Turning 40? Top Health Checks You Should Consider

There are certain illnesses and issues that become far more commonplace when you hit the decade of your 40s, and it sucks. You go through life looking forward to things becoming easier at work and easier at home, so when you start to go downhill with your health in your 40s, it feels pretty unfair.

The thing is, you need to be more aware of and on top of your health in your 40s more than any other decade. From a regular bowel cancer screening to ensuring that you are following up on any issues that may have occurred in your 30s, your 40s are the decade to get on top of your health and that means considering more health checks. As you know, early detection of specific illnesses and diseases can make all the difference in your later years. It’s so important, then, to be proactive about your health. Here are some of the health checks that should be regularly on your roster!

• Blood pressure checks. It doesn’t have to take long, but your blood pressure checks need to happen every few months – especially if you’re stressed in any way. Men should be checking more often than women, too, but two of the key indicators of heart disease are high cholesterol and hypertension. With either of these, you will find health problems not far behind. Any testing like this that you have been on top of in your 30s should be continued into your 40s.
• Diabetes. Not everyone who is turning 40 develops diabetes. Did you know that more and more older people are being diagnosed with diabetes now than ever before? When we are less active, we suffer the effects of weight gain and diabetes is a side effect of that weight gain. Add high blood pressure into the mix and you have yourself a smorgasbord of trouble. Diabetes can lead to amputation, blindness and other complications, so you have to make sure that you are keeping on top of your sugar levels as much as possible. 
• Vision tests. When was your last eye check? As we age our vision declines and that shouldn’t be news to you! If you already wear glasses or contacts, you need to keep up with six monthly checks because of the risks of macular degeneration that can appear. You’re also at a higher risk of cataracts and glaucoma after the age of 40. If you don’t have a family history of these, you’re still ahead of the game, but getting your eyes checked regularly helps you to prevent it before you need a cure. You don’t want anything leading to issues with your retinas!
• Mammograms. You know that checking your boobs every month is the smart thing to do when you are a woman of any age, but as you hit your 40s you need to think about screenings to ensure that you are not developing any changes in your breasts that you can’t manage. Every two years, women over 40 should be having mammograms and ultrasounds to ensure that cancer doesn’t develop. The thing to know most about cancer is that it doesn’t discriminate. You can develop cancer right before your 40s, but you should know what your normal boobs feel and look like so that you can be aware of the changes that happen when they happen.
• Testicular checks. Along the same vein, men should be getting their testicles checked as soon as possible after turning 40. Testicular cancers are important to notice when they happen so that treatment can be achieved as soon as possible. Men are the toughest to get to the doctor in the first place but without regular checks, you won’t know if there is an issue until it’s too late. 
• At-risk disease checks. If you have other diseases in your family such as Parkinson’s and Dementia, you should be speaking to your doctor. There are colonoscopies for bowel cancer and fecal occult blood testing that you can have done to check for risk factors. You can book with your doctor for rectal exams to identify prostate cancers, too. 

Of course, many of these tests may be those occurring regularly for those over 50, but you should be more aware of your health when you hit that age. Your 40s should be an age of decadence and fun, not illness and appointments. Keeping on top of your health now is going to make a big difference later on – so don’t wait on it!

This is a collaborative post.

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