Family Health Checks You Can Do At Home

Collaborative Post 

As any parent knows, having a perfectly healthy family is virtually impossible. There is always someone who has some little problem or complaint.  The first instinct is to head to the doctor. But did you know that there are many health checks that you can perform at home? In this article, we list some of the checkups that you can do yourself to diagnose whether you have a serious problem on your hands or not. Check them out below:

Skin Check

You’ll need a professional clinician to perform a full skin check to determine whether a new mole is cancerous or not. However, you can determine whether you’re at risk. 

Screen your family for the appearance of new moles after sun exposure, such as going on a two-week vacation. Pay particular attention to new raised moles, black moles, or moles that look different on one side compared to the other. If you notice anything like this, go to a doctor immediately for a full checkup to rule out anything more serious. Remember, families with fair skin are at higher risk. 

Sound Test

Sometimes it can be difficult to determine whether your children have high-frequency hearing loss, especially when they are young. Therefore, it’s a good idea to do a sound test.  Most infants (children who cannot speak yet) will react to loud noises in the environment. If they don’t, it could be a sign of hearing loss and indicate that they need hearing aids. It may also mean that their ears are blocked and they require wax removal. You can also check your own hearing by comparing the volume setting on the TV you need today to what you required in the past. If the number is creeping up, it could mean that you need a hearing test. 

Blood Pressure

High blood pressure doesn’t occur in children, but it is a risk among adults. It’s one of the leading causes of strokes, heart attacks, and kidney disease. Worse still, there are rarely any warning signs that you have high blood pressure. 

Ideally, your blood pressure should be between 90/60 mmHg and 120/80mmHg. If it’s above that when you take a reading using a home test kit, you’ll need to consider changing your lifestyle. Things like cutting down on salt and alcohol intake, and eating more healthily can all have a positive impact. 

Check Your Heart Rate

Your heart rate should be around 60 beats per minute. If it’s higher than that, it could be an indication that you’re run down, dehydrated or unwell. If an elevated heart rate continues for more than a few days, consult a doctor. They can find the underlying cause. 

Temperature Checks

Children get fevers regularly. When the body has an infection, it raises its temperature to help fight it off. A fever should usually last no more than 48 hours. You can use home thermometer test kits to determine whether fever has started. Normal adult body temperature is around 37°C. If it is above 38°C, you or your child likely has an infection.