It’s always sad when you hear that someone you know has passed away unexpectedly. If they were relatively young, then it is usually a heart attack or stroke.
Someone who has cancer or one of the other terrible terminal diseases would usually have some form of indication beforehand and have had the condition diagnosed and perhaps some treatment. If the condition is terminal, then their loved ones and friends have had some time to prepare and although still traumatic it is not quite a shock.
It is the unexpected deaths that I feel saddest. Someone has been cut down in the prime of life and their family has had a massive shock which sometimes causes further problems. And yet a lot of these sudden deaths could be avoided or at least postponed by the simple solution of regular check-ups with your doctor.
An initial check-up could identify high blood pressure, which on its own, is almost the biggest single killer in our highly stressed society. There are medicines to lower high blood pressure and even taking a mini aspirin a day can help significantly. Other common maladies are diabetes and high cholesterol and again they can be medicated quite simply to ensure a healthier body.
It amazes me, though, how many of my friends and, I guess the wider population, have a fear of going to the doctor and take the viewpoint that “if I don’t know, then I’m healthy”. This is the sticking your head in the sand attitude and it is not a good one.
I became aware at an early age that I might have problems because my father had his first heart attack at the early age of 36. Although he lived an active life in construction, he was ill from the age of 50 until he died at 66. So I went to see the doctor in case I had inherited any of his conditions.
Lo and behold, yes I have high cholesterol. I did try for a couple of years to regulate it with diet, but to no avail. For the last 10 years or so, I’ve taken a statin tablet every day.
This means that I have to have blood tests done twice a year but since I have been on the medication my cholesterol is below five and at the last check-up, my doctor told me I was healthy. The main thing is that I know exactly what is going on in my body.
I am aware that it can be expensive to visit the doctor and not all of us have medical insurance. Bahrain has an excellent health service and as expats, we pay a premium with our work visas to use it.
So if you are of a certain age, say over 45, then don’t be shy, pop along to your local health centre and ask the doctor for a blood pressure and blood tests. If you’re in the clear, you and your family will be happy. But if they find a problem, then you have probably caught it in time to treat it and so avoid the sudden shock.
Jackie@JBeedie.com
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