What is Vitality Screening? … and Why Should You Care?
In a nutshell, prevention is better than a cure.
That is why Vitality Screening is a great idea for everyone, when they are looking to improve their overall health and wellness.
Vitality Screening is where your health care professional will measure your “vitals” or “vital signs”.
Your Vitals are 4 of most important signs that indicate the status of the body’s vital functions. These are body temperature (BT), blood pressure (BP), pulse / heart rate (HR), and breathing rate/ respiratory rate (RR).
These vital functions are our life sustaining systems, and the key to our overall health and wellbeing. When we go for Vitality Screening our healthcare provider will take measurements to assess overall, general physical health.
Gaining an overview of your health numbers and your current body condition will offer a valuable insight into your overall health.
Vitality Screening can catch the precursors to a disease early, so that you can make progress towards the healthiest most vibrant life possible. The vitals for each person will differ, and they do vary with age, weight, gender, and overall health. If disease is caught in its early stages it can be stopped in its tracks, therefore Vitality Screening can help prevent or reverse illness.
Monitoring vital signs used to be only carried out on a critically ill person, those wanting to join the forces or someone who is looking to take out insurance of some kind. However, now we are beginning to understand how Vitality Screening is a great tool to monitor general overall health.
During a basic Vitality Screening appointment, your healthcare professional will ask you some simple questions about your family history and lifestyle, measure your height and weight, and take your blood pressure and do a blood test.
Body Temperature (BT)
Assessing your body temperature can offer an idea of your core body temperature. Our body temperature is normally tightly controlled via thermo-regulation because it affects the rate of chemical reactions. Body temperature is maintained through a balance of the heat produced by the body and the heat lost from the body.
To find out the core body temperature of a living being, the most accurate reading should be taken via the rectum. To gain an overall picture of the health of an individual via their body temperature, we must take into consideration that our BT fluctuates throughout the day, and for women, throughout her menstrual cycle. A person’s body temperature is also affected by their emotional state and activity levels.
Blood Pressure (BP)
If you have high blood pressure then this is seen as a risk for heart disease and stroke, and can be an indication of other serious health issues. Generally the lower the blood pressure the better, however this can be affected by exercise, stress and other factors. Checking your blood pressure is non-invasive and is a great health marker to check.
Heart Rate (HR)
Being aware of your heart rate or pulse can unveil a variety of underlying health conditions. Our heart has to work hard during physical activity, however if your heart has to do a lot of work during light labour or walking (for instance) then this can tell us a lot about your overall physical wellbeing. Extremely low heart rates or high heart rates can be a symptom of an underlying problem and should be evaluated by a doctor.
Breathing Rate/ Respiratory Rate (RR)
The normal adult should breath at a rate of 12-20 breaths per minute, if this is higher, then this could be a cause for concern. The rate or pattern of your breathing should be monitored as part of your Vitality Screening appointment and will outline any possible diseases of the respiratory tract or let us know more about the condition of your health overall.
There are a wide variety of health checks available on the market today. Private Health Checks allow customers to take their health care into their own hands. The reports come to the customers, not their doctors, so you have more time to check out the results, shop around and make informed choices.
A lot of Vitality Screening done by private companies check your cholesterol, and how well each of your major organs are functioning. Eg. Liver Function, Kidney Function, Body Composition (and BMI), Full Blood Count and Lung Function. These comprehensive health exams offer a way to take control of your health, and be able to measure it at a deeper level.
Some benefits of having Vitality Screening can be, finding a cancer at a stage when it could be removed. Finding cancer early can enhance the life of the customer and ease suffering. For those whose scan finds nothing amiss can have peace of mind. Order your full body MOT today!