Issue link: https://www.hub.camaf.co.za/i/638028
3 taking control of your health how many of us start every year with an inspiring list of new year's resolutions – to exercise more regularly, to eat healthily and even to stop smoking? then a month into the new year, old habits creep back in and those gym visits become less and less frequent. Why is this? Do we consider other tasks more important than our health? Do we allow business demands to reduce our hours for exercise? Do we move the management of our health lower down the ladder of importance? caMaf's principal role is to help its members manage their healthcare needs in the most effective way. hence while the curative function is paramount; preventative activities are increasingly being recognised as playing a crucial role in one's continued wellbeing. Preventative care is a measure that is performed in an effort to prevent an illness or to catch a disease early. common examples of preventative care are immunisations, vaccines, and annual health screenings like Pap smear for women or prostate exams for men. generally, the sooner your doctor can identify and treat a medical condition, the better the outcome. the number of people who die from lifestyle illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes is increasing exponentially every year; and a significant number of these people were not even aware that they had a life-threatening illness or disease. as many of these diseases have no symptoms in their early stages, routine health screenings and annual exams can help you identify health risks earlier and avoid serious health problems. in this booklet we look at hypertension and diabetes – what you can do to manage these conditions if you've been diagnosed with them.