It’s Mostly Up to You to Live a Longer, Healthier Life. Check out the medical checklist: what’s on our wish list for a healthier happier year

What’s on your wish list for a healthier, happier year? When it comes to your health, what you don’t know can seriously hurt you. Aging in good health is largely up to you and the choices you make. Good genes help too, as we know. 

Today, we are consumed with the concept of healthy living and longevity. Every few years, a new trend reminds us that good health is achievable by doing less or, in some cases more: less work, less screen time, less consumption of processed foods, minimal or no alcohol, fewer fats, less spending, less weight or more weight gain, more hobbies and volunteer activities, time off, massages, exercise, PT, OT and, if you’re troubled psychotherapy and more.  

We get bombarded on TV, radio, Facebook and print ads. Slather on the sunscreen. Wash your hands regularly. Wear a mask in crowds. Take your meds consistently. Make and keep friends to avoid isolation. Join groups for more connections. Don’t get angry, count to 10, calm down, chill out. Some now say count to 20.  

Staying healthy isn’t about appearances or trying to look younger with temporary fixes like Botox, laser treatments, fillers, facelifts, fancy lotions and creams, stem cells to make your hair thicker, or whether to color your hair, tattoo, dye your eyebrows or do more with a face or neck lift and maybe a tummy tuck. You’re going to age, no matter what. Looking younger on the outside can belie what’s really going on inside your body and mind.

If you feel a lump or bump, don’t wait. Get thee to a doctor in person rather than Dr. Google online. If your tooth throbs so much that it keeps you up at night, call the dentist pronto. Bad teeth can lead to bad health. Can’t hear well, call an ENT and/or audiologist. Hearing difficulties can lead to a feeling of isolation and eventual dementia.

An uncontrollable rash, itch, burning, lumps, or bumps should be checked out. Feel off. Maybe you are getting sick, have depression issues or anxiety. Consider talking to a professional. Not sleeping or think you’re sleeping poorly, feel tired when you wake up in the morning? Maybe you have sleep apnea. Get tested. There are home testing kits now. Same for your gastrointestinal system. Try to go at least every 10 years for a colonoscopy or five years if you had a polyp on the last one or have a family history. Get annual mammograms and maybe ultrasounds, especially if breast cancer runs in your family. Hopefully, this is covered by your insurance. Make a call to find out. And don’t hesitate to call your insurance company to ask about its coverage for a new medication or pricey procedure.

Having trouble with your eyes? Get them checked, especially for eye problems that might run in your family such as macular degeneration or glaucoma. Need cataract surgery to clear up blurry vision? This procedure is covered by insurance. As we age, dry eye is another annoyance that can be treated easily with the right drops. Or maybe you simply need a stronger prescription.

Don’t ignore your hands, they too need to be strong and flexible to open a jar, cook, wash dishes, type, tie shoes and so forth. Exercise them; go for hand therapy if needed. Hip or knee problems, you may need new parts. Get the proper x-rays to determine what to do. Try physical therapy to avoid surgery. But, if you need surgery, be sure to follow up with physical therapy to start you moving and grooving again.

Use other preventative measures to stay healthy as well. Get vaccinated if you can—senior flu, a new Covid shot, pneumonia, shingles, RSV. Yes, the mandates and costs of vaccines are fluctuating right now. But, as many of us baby boomers know from getting the Polio vaccine in the 1950s, it’s protection that we cannot afford to ignore. Without vaccinations, you may get sick and end up in the hospital or, worse, in the ground. Equally important, those around you may catch what you have and spread it too.

Most importantly, go for annual checkups. Most of us will have some health issues as we age. Fortunately, you can push the envelope on aging with good preventative care and follow certain medical steps. Talk to your internist or PA about new tests, new medical information and directives. Advice in the news changes—today butter is good and margarine bad, too many eggs might ramp up your cholesterol, your A1C is up and you’re pre-diabetic but what numbers are the right ones to heed and what foods are really OK or not. An expert should be advising you rather than your best bud, even if they care about you and face the same challenges. Don’t just ask Dr. Google or friends. And take action rather than hide under the sheets if you need more advice from specialists.

Also, determine if your drug plan is the best and offers the most affordable price. Try to buy medicines at a pharmacy in the network of your plan. Search around, call, we are usually given enough time to research.

Check out the chart of self-medical care online PDF-UA_PCP-Medical-Appointment-Checklist_a11y.pdf as a checklist of what to do medically, published by United Healthcare. Print out the PDF and maybe post it on your fridge or somewhere prominent in a home office if you have one.

À votre santé. (to your health). Act now, we’re not getting younger, but we can age better!