پشکنینی گشتی (چێک‌ئەپ)

A health check-up is a planned set of examinations and tests for people who feel well. Its aim is to find common conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, raised cholesterol, heart disease and some cancers, early, while they are easier to treat. Many international visitors combine a check-up in Tabriz with a family visit or another treatment, because a full programme usually fits into one or two days.

This page explains the main types of check-up, how tests are chosen, how to prepare and what to do with the results. Tabriz Health is a facilitation platform, not a hospital or clinic: our coordinators can contact check-up centers in Tabriz for you. Nothing here replaces the advice of a doctor who knows your history.

A check-up is not the place for new or worrying symptoms. Chest pain, a lump, blood in your stool or urine, unexplained weight loss or bleeding after menopause need prompt assessment by a doctor, not a wait for a planned check-up abroad.

Key points

• A good check-up is chosen for your age, sex, family history and lifestyle. More tests are not automatically better.
• Most check-ups start with a doctor's consultation, blood and urine tests and simple measurements, and add imaging only where there is a reason.
• Some tests need preparation, such as fasting or bowel preparation, so ask for written instructions before you travel.
• Results are only useful if someone acts on them: take the written report home and share it with your own doctor.

Types of check-up

Comprehensive health check-up

A comprehensive check-up usually includes your medical history, a physical examination, blood pressure, weight and waist measurements, a full blood count, blood sugar (and often HbA1c), cholesterol, kidney and liver function, thyroid tests, a urine test, an ECG and an ultrasound scan of the abdomen. Further tests are added according to your age and risks, and an internal medicine doctor goes through the results with you at the end. Read more about the comprehensive health check-up in Tabriz.

Heart check-up

A heart check-up looks at your risk of heart attack and stroke. Besides blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar, it can include an echocardiogram (an ultrasound scan of the heart) and an exercise stress test. A coronary calcium CT scan is sometimes advised for people at intermediate risk. It is most useful if you smoke or used to, have diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or a close relative had heart disease young. See the heart check-up.

Cancer screening

Screening looks for some cancers before they cause symptoms. The tests with the strongest evidence are those for breast cancer (mammography), cervical cancer (a Pap or HPV test), bowel cancer (a stool test or colonoscopy) and, for long-term heavy smokers, lung cancer (a low-dose CT scan). The PSA blood test for prostate cancer has benefits and drawbacks, so it is a decision to make with a doctor. See cancer screening.

Women's health check-up

A women's check-up adds a gynaecological examination, cervical screening, a breast examination with ultrasound or mammography depending on age, and often a pelvic ultrasound. Thyroid, iron and vitamin D tests, and a bone density scan around or after menopause, are added where they fit your age and history. Learn more about the women's health check-up.

How the tests are chosen

Every test can give a false alarm as well as a useful answer. An unexpected shadow on a scan can lead to more scans, biopsies and worry, sometimes for nothing. That is why screening guidelines link each test to an age group and a level of risk. Guidelines differ between countries, but as a broad picture:

• blood pressure, weight, blood sugar and cholesterol are checked in almost all adults, more often as you get older;
• cervical screening usually runs from the twenties to the mid-sixties;
• bowel cancer screening usually starts between 45 and 50;
• mammography is usually offered from around 40 to 50 onwards;
• a low-dose lung CT is for older people with a long history of heavy smoking;
• a strong family history can mean starting some tests earlier.

Whole-body MRI and "tumour marker" blood panels are often marketed as check-ups, but they are not recommended for screening healthy people because they miss many cancers and raise many false alarms. If a package includes them, ask the doctor why they are useful for you.

Having a check-up in Tabriz

Tabriz, the largest city in north-west Iran, sits within reach of Iraq's Kurdistan region, eastern Turkey and Azerbaijan, so travel time can be shorter than to more distant destinations. Azerbaijani Turkish is widely spoken in the city. Check-up programmes are offered by hospitals and outpatient clinics with their own laboratories and imaging, so most tests can be done in one place over one or two days. Our guide to hospitals in Tabriz explains how to compare them. If you need Arabic, Kurdish or English, ask our coordinators to check with the center whether an interpreter can be arranged. See our Tabriz city guide.

Planning a check-up with Tabriz Health

1. Send a free consultation request. Tell us your age, any conditions, the medicines you take and what you want checked.
2. Review options. Our coordinators can share your details with check-up centers in Tabriz and pass on the list of tests and the written quote they send back.
3. Agree the test list. Ask what each test is for, and remove or add tests with the doctor rather than choosing the largest package by default.
4. Visa and travel. Check our visa guide and leave a spare day in case a result needs a follow-up test.
5. Check-up day. Arrive prepared, usually fasting in the morning; blood tests and the examination usually come first, imaging later.
6. Results consultation. A doctor explains the results, and any abnormal finding is discussed before you leave.

How to prepare

• Fast for the time the center tells you (often 8 to 12 hours, water allowed) before blood tests and abdominal ultrasound;
• keep taking your usual medicines unless a doctor tells you otherwise, and bring them with you;
• if you have diabetes, ask how to adjust your medicines while fasting;
• a colonoscopy needs bowel preparation the day before, and a stress test needs comfortable shoes;
• bring previous results, so changes over time can be seen;
• tell the center if you are or might be pregnant, or have a pacemaker or metal implant, before any X-ray, CT or MRI.

Results and follow-up

Most blood test results are ready the same or the next day; some take longer. Before you leave Tabriz, ask for these in writing, in a language your doctor at home can read:

• a summary report listing every test, its result and the normal range;
• the written reports for any ECG, ultrasound, mammography or other imaging, and copies of the images where possible;
• the doctor's conclusions and recommendations, including any test that should be repeated and when;
• a clear note of any result that needs follow-up at home, and how soon.

A normal check-up does not guarantee you will stay well. See a doctor whenever new symptoms appear, without waiting for the next check-up.

Choosing a check-up center

As centers and doctors join Tabriz Health, they appear on our clinics page. When you compare options, ask:

• Is the results consultation with a specialist doctor registered with the Medical Council of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIMC)?
• Are the laboratory and imaging on site, and is the laboratory accredited?
• Does the written quote list every test, and what happens, and at what cost, if a result needs a further test?
• Will you receive a written report you can take home?

Costs

The cost depends on which tests are included, especially imaging such as CT, MRI, mammography and colonoscopy, and on whether sedation or a specialist visit is part of the package. Compare quotes test by test rather than by package name, because two "full" check-ups can contain very different tests. The only reliable figure is an itemised written quote for the tests you agree.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a check-up in Tabriz take?

Most programmes are completed in one or two days. A colonoscopy or a test that needs a separate appointment can add a day, so it is wise to plan a spare day.

How often should I have a check-up?

There is no single rule. Many adults have blood pressure, sugar and cholesterol checked every year or every few years, and screening tests are repeated at intervals set by guidelines and by your previous results. Ask the doctor for a written plan.

Can I have a check-up together with another treatment?

Often yes, and the tests may help the team plan your treatment. Tell the center about both, because some tests have to be done before or after a procedure.

What happens if something abnormal is found?

The doctor will explain what it means and what should happen next. Some findings can be looked into in Tabriz before you leave; others are best followed up at home. Take the written report and images with you.

To plan a check-up, send your age, any conditions and what you would like checked through a free consultation request, or request an online visit to talk to a doctor, where one is available, before you book any travel.

This guide is general information, not medical advice. It does not replace an examination by a qualified doctor who knows your case. Read our medical disclaimer and editorial policy.