It’s no news to anyone that the key to a long and happy life is maintaining your health, both physical and mental. Well, Redditor Sea_Fig1387 asked, “Doctors out there, what is one important thing you’d recommend to everyone for their health?” Here’s what medical professionals said…
1.
“Oral health is often overlooked, so this is for anyone who uses a manual toothbrush: If you can afford it, buy a cheap electric toothbrush. Most people aren’t great with their toothbrush technique, and an electric toothbrush makes it so much easier for most people to get plaque off. Just two minutes each time, twice a day, point the bristles toward the gum line at a 45-degree angle and let the electric toothbrush do its magic!”
2.
“Emergency physician here. Get comfortable with talking about what we refer to as ‘goals of care’ conversations with your family. In an instance where a family member can’t advocate for themselves, what is important to them when it comes to their quality of life?…”
3.
“Not an MD, but a PhD in psychology/neuroscience. Get enough sleep and do so regularly. You’re setting yourself up for serious cardiac and neurological problems later in life if you are constantly accumulating sleep debt now. If you’re one of those people who thinks they don’t need very much sleep or are too busy to get enough sleep, try getting at least seven to eight hours per night for two straight weeks. You’ll see that you’re more effective at work (less distractible, less error-prone) and emotionally centered in general. If you have anxiety-related issues that keep you from sleeping, start exercising (elevated heart rate and preferably work up a bit of a sweat) at least three times per week.”
4.
“Mental illness can be as serious as a physical one. Get treated. You wouldn’t ignore a broken leg.”
5.
“Not an MD, but a hospice nurse. When we reach our natural destination, the folks surrounding you are all you have left. Studies show community is very important for healthy longevity.”
6.
“Use earplugs and preserve your hearing for as long as possible. Noise-induced hearing loss is the number one preventable hearing loss. Untreated hearing loss is the number one modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Mowing the lawn? Earplugs. Attending a concert or even a loud bar with live music? Earplugs. They come in pretty styles and designs these days. Spend a few extra dollars on the musician’s earplugs to maintain good speech understanding.”
7.
“Don’t buy motorcycles…it’s just not worth it. Oh, and don’t buy trampolines either. Sincerely, a radiologist.”
8.
“It’s significantly more effective to prevent cancer than it is to treat it. Don’t smoke. Wear sunscreen. Don’t drink excessively. Get a bit of exercise and eat some vegetables. Those habits reduce your risk of getting cancer.”
9.
“Pain is much more difficult to treat, the worse it gets. If you are in pain and medication is available, take it. Grinning and bearing it doesn’t make you any stronger than the person next to you who has more control of his pain.”
10.
“I cannot stress how important it is to know what medications you’re on and your history (medical, surgical, family, etc). So often, diagnoses are delayed because patients say ‘I don’t know’ to all the basic questions we ask, and we have to guess. Believe it or not, the most important part of diagnosing a patient is the medical history, followed by the physical exam. It’s not all the expensive labs and imaging. No one knows your history better than you.”
—CC
11.
“Emphasize more vegetables and fruits in your diet. Eat fewer processed foods, and be sure to hydrate more. Health’s the real wealth, don’t forget!”
12.
“There is no one thing anyone can do for their health as good as quitting smoking, including cannabis, as you are still getting a big dose of carcinogens.”
13.
“Get your blood pressure and fasting glucose checked periodically. Hypertension and diabetes are both common and treatable conditions.”
14.
“Wear your seatbelts and helmets! They’re ubiquitous for a reason, and you are not too cool for a life-altering injury.”
15.
“Yearly checkups with bloodwork along with regular diagnostics at various ages and risk profiles, including colonoscopy, EKG, chest X-ray, prostate check, mammogram, etc. There isn’t much that can kill you that pops up out of nowhere. There are usually signs that things are going south years in advance, and these risks can be mitigated with early intervention.”
16.
“Get a second opinion if your doctor isn’t listening to your concerns. It just might save your life.”
17.
“Avoid stress! So many conditions and diseases flare up from it, and the long-term effects of constant elevated cortisol levels really take a toll on the body. Meditation is a great way to do it. Just sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and really pay attention to your body. Also, doing some light to moderate exercise is the cherry on top.”
18.
“Dermatologist here. Wear sunscreen when you’re going to get a lot of sun. When you’re outside all day, going to the beach, going on a road trip, playing tennis, etc. Don’t let yourself sunburn. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. If you wear sunscreen during the days when you get the most sun, and you don’t let yourself get burned, you should be able to minimize most of your risk of skin cancer. Sure, wearing sunscreen every day at all times is amazing, especially for reducing photoaging, but just wearing sunscreen during the big times and preventing sunburns is huge for reducing skin cancers.”
19.
“I work in eye care. Any sudden vision loss or vision changes as mentioned on this list should be addressed immediately. You should also go in ASAP if you see a shadow, curtain, or veil in your vision. Most eye doctors have emergency appointments set aside so that they can get people in quickly or even same day. If you go to the ER or urgent care for this, they will refer you to an eye doctor, so it’s best to just go straight to an eye doctor as not to waste precious time since you need to be seen immediately for any of these symptoms.”
20.
And finally: “Exercise. It’s the biggest difference I see in my patients. 90-year-olds who feel and act 65 and 65-year-olds who act and feel 90. I see it in my office every day. The difference is exercise. You don’t have to do anything crazy. Just do something and be consistent. I will also add that in my opinion, the majority of arthritis is genetic programming (not age, weight, sports, etc.), and the only thing that slows it down is, you guessed it, exercise. No cure for arthritis and nothing significant on the horizon for it.”
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