Looking after yourself during the pandemic
For two years, we have been focused on every bit of health advice around preventing COVID-19 infection, from hand hygiene and wearing masks, to vaccinations and physical distancing. For many that has meant staying home and not going about our usual activities, including our usual GP, specialist and allied-health provider visits.
COVID-19 has been a game-changer for the way health care is delivered, with the development of telehealth and e-prescriptions. I am sure many of you have taken advantage of this and called your doctor to, for instance, request repeat prescriptions, but I am also sure many of you have avoided or missed some of the usual preventive health actions recommended by your GP.
While it is important to avoid COVID-19 infection, it is still important to look after your long-term health. Even though it feels like the COVID-19 pandemic will go on forever, it’s important to look after your health now to make sure that you can enjoy your life after COVID-19.
When you visit your GP, he or she will be thinking about preventive activities suitable for your age, sex, health and family history.
In Australia, the leading cause of death after the age of 45 in men is coronary artery disease followed by dementia, then lung cancer then cerebrovascular disease (stroke). In women, dementia tops the list with coronary heart disease second.
Therefore doing everything we can to address the risk factors for cardiovascular disease is important. After the age of 45, your risk increases and during a health assessment your GP will check your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar to check for diabetes, look for evidence of kidney disease and perform a cardiovascular disease risk assessment.
Addressing these risk factors will reduce your cardiovascular risk. This assessment is generally recommended every two years but your GP will consider checking more frequently if you have other health conditions or a family history of coronary disease. Such a health assessment is a good time to check if you are a smoker and whether you are interested in getting help to quit.
Colorectal cancer in men is seventh on the list of causes of death for men and women and everyone at age 50 gets a present from the Government in the form of a faecal occult blood test kit in the mail. This is then provided every two years up to the age of 74. It’s a simple test that can help screen for bowel cancer and ideally pick it up earlier and save lives. Cancer Council Australia estimates that screening can reduce death from the disease by 15–25%. If you have a history of polyps in the bowel or a family history of bowel cancer you may need a colonoscopy, and screening might need to start at an earlier age. You can discuss this with your GP.
Many veterans have had a lifetime of sun exposure and have sustained skin damage as a result. Your GP can conduct regular checks of your skin looking for any signs of skin cancer and help you to know what to look out for at home between visits. Again, if you have a family history or have had previous skin cancers your risk is increased and these checks are important.
Breast cancer screening with mammograms is recommended every two years for women over 50 and earlier for women with a history of breast cancer or a family history. Your GP can discuss this and help you understand the risks and benefits of screening for you as an individual.
Cervical cancer screening is now recommended less frequently than it was in the past with the new screening program involving a pap test that checks for the HPV virus recommended every five years starting at age 25 until age 70–74. Your GP may recommend more frequent testing depending on your history and other health conditions.
Prostate cancer in men is the sixth cause of death in Australia. Screening for prostate cancer with a blood test, the PSA test, is not recommended because it is not clear on a population basis that the benefits outweigh the harms and there is a clear risk of over diagnosis (and the associated risk of harm due to unnecessary treatment and further investigation). The decision to screen for prostate cancer is definitely a personal decision and you should discuss this with your GP.
There are many more checks your GP might recommend, including having a regular dental check, having your vision and hearing checked and making sure you have been fully immunised. Since COVID-19, with everyone observing good respiratory hygiene, influenza rates have fallen dramatically but will be expected to return to normal levels after this pandemic. It’s important to make sure that you have your routine immunisations on time.
There is a Medicare item number for a health assessment of people aged 45–49 at risk of developing a chronic disease as well as one for those aged 75 or over. DVA funds a veteran health check by your GP. This is a one-off check that can occur at any time after leaving the ADF. There is also an Annual Veterans’ Health Check that you can have done each year for up to five years after leaving the Australian Defence Force for those who left on or after 1 July 2019. These are both comprehensive checks and should take up to 45 minutes. See the DVA website for more information (go to the DVA website and search for ‘veterans health check’).
DVA provides a guide for your GP on common health conditions in veterans and a handy Veteran Health Check Assessment Tool.
Concerns about mental health have been a frequent topic of interest during the pandemic but mental health problems can occur at any time or age. Your GP is a good person to discuss any mental health concerns you might have and can help you get further care, including through psychologists. A good diet and keeping physically active are very important for your mental health as well as your overall health. Exercise is one of the most important preventive activities we can do. If you’re not sure where to start, talk to your doctor.