Have you been putting off a full body check-up because you think it is unnecessary? This oversight can turn out to be very costly for you in terms of your health! A full body check-up helps you to keep a close watch on your body and any changes occurring in it over the years. When the first signs of an ailment appear, these screening tests can quickly detect it, making you aware about a potential problem. This way, you get to consult a physician on time. Even life-threatening ailments like cancer or COPD can be identified early on and treated effectively. So, that is what a full body check-up does for you. It helps common illnesses from aggravating and prevents fatalities.

What exactly is a full body screening test?

Many people tend to avoid whole-body check-ups because they are probably already undergoing a specific battery of tests for an existing problem. Say, if you are already getting a heart health check-up done annually, you may assume that this is quite enough. However, there are many tests that your heart health check-up will not cover, which can pinpoint several other troublesome imbalances in your body.

For instance, a thyroid exam will tell you if this critical hormone is functioning effectively or if you need to take medications to iron out imbalances. Thyroid imbalance can cause a lot of disruption in your daily life with tiredness, insomnia, weight gain/loss, hair fall, body aches, loss of appetite etc. A simple test, which usually forms part of an annual full body check-up screening, can put you on the right track in resolving this problem. In short, a full body screening test can help you detect dangerous diseases early on and get treatment before it is too late.

There are many advantages of early detection, as listed below:

• Helps you ‘catch’ the disease before it has had a chance to spread/intensify
• Helps you identify potential diseases before they develop
• Allows you to start treatment in time so that the outcomes are dramatically improved
• Keeps treatment costs low by helping you to address the problem with primary level treatment
• Improves your chance of avoiding invasive treatments like surgery to treat common ailments

What does a full body check-up include?

Choosing the right kind of full body screening test is very important so that you cover all your bases and have all pertinent parameters tested. Here are the tests your full body health check should cover:

• Blood pressure and Body Mass Index check: Visceral fat analysis is also a part of these check-ups.
• Bone health: Checks for osteoporosis, calcium level checks, full body composition evaluation, DEXA scans to evaluate bone density and bone health and measures risk of sustaining fractures.
• Diabetes: HbA1c, glycated haemoglobin tests via blood work are included.
• Heart health check-up: Apart from cholesterol checks and ECG, the tests may also include ultra-low dose CTs to identify coronary heart disease in early stage. A comprehensive lipid profile test is a part of this (HDL/LDL, triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol etc.)
• Liver function tests: These include albumin, bilirubin protein level tests and many more, and the combined test is also known as a hepatic panel.
• Renal profile tests: These measure creatinine, blood urea, nitrogen, phosphorus, sodium etc. levels in the blood. Kidney function tests work by measuring Albumin to Creatinine ratio (ACR) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
• Vitamin levels: Mainly vitamin B12 and vitamin D levels are measured in these tests, especially in women.
• Thyroid: Total T3, T4, TSH levels are included.
• Abdomen scans: These tests are done to identify kidney stones, liver disease, tumours, among others. If you are at high risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm, this test is very critical.
• Eye and ear check-up: Regular check-ups are done to ensure your ears and eyes are working at peak efficiency. Any anomalies are referred to specialists so you can take corrective action immediately.
• Cancer screening: Low dose CTs are used to identify the early signs of lung cancer and other cancers. Apart from this, screening with mammograms and Pap smears for women and prostate/colon cancer screening (using FIT) for men, is a part of the full body screening. For oral cancer screening, AI based tests may be used.

Variants in full body screening test

Your lab may offer a variety of full body check-up options to choose from that may be categorised according to gender, age or lifestyle. Pick the one that closely matches your profile because it will have specific tests that address common risks that you are exposed to. For example, for senior citizens, the geriatric package can come in quite handy as it will have certain tests to evaluate cognitive functions too. Again, for men and women, some of the tests will vary so that diseases like prostate cancer (in men) and cervical cancer (in women) can be identified at early stages.

Choosing the right lab

Apart from choosing the right test, it is also important to choose the right lab to get your full body check-up done. Here’s what you must pay attention to:

• Do they have qualified, experienced technicians who can complete the test with minimal discomfort?
• Do they offer accurate results that can be relied upon?
• Is the lab open to you at convenient times?
• Do they have a qualified technician to answer your queries before you appear for the test?
• Are they equipped with the latest technology and devices?
• Do they give the reports quickly and efficiently in a format you can easily use and share?
• Is the environment hygienic and are the tests done with 0% compromise on safety and hygiene?

If you are looking for a complete health check-up package in Bangalore, consider NURA. Powered by the cutting-edge technology of Japan’s Fujifilm and the trusted healthcare expertise of Dr Kutty’s Healthcare, NURA promises accurate testing backed by a highly qualified team of technicians. This ensures that you get your annual full body check-up done with the least inconvenience and discomfort.