Everybody is aware of the old adage that a stitch in time saves nine.

On the other hand, it seems to be an inherent characteristic of human nature that a healthy body is an ignored body. Unlike servicing a car at regular intervals from the very first time you get it, nobody bothers to check on the state of health of our own body, unless one develops some symptom or other.

Unfortunately, most killers within the community arise insidiously, and for a number of years cause no symptoms at all, giving us a false sense of security.

Take for instance high blood pressure – the so-called ‘silent killer’. It starts quietly, with no symptoms at all. It may start early, even at the tender age of 40 and, for a number of years, one is quite unaware of anything going wrong. And then, slowly, years later, one might start getting vague symptoms like headache, and only much later on one might start getting really serious problems like heart failure or even stroke. Such a simple problem to diagnose, yet such a disastrous outcome if ignored!

Cancer is likewise a well-known killer that lingers in the body for years, if not decades, before it manifests itself. During this time,it is growing relentlessly but insidiously, producing no symptoms whatsoever, while we continue to live in a fool’s paradise. And yet, several simple tests are available to detect the various kinds of cancer that might affect us.

Perhaps one could start with one of the earliest to get going, namely cancer of the uterine cervix in young women. In the full bloom of life, in their teens even, within a couple of years after their first unprotected sexual experience, a virus might become implanted, which produces a mutation in a cell, priming it to become cancer.

With sexual mores becoming more relaxed in our community, we can expect a mini explosion of this condition. And yet, it is so simple to diagnose: a smear taken early in the piece will determine whether there is any problem. Left alone and a lethal cancer will result.

The same can be said about another very common cancer, namely one that affects the bowel. There are several reasons why this has become so common, but whatever the reason, early signs can often be detected and can prove life-saving. One simple test involves looking for microscopic bleeding in the stools. And yet, how many people in the bloom of life, when young and vigorous, bother to have such a test, which, again, can be life-saving? Early diagnosis again is the simplest and best way to deal with these problems.

Cancer is a well-known killer that lingers in the body for years, if not decades, before it manifests itself

Take yet another relatively common condition, renal disease. The causes of this condition are many, but need not bother us for the time being. The important point is that, in most instances, a ridiculously simple test can tell us whether there is any fundamental problem with kidney function.

The presence of protein (and /or other products) in the urine can be checked by dipping in it a specially prepared dip-stick – a trick a 10-year-old child can easily do and interpret.

So what is the moral in all this: obviously while this may sound rather simplistic, and while not all serious disease can be diagnosed early through simple tests, it would be advisable to have some rules we might decide to follow to increase our chances of detecting disease early.

A car needs a good service every six months or so, but our body, after 40 or 50 years of good living, when we are on the brink of starting the second half of our existence, would need a visit to a medical practitioner on a yearly basis to check on certain points. A list of these (at the discretion of your general practitioner) would include:

• Examination of the blood pressure. Make sure you understand what this is and what needs to be done if found elevated;

• A urine examination, especially for kidney disease, and to detect diabetes;

• An examination of the stool to rule out any bleeding from any part of the digestive tract;

• A Pap smear (or viral gene analysis if required) to ensure that cervical cancer is detected early;

• A regular breast examination for lumps: cancer of the breast is the commonest cancer in Maltese women.

Obviously, this is not a complete list of diagnostic measures that a GP might feel necessary, but it is a good start. We have not even bothered to mention a number of diseases everybody knows about but which are ignored by most. These include common psycho-social problems resulting in dietary imbalances and overweight, smoking and alcohol overindulgence. Anyone wishing to reduce challenges to health must of course have a good look at one’s habits.

One can hope to live a long, good and healthy life only if one ensures that it is also an examined life.