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High time for a checkup

There’s plenty you can do to stay healthy and fit into old age. But even a healthy lifestyle is no guarantee that you won’t fall ill unexpectedly. Proper prevention is better than long drawn-out treatment. Here’s a summary of the most important health checks.

Weight

Obesity is one of society’s biggest health problems. Around 19% of children are already overweight or obese. As well as limiting freedom of movement, obesity is a potential cause of numerous non-infectious diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.

 

Skin

Around 2,400 people in Switzerland get skin cancer every year. At particularly high risk are those with more than 50 moles (melanomas) or fair skin, strawberry blond hair, blue eyes and freckles. If you have moles, keep an eye out for the ABCD warning signs (asymmetry, border, colour and diameter) to spot changes in good time and consult a doctor if necessary.

 

Gynaecological checkups

Women age 20 and over are advised to have a gynaecological checkup every three years. This includes a smear, an ultrasound scan of the reproductive organs, and possibly a mammogram.

 

Cardiovascular health

There are four key factors in cardiovascular health: blood pressure, blood cholesterol, waistline and blood sugar. From age 35 you should get these things checked out regularly by a doctor so that potential problems can be dealt with early on.

 

Eyes

It’s a good idea to start going for regular eye check-ups by age 40 at the latest. As a part of the examination your vision will be tested and your intraocular pressure will be measured. To protect your eyes from too much light, make sure you wear sunglasses with UV protection.

 

Hearing

Your hearing can deteriorate with age. From age 50 you should go for routine hearing tests, either from an ear doctor or hearing aid specialist. If you’re not sure whether you need a consultation, you can do this online test (German and French only) to get an idea.

 

Helping you stay healthy

SWICA’s COMPLETA TOP, COMPLETA PREVENTA and OPTIMA supplementary insurance plans help you close the gaps in your mandatory basic health insurance. They give you full financial protection and generous support with your efforts to stay fit and healthy. Please call us toll-free on 0800 80 90 80 for non-binding advice.



12.08.2015
In the event of further health-related questions, SWICA customers can contact the santé24 telemedicine service free of charge on +41 44 404 86 86. A telemedicine practice licence allows santé24 physicians to provide additional medical services in cases that are suited to a telemedicine approach. SWICA customers can also use the BENECURA medical app to carry out a digital SymptomCheck and receive recommendations about what to do next. During a subsequent phone call with santé24, customers can decide for themselves whether to release their information from SymptomCheck to santé24.