Xmas: Health check-ups perfect gift for your family

Merry Christmas
What you need to know:
- The simple health checks that you will undertake this Christmas period as a way of gifting your family will save you from digging deep into your pockets to pay medical bills in the New Year 2025
Christmas time is here again. It's the most wonderful time of the year since it is characterised by holidays, gifting, travels upcountry or even out of the country, merry-making, and catching up with family and friends. But this time, as you make merry, the perfect gift you can give your beloved family is taking them for a health check-up.
When was the last time your family members did a full body check, including cancer tests for those who are 40 years and above?
Core to the health check-ups is that they help in identifying early life-threatening diseases. Early detection can lead to more effective treatment and better chances of getting cured.
Routine health check-ups can help prevent certain health issues from developing into diseases. They can also help monitor chronic conditions and prevent complications.
To adults, a health check this Christmas will enable you to know whether you are at higher risk of getting certain chronic health problems such as diabetes, cancer, and heart and kidney complications.
Also, health check-ups can help you understand your lifestyle and suggest improvements. They can also help you assess your risk factors and adjust your treatment plans accordingly.
This Christmas, do some deworming, which is a health matter that has less attention paid to it. It is advised that you deworm after every three months. Deworming will help the body absorb nutrients from food, which can lead to better energy, digestion, and overall well-being.
Likewise, deworming helps the immune system function more effectively, making the body more resistant to infections and diseases.
In children, deworming will help them grow and develop healthily by preventing nutritional deficiencies caused by parasites.
Deworming also helps prevent intestinal worms from leading to more severe illnesses. The World Health Organisation recommends that pre-school children and other risk groups receive periodic deworming.
Flipping the coin, when family members aren’t dewormed for such a long period, this can lead to iron shortage and anaemia, mild diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and an itchy, red skin rash.
So the simple health checks that you will undertake this Christmas period as a way of gifting your family will save you from digging deep into your pockets to pay medical bills in the New Year 2025, which money can be spent on other productive family projects.
Have a healthy, Merry Christmas.