/smear for women, prostate check for men, heart check for everyone, blood pressure, bmi, etc.

It caught a few guys who had poor heart health but nothing else tbh

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

As a man I wont be going to the doctor unless I am near death "ah sure it will go away on its own"

I've a few friends who took this attitude and ended up in very bad situations with their health.

sam34 wrote: »

tbh, those health checks run by private organisations tend to be expensive, and there is very little there that a GP could not do.

plus, if they discover a problem, they send you to your GP to sort it anyway.

see a GP instead, better continuity of care and cheaper.

agreed, see above

kerryman12

Guys

You have to take this stuff seriously. Now I am not talking about "man flu" (which I am currently SUFFERING with) but if you have a issue you should get it looked at.

Most of the time it will be something small but it would be pretty stupid to find out in five years that you have something serious and it was treatable.

If you do have something nagging at you go to the GP and then follow on with the appropriate professional from there.

Best Regards

KYman12

Zaph

Every 3 years the company I work for offers everyone over 40, male and female, the opportunity to go for a full health check. The last time they did it 3 people, all male, found out they had a variety of illnesses requiring treatment. One needed a stent put in for an previously undiagnosed heart condition, another has type 2 diabetes and the third was treated for elevated PSA levels which are an indicator of possible future prostate cancer. None had any symptoms or was feeling unwell.

Last year they ran the checks again, and I qualified to have one for the first time, and I was glad I did. Like one of my colleagues previously, I discovered that I had type 2 diabetes, the main cause of which is being overweight. I had absolutely no symptoms and it would appear that it was diagnosed quite early. However I've since discovered that it can go undiagnosed for 7-10 years in some people, and you can cause a huge amount of damage to your body in that time. Since being diagnosed I've had a complete lifestyle change and am looking after myself significantly better than I did previously. I could do a lot better, but I've lost 24kgs in 7 months and am healthier than I've been in years, so I don't think I'm doing too badly. Tbh, I didn't have a lot of motivation to lose weight, even though I knew I needed to, so to be told that you have an illness that could do all sorts of damage to you is a major kick up the arse.

So to answer the question as to whether these tests are worth it, I'd say most definitely, who knows what stuff is going on in your body, particularly as you get older, and as they say, prevention is the best cure.

CDfm

sam34 wrote: »

see a GP instead, better continuity of care and cheaper.

Bang on the money.

My GP charged me 60 yoyo's for a check up

60 is about right and she takes her time

blood tests and x-rays are free at beaumount which is near me

she phones me with the results

when my last GP retired I tried his replacement and didnt like him. So I asked friends & looked for a practice who also covered Men's Health.

I will probably go to my gp every six months i need a repeat perscription for a back problem - so when i am there i make use of it

alejandro1977

eh i dunno wrote: »

Right lads i'm 29 and wondering does anyone bother getting a health check up? I've never had one and would'nt even know what they check for? Are they more expensive than the normal trip to the docs? Debating going for one even though i dont think there is much wrong with me

I could be wrong but I believe [I have read] that general check ups for healthy people your age are a waste of time and money - statistically speaking.

It's too general and a bit like looking for a needle in a hay stack.
I reckon a GP checking your vitals might be more appropriate.

Count Duckula

There's a fantastic quote in the Wheel of Time series from the Amyrlin Seat saying "men always seem to refuse to admit they are sick until they are sick enough to make twice as much work... then they claim they're well too soon, with the same result."

Go for a health check-up. It's not "manly" to deliberately live in ignorance.

pawrick

no harm in getting checked out from time to time - worse case they find something and you can start to get it sorted sooner rather then later.

Had a check up for my first time almost 3 years ago and getting another one done next week - I'm 29 also. Just blood tests. no real reason apart from why not keep an eye on things, last time around they mentioned that my colestral was on the higher end of normal so I cut back on the creamy sauces I used to make and cheese which i'm addicted to.

Dravokivich

No,

Only go see a Doctor when I've got a problem. Only a few times in the last 10 or so years to get ankle injuries looked over and a second opinion on some scarring / acne... hmmm... reminds me... need to take some time off to check with a dermotologist on that..

Eitherhow, very rarely get sick and when I do feel under the weather, It's usually just a cold or dodgy food / stupid drinking.

CDfm

An aside - I asked the question if any of the political parties have a mens health policy on the GE2011 Forum

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=70554252&utm_source=notification&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=notify#post70554252

The Highwayman

Got one in Nov 2009 €170 all in. Full MOT from HIV - Blood Pressure - Diabetes. The price included 2 GP visits. I got the results in about 3-4 weeks.
Good deal and nice to find out I'd dodged a few bullets
Clinic in Dublin 1