Most people are aware that one of the most effective ways to reduce health risks is by practicing a healthy lifestyle. Eating a healthy diet, getting enough exercise, and steering clear of any vices are effective methods to stay healthy. However, most people are not aware that one’s family history can be the strongest influence on one’s health outcomes and health trends. Most chronic diseases are passed on from one generation to the next. Therefore, learning about health trends will help make people employ preventive measures to manage their health.
People cannot change their genetic makeup, but being aware of one’s family history can help reduce the risks of developing different health problems. Why? For one, having awareness about possible health risks can help make people prepare for possible health problems. One can consult a doctor ahead of time about what one can do to eliminate the risks of developing the same health problems as one’s family members. The adage “prevention is better than cure” holds for cases where there are health problems manifested in one family for generations.
One Family, Shared Factors
Family members share a lot of things. This includes their genes, the environment they live in, their habits, and even their lifestyles. If family members can easily recognize where one family member inherited physical traits from, it is also easy to trace the source of health problems in the family. For instance, if one member of the family has asthma and was able to pass this health condition on to other generations, there is a tendency that succeeding generations will develop asthma at some point in their lives.
Most chronic diseases can be inherited from family members. Chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, asthma, and heart disease are often passed from one generation to another. If more than one family member has suffered from a chronic disease and ended up needing hospice care services, then there is a possibility that future generations will end up suffering from similar chronic diseases and the same predicament. Being able to determine the possibility of developing chronic diseases will inspire people to live healthier lifestyles to eliminate the risks of health problems.
Educating Oneself
To learn more about one’s family medical history, one can simply ask questions from older family members, exchange relevant information during family gatherings, or looking at death certificates to determine the most common causes of death in the family. If one can get hold of family medical records, it will be easier to identify the health risks that exist within the family.
In collecting health information from members of one’s family, it is important to gather data about major medical health problems, causes of death, ethnic background, and even the age of disease onset and a person’s age at the time of death. Once information is gathered, it is essential to share such information with the family doctor. This way, the doctor will be able to predict health trends for the family and check on existing family members to check for the prevalence of health risks and the possible onset of inherited health problems.
In the Absence of Relevant Medical Information
If one cannot access relevant family medical information to determine possible health risks, there are still a lot of ways to guarantee good health outcomes. Despite the genetic makeup of every person, it is essential to practice living a healthy lifestyle. Living a healthy life will result in better health outcomes and lower risks for health problems. Therefore, one must never disregard the impact of living a healthy life.
Despite gathering some information about the health trends of other family members, there are health problems that could have remained undetected in some family members. It is important to remember that any person can develop chronic diseases as a result of their lifestyles and health practices. Therefore, a person can be the start of a family history of chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer, stroke, or heart disease.
Determining the Possibilities
Regardless of whether one finds evidence of health problems within one’s family, it is essential to focus on positive health outcomes. People should not look after their health only because they are aware of the medical history of their family. Health should always be prioritized because there are a lot of risks that could compromise one’s well-being.
The benefits of maintaining good health outcomes are rewarding because good health enables people to do more and achieve more. Life is also easier if one does not suffer from health problems that could complicate things. Therefore, every person can benefit from being as health-conscious as possible.
