There’s no losing when you invest in your health

Saving is one of the pillars of financial life, but it’s never recommended at the cost of your health. Perhaps you see these difficult times and are tempted to save the cost of a routine doctor’s visit, with the false argument that you feel good and you can expect. I advise you not skimp on health issues because in the long run they can affect much more than just your checkbook.

Regular visits to the doctor can:

• Closely monitor your health

? Identify risk factors such as overweight, hypertension, high cholesterol, or glucose in the blood that can lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease

? Identify developing diseases, including cancer easier to combat and eradicate early

Dates you should not forget include regular visits to your doctor, gynecologist, dentist and ophthalmologist.

There are a series of basic health exams that you should undergo (depending on your age) to help ensure you are covered on a number of health fronts.

1. The Papanicolaou or “Pap”. This test is done by your gynecologist to detect cervical cancer. The USPSTF recommends this test be takes every 3 years by all women over 21, or earlier if the person has been sexually active for more than three years .

2. The Mammography is an x-ray of the breast tissue to detect breast cancer before symptoms appear or before you can detect anything through a breast self-exam. There is no single criterion as to how often you should undergo this test. The USPSTF recommends that women get a mammogram every year after age 50. However, the American Cancer Society, the American College of Radiology and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend mammograms from 40 on, or earlier if so determined by your doctor

3. Screened for osteoporosis (bone density test). Hormonal changes, especially during menopause make women much more susceptible to weakening bones, which can make them more fragile and break more easily. This test determines the degree of strength or fragility of your bones. The USPSTF recommends testing all women at least once after 65.

4. Test for colorectal cancer. After age 50, various tests to detect cancer in the colon and rectum are recommended. The occult blood test (once a year from age 50), and sigmoidoscopy (every 5 years after 50, unless you also do a colonoscopy) are two of them. The latter is performed as routine screening every 10 years from age 50, unless they also do a sigmoidoscopy every 5 years)

In addition to regularly measuring your blood pressure, blood sugar and total cholesterol level, I suggest you visit your eye doctor frequently to rule out glaucoma, as well as your dentist to prevent issues like the deterioration of your teeth.

A healthy lifestyle, healthy eating and regular physical activity, combined with visits to your doctor, will allow you to hold off a host of diseases. When these occur, the cost personal and emotional is incalculable, not to mention the economic cost. It’s much better to be safe than sorry, so consider prevention as a savings plan for your money and health.