Bangalore: Annual health check-ups are part of the corporate calendar now. Employees are encouraged to go for regular screening and those with risk factors such as obesity, hypertension or diabetes are referred for timely treatment.

"Each of us can do some self-examination every morning and detect what could be warning signs of things going wrong or likely to go wrong with our bodies," says general practitioner P. Eshwar.

While women are encouraged to do breast self-examination routine other tests regularly with their gynaecologists, men often tend to neglect their health till it is too late."

Sign of dehydration

Dark coloured urine first thing in the morning may be common enough but it also indicates the body may be getting dehydrated; later during the day the flow ought to be clear if your body is getting enough fluids and your kidneys are able to do their work of eliminating waste properly.

Any blood in the urine can indicate a stone in the kidney or bladder. Do consult your doctor. Those above the age of 50 should tell their doctors if they have trouble with a free flow, it could mean an enlarged prostate.

Stress and appetite

Any sudden increase or fall in weight, more than two kilos at a time, could indicate high stress levels, says Dr. Eshwar. Stress can make a person either lose appetite or eat too much and in either case needs help from a qualified therapist plus the GP.

If you are gaining or losing weight with no apparent reason, that too should be reported to the doctor.

Examine your eyes in the mirror while brushing your teeth and the area around and under the eyes too. While puffy eyes after sleep is normal, the sudden appearance of "bags" under the eyes can mean fluid retention or high blood pressure. Any changes in the colour in the eyes that do not go away after some days should be explained to the doctor.

Checking mouth

After brushing your teeth, do open your mouth wide in front of the mirror, like how you did in childhood during the visits to the family doctor, and check.

Look out for bleeding gums, too pale gums or ulcers or a very furry tongue. While most mouth ulcers heal by themselves those that do not should be referred to the doctor.

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