Preventive Health Check-Ups Can Save Your Life

Dr Tariq Jagnarine
Fam Med, Endocrinology/ Diabetes

In Guyana, many people only go to the doctor when they are already very sick. We wait until the pain becomes unbearable, until we collapse, until we cannot walk, see properly, or breathe comfortably. By that time, the illness is no longer small; it is serious, complicated, and sometimes life-threatening. Preventive health check-ups are visits to a health facility when you feel well, not when you are sick. Their purpose is simple: to find problems early, before they cause permanent damage to your body, your income, or your family’s well-being.
Yet, preventive care is still not a routine habit for many Guyanese.

Why This Matters in Guyana
Guyana is facing two major health challenges at the same time:
1. Infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, dengue, malaria, and hepatitis still affect many communities.
2. Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and cancer, are rising rapidly.
The most dangerous part is that many of these diseases are silent in their early stages. A person can feel perfectly fine while their blood pressure damages the heart, diabetes slowly destroys the kidneys, or cancer grows unnoticed.
When symptoms finally appear, the disease is often already advanced.

What Doctors See Every Day
Across Guyana, doctors and nurses see the same heartbreaking situations repeatedly:
• People arriving with a stroke, never knowing they had high blood pressure.
• People are losing toes, feet, or legs because diabetes was discovered too late.
• People diagnosed with HIV very late, already severely ill.
• People finding out they have advanced cancer when treatment options are limited.
• Families suddenly facing dialysis, disability, or death.
Many of these outcomes could have been prevented or delayed through early check-ups.
Key Facts Everyone Should Know
• About 1 in 3 adults in Guyana has high blood pressure
• Many people with diabetes do not know they have it.
• Heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death.
• Late diagnosis contributes significantly to deaths from HIV and cancer.
• Chronic illness costs a family’s money, productivity, and independence
These are not rare events; they are everyday realities.

Why People Avoid Preventive Care
Common reasons include:
• “I feel fine, so I don’t need to check.”
• Fear of hearing bad news
• No time because of work or family
• Thinking clinics are only for sick people.
• Men feel routine care makes them look weak.
• Belief that starting medication means lifelong illness.

The truth is this:
👉 Finding a problem early gives you control. Finding it late takes control away.
Who Should Get Regular Check-Ups?

Everyone should. But especially:
• Adults 30 years and older
• Anyone with a family history of diabetes, pressure, heart disease, or cancer
• Overweight individuals
• Smokers and regular alcohol users
• Physically inactive People
• Men, who often delay seeking care.
• Women planning pregnancy or already pregnant.
• People living with HIV.
• Anyone who has not seen a doctor in over a year.

Why Waiting for Symptoms Is Dangerous
Many serious diseases do not cause early symptoms, including:
• High blood pressure
• Early diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Early kidney disease
• Cervical, breast, and prostate cancer
Waiting for pain or discomfort often means waiting too long.

Your Personal Health Check-Up Guide

THE HEALTH CHECKLIST: What Every Adult Should Check Each Year
If you have not checked most of these in the past year, it is time to visit a health facility.
✔ Blood Pressure
High blood pressure causes stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure, and often has no warning signs.
✔ Blood Sugar (Diabetes Test)
Early diabetes damages the eyes, kidneys, and nerves silently.
✔ Weight and Waist Size
Excess body weight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and joint problems.
✔ HIV and STI Testing (Voluntary & Confidential)
Early testing protects you and your partner and allows early treatment.
✔ Cholesterol (When Recommended)
High cholesterol silently blocks blood vessels and leads to heart disease.
✔ Cancer Screening (Based on Age and Sex)
• Women: Cervical and breast screening
• Men: Prostate screening (as advised)
✔ Lifestyle Review
• Diet and physical activity
• Alcohol and smoking
• Sleep and stress
• Sexual health
If you can’t remember your last check, assume it’s overdue.

✅ Do’s of Preventive Health Care
• DO get a routine check-up at least once a year.
• DO check blood pressure and blood sugar regularly.
• DO be honest with your healthcare provider; they are there to help, not judge.
• DO take medications exactly as prescribed.
• DO return for test results and follow-up visits.
• DO encourage your family and friends to get checked.
• DO keep a simple record of your health results.
❌ Don’t of Preventive Health Care
• DON’T wait until pain or collapse forces you to seek care.
• DON’T stop medication because you “feel better.”
• DON’T ignore abnormal test results.
• DON’T rely on advice from friends or social media instead of professionals.
• DON’T fear testing, early knowledge saves lives.
• DON’T think preventive care is only for the elderly.

Treatment Is Easier When Problems Are Found Early
Early care often means:
• Lifestyle changes
• One or two medications
• Monitoring instead of hospitalization
• Staying active, working, and independent
Late care often means:
• Hospital admission
• Surgery or dialysis
• Disability
• Loss of income
• Dependence on others

What Happens If Preventive Care Is Ignored?
Possible complications include:
• Stroke and paralysis
• Heart attack and sudden death
• Kidney failure requiring dialysis.
• Blindness
• Amputation
• Advanced cancer
• Premature death
These outcomes are often preventable.

A Special Message to Men
Strength is not avoiding the doctor. Strength is staying alive and healthy for your family. Real men check their health.
You do not need to be sick to see a doctor. You do not need pain to prove something is wrong. Preventive health care saves lives, money, and families. Check early. Act early. Live longer.