How to improve common health problems in your family?
Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom
Everyone wants to be healthy, although modern life may try its best to get in the way. However, we all have power over our health risks, heritable disorders, and well-being. Most importantly, you must start by learning what has been common in your family and go from there. Here are a few tips on improving overall wellness with the help of your family medical history.
Attacking inheritable cancers head on
If a blood-related family member had colorectal cancer before age 50, talk to a specialist. They can set up a screening to see if you are showing signs of early development, giving you a fighting chance. In many cases, a doctor will recommend genetic counseling based on your history. Since these tests improve detection rates reliably, they also benefit your odds.
Mammography screenings should be performed if a relative has breast or ovarian cancer. Sometimes, your doctor may prescribe aromatase inhibitors, tamoxifen, or raloxifene to reduce risks. Taking them can lower the odds of developing cancer in women with relatives who had it before age 50.
Handling heart-related risks and ailments
Heart disease is one of the most common killers in the country, but you can fight back. Since you can take personal action to lower heart risk, it starts at home. For example, personal risk factors are lower if you live an active lifestyle and eat a high-fiber diet. Furthermore, a medical professional can check for familial hypercholesterolemia. Ask them about it if any relatives have LDL cholesterol levels over 190 mg/dl. In addition to these suggestions, everyone should limit their alcohol consumption. Since it directly affects heart health, limiting drinking helps more than your wallet.
Addressing dental disorders and misaffections
Do not let your clicking jaw prevent nighttime rest anymore this year, and speak to a professional TMJ specialist in Los Angeles. Known as a temporomandibular joint disorder, this condition affects the mouth’s main joint. As a result, your life can be filled with constant headaches, tension, and discomfort. TMJ can be a serious affliction from jaw and tooth pain to congestion and headaches. Luckily, treatment is simple once you are connected with an adequately trained specialist.
Assuaging hemochromatosis effectively
Hemochromatosis is a genetic condition that causes iron overaccumulation in the blood. Consequently, the liver can be damaged, leading to other additional problems. If a brother or sister has this disorder, ask your doctor about taking steps to lower iron in your blood today. Usually, they can test your blood’s iron content and see if anything is amiss fast.
Tackling diabetes and insulin insufficiency
If a direct relative has type II diabetes, your odds of having prediabetes go up a ton, so seek medical attention. Unless you want to become insulin-dependent, it would be wise to request a test fast. Even if you are diagnosed as prediabetic, there are ways to address this naturally. Generally, you can limit sugar consumption and carbohydrate intake to ameliorate minor issues. However, you should always be careful, as actual diabetes can be a lifelong condition. Eating a diet filled with fibrous foods and protein-rich items can satisfy cravings. Plus, these do not affect your blood glucose levels as much as sugar-laden treats like sodas and candy.
Properly analyzing your family’s medical history
Since your family’s medical past includes such an assorted range of risks, it is important to know it well. From cancer to diabetes and even asthma, many health conditions are inherited, at least in part. Nevertheless, you must begin by creating a well-documented history to be effective. Ask your living family members about their health history, starting with your grandparents. Talk to everyone available, including your parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and nephews. Do not worry about your adoptive parent’s history unless you are concerned.
Accurately tracking this information is crucial, so make sure to document everything. Continue moving through the listed items until everyone has given you their answers. Once the list is completed, take it to your doctor and show them what has been diagnosed in your family. They can help you work through the high-risk items, and you can focus your efforts from there.
How informed family medical histories heal
Family medical histories empower your resistance to poor health, improving overall wellness. By starting to learn today, your life will be better by tomorrow. This includes exercise and knowing what foods are best for your body.