Detecting inherited medical conditions is an essential part of your overall health. You know that you need to exercise, eat a healthy diet, and go for periodic medical checkups to stay healthy. Even then, your family health history is still a strong determinant of your risk of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart conditions.
You can neither change your genetic make-up nor the family you come from. But, there are ways to reduce inheritance of medical conditions and passing them on to your children. One good way is by knowing your family’s health background and detecting inherited medical conditions. At least ten percent of the adult population suffers from a serious disease or condition that runs in the family. You don’t want to be part of this statistic.
Here are three solid reasons why detecting inherited medical conditions is crucial to your overall health wellness.
1. It allows you to take steps to reduce the chances of you getting the condition.
Prevention is better than treatment, and you can only avert that which you know of. Early detection of cardiovascular diseases or cancer makes treatment or cure manageable. Some steps to take in minimizing the chances of getting these inherited diseases include changing your lifestyle and eating foods rich in nutrients. It is essential to become knowledgeable about lifestyle adjustments and associated dietary improvements to make.
Some lifestyle changes include exercising more, taking walks, doing yoga, drinking alcohol in moderation, not smoking, plus eating fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and vegetables have fiber which can help lower your chances of getting pancreatic, colorectal, and esophageal cancer. These simple beneficial modifications can have a significant impact in the long run.
2. It enables better results.
The duration and treatment can be reduced if the condition is detected early enough. For example, some people have an increased risk of breast cancer. If this is detected early, the affected women can be referred to specialist doctors for better care and treatment.
Prenatal screening refers to tests carried out on a mother-to-be so that any dangerous or life-threatening conditions affecting the fetus in her womb can be detected and treated. Genetic disorders can also be seen during such sessions. This helps parents-to-be with appropriate preparations for themselves and their babies in a better way.
3. It helps protect your offspring from genetic disorders.
Another reason why you must know your family health history is that some genetic diseases may not be manifested until the second or third generation of offspring. They may show up 30 or 40 years later in the family lineage. Knowing your medical history is the only way to avoid any complications and not transferring them to your future generations.
Understanding your family health history helps you get information about the types of health risks you might be facing. If you are worried about such risks, go for genetic testing at any of our labs to ascertain whether or not you are susceptible. You can also contact us for more information.
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