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Faqs About Preparing For A Life Insurance Medical Exam

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As part of the approval process for life insurance, the provider might ask you to undergo a medical examination. The results of the examination could mean a savings of hundreds of dollars if you are in good health. Giving up fatty foods for a few days before the test is not enough to sway the results. You must be prepared. If you have an examination coming up, here is what you need to know.

What Should You Avoid Doing?

Before you focus on what you should be doing to improve your examination results, it is important to know what you should be avoiding. For instance, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is to load up on coffee or other caffeine right before the exam. The stimulant will cause temporary changes in your heart rate and blood pressure.

You should also avoid overdoing it with the exercise. When you have a strenuous workout, protein can sometimes fill your urine. Unfortunately, urine with high protein levels is often a first warning sign of kidney problems. Even though it is only a temporary problem caused by the workout, the insurance company could view it as a health concern that warrants a higher premium.

In addition to these steps, you need to avoid salty foods in the 24 hours leading up to the examination. There are several reasons for this, but the most important is that the excess salt can lead to slight dehydration. The dehydration will cause you to drink more water and the water will cause a temporary increase in your weight. The small boost in weight could be enough to push you into a higher risk category, which means a higher premium.

What Should You Do?

Ideally, you should schedule your medical examination for the morning time. Eating can have an impact on your blood pressure readings. The short period of fasting that occurs while you are asleep and in the time before your appointment will help to level out your blood pressure and increase the odds that it will be within the standards set by the insurance provider.

You should also try to get a good night's sleep. Sleep helps to restore your body and can help ease stress that could elevate your blood pressure.

Even though it might be challenging, but try to relax throughout the exam. Nervousness can drive up your blood pressure and anxiety levels. If you are feeling anxious, let the examiner know. He or she might agree to taking your blood pressure and other readings after you have had a chance to calm down.  

Contact an agency, like Daniel L. Rust Insurance, for more help.


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