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10 simple health checks that could save your life
health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping
woman with long dark hair, man in background
Simple health checks can help you discover how well you're ageing, and may show up health problems. Here's our guide to DIY health checks
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
exercise,health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping
Woman exercising on large fit ball
Stretch to find out how well you're ageing
Good flexibility means being able to move your joints and muscles through their full range, which will make you less prone to injuries and back pain problems. Try this simple stretching test to measure the flexibility of your hamstrings, calves and lower back. Warm up by jogging on the spot for a few minutes, then sit on the floor with your legs extended and straight and your feet at 90º to the floor. Reach forward and try to touch your toes. The more easily you can touch your toes, or reach beyond them, the more flexible you are. If you can't touch your toes, don't panic. Some people are naturally more flexible than others, and you can improve with regular stretching.
Action point
Any gentle exercise or stretching such as yoga or Pilates will help. A recent Cornell University study found that just five minutes' daily exercise and stretching could significantly improve flexibility.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping,for eyes
Close up shot of woman's eye
Take a close look at under-eye circles
You can get dark puffy circles from lack of sleep, as a sign your skin is thinning with age, or they may simply be inherited. Sometimes they indicate an allergy - increased blood flow near the sinuses can show up as dark circles, known as allergic shiners, and the accumulation of fluid causes puffiness.
Action point
Don't rub your eyes. If it happens a lot, keep a diary and see if it's linked to anything - pollen and animal allergies are common triggers.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping,for eyes
Woman smiling and covering her eye's with large pink and yellow flowers
Examine your eyes to see if you need to change your diet
If you notice a thin white line circling the edge of the iris (the coloured part of your eye) it could mean you have high cholesterol. Other signs to look out for are yellow, flattish spots on the eyelids or around the eye, particularly in younger people.
Action point
Think about cutting down on saturated fat and try to eat more wholegrains, beans and pulses. See your doctor if you think you may have a problem.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping,hand & footcare
Woman with long brown hair holding up her hands infront of her face
Check the state of your nails
Surprisingly, your nails are a good indicator of your general health. Fine lines running across them, for example, are a clue that you've been ill recently as illness can slow nail growth, producing ridges in the nail root that are pushed outwards as the nail grows. Flaky, split nails could mean you're lacking calcium, although they can also be a sign that your hands have been in water too much or that your washing up liquid is too harsh. Spoon shaped nails that bend backwards could be a sign of iron deficiency, as can very pale nails. A swollen, throbbing area - usually around the base of the nail - is caused by a bacterial infection entering through a cut or break in the skin.
Action point
Keep your nails clean and dry to stop bacteria collecting under the tips. Wear gloves when washing up and gardening and moisturise your nails after they've been in water. Check them regularly for any changes that could indicate an underlying problem.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
emotional wellbeing,health advice,healthy living,stress management,Good Housekeeping
Upset woman holding her hands to her temples looking very destressed
Find out if your stress levels are putting you at risk
Recent research at Ohio State University suggests that long-term stress can prematurely age your immune system as well as leading to raised blood pressure, infections, digestive problems, headaches and muscle strain. For a quick stress assessment answer these questions:
Do you have problems sleeping or do you wake early in the morning?
Are you becoming jumpy and irritable?
Do you use eating, drinking or smoking as a way to unwind?
Do you suffer from frequent headaches?
Do you ever have palpitations or feel panicky and out of control?
Action point
If you answered ‘yes' to more than one question you're probably doing too much and should review your lifestyle to include regular exercise and more relaxation time. Try to identify the five biggest stress factors in your life and aim to reduce or eliminate at least two of them.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping
Close up shot of woman's red lips smiling
Look for gum disease
Red, swollen gums that bleed easily usually mean gum disease, which is disastrous for your teeth - and can be dangerous for your health. Bacteria from infected gums can get into the bloodstream and travel to other organs in the body. Research has linked gum disease to heart disease and stroke, too.
Action point
Check for sores or ulcers that don't heal or which bleed, or any white or red patches that won't rub off. If you're concerned, see your dentist.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping,hand & footcare
Close up shot of womans hand with blue sky behind
See if your fingers turn blue
Make yourself an iced drink, then hold the glass for 30 seconds. Put it down and examine your hands - if the ends of your fingers have turned white or blue you probably have poor circulation. What happens is that cold (and sometimes emotional upset) triggers a spasm in the blood vessels supplying the fingertips and toes and often the nose and ears, too. These extremities will turn white, then blue, and finally red, sore and tingly.
Action point
Avoid sudden temperature changes and keep yourself as warm as possible in cold weather, protecting yourself with thermal gloves and socks. If you smoke, give up - it exacerbates circulation problems. There's also some evidence that supplements of high strength ginkgo biloba with phytosome (which allows the ginkgo to be better absorbed by the body) can help to improve circulation problems.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
skincare,health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping
Womans hand covering the left side of her breast and shoulder
Be aware of any unusual skin changes
Generally, your skin gets drier with age, but pale, rough flaky skin could be a sign of an underactive thyroid. Other telltale symptoms include weight gain, lethargy and sensitivity to cold. All-over itchiness, or raised itchy patches on the lower legs and feet can mean an overactive thyroid.
Action point
Watch out for any of these changes and do a regular mole and freckle check, too. You should be especially vigilant if you have a lot of moles on your body (more than 50) or unusual ones that are large or have an irregular border. Look particularly for any moles that grow, become ragged around the edges or multicoloured, or which itch, crust or bleed. If you're worried about any skin changes at all, see your doctor.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping,hand & footcare
Close up shot of womans cupped hands
Study your hands
Start by looking at your fingerprints. Doctors at Southampton General Hospital found that people who had a whorl pattern rather than a simple arch were more likely to have high blood pressure. Now examine your palm. The researchers also found that people whose palms, especially the right one, were long in relation to the width were more prone to hypertension.
Action point
See your GP to have your blood pressure checked if you haven't done so in the past three years.
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10 simple health checks that could save your life
exercise,health advice,healthy living,Good Housekeeping
Dark haired woman in blue top smiling
Take your pulse to get some important health clues
Your pulse should be around 70 beats a minute. If it's much more rapid, you could have an overactive thyroid and if it's rapid and irregular it could be a sign of a condition known as atrial fibrillation. This is potentially very dangerous as blood can pool in the heart's upper chambers, causing a clot. If part of it then breaks off and enters the bloodstream it could block an artery - and if it's an artery supplying the brain, it can cause a stroke.
Action point
Take your pulse regularly. Place the first two fingers of your right hand on the left wrist just below the thumb. Count the beats in 60 seconds, concentrating on their regularity. Don't worry about an occasional extra or dropped beat, but if it's very rapid and/or very irregular, see your doctor.
Pubished December 2003
The answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone and are not substitutes for professional medical advice. If you're worried, see your GP.
For more information, visit www.netdoctor.co.uk
10 simple health checks that could save your life
It takes a matter of minutes to carry out these basic tests, but do them regularly and they can give you essential information about your body and help to reveal if there's anything wrong
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