The 24 Hours After a Full Health Screening

Screening days start early.

You fast from the evening before, arrive at the hospital first thing, change into a gown and wait your turn. By the time you are finished it is still only the afternoon, and yet you feel as though the whole day’s energy has already gone. In your hand is a sheet of paper full of terms you cannot interpret.

On the day of a screening, fasting and sedation often leave you feeling unlike yourself. Most screening centres therefore advise against driving that day and recommend keeping activity light. Start with a small first meal, and it is safer to leave the rest of the day empty. Arrange how you will receive your results, and any follow-up consultation, before you leave Seoul.

What changes if sedation was used?

Screenings that include an endoscopy under sedation involve sedative medication. Judgement and reaction times can be temporarily reduced after waking, which is why screening centres generally advise against driving or making important decisions that day.

Having someone with you is preferable. If you came alone, use public transport or a taxi, and avoid demanding journeys for the rest of the day.

What should you eat?

After a long fast, jumping straight to rich or heavily spiced food can leave you uncomfortable. Starting light is the easier option.

If you had an endoscopy, some discomfort in the throat or abdomen may linger. Leave hot and spicy dishes for a little later.

If a biopsy was taken

If tissue was taken during an endoscopy, the advice changes. Alcohol and strenuous exercise are commonly restricted for several days, and results can take anywhere from a few days to two weeks.

That is where return travel becomes complicated. Decide before you leave how you will receive the results, and how you will be contacted if anything comes back abnormal.

The days after

Results usually arrive with advice to lower the intensity and adjust what you eat. Walking, sleeping and eating plainly is what suits this period. Staying near Seoul also means a follow-up consultation is no great inconvenience if one turns out to be needed.

Stillness — Chuncheon, 2 days / an hour from Seoul, and quiet enough to do nothing in

Meditation — Wonju, 2 days / unhurried time in calm, largely indoor surroundings

FAQ

Can I travel outside Seoul on the day of the screening? If sedation was used, it is safer to postpone long journeys until the following day.

When will results be ready? It depends on the test. Standard items may be available the same day or within a few days; biopsies take longer. Check with the centre.

Can I drink alcohol? Not advised on the day itself, and restricted for longer if a biopsy was taken.

If something abnormal comes up, should I seek treatment in Korea? It depends on the findings. Speak to the centre that carried out the screening first, and if you plan to be seen at home, prepare English-language records.

When should I have my next screening? That depends on your findings, age and medical history, so there is no single answer. Ask the medical team who reviewed your results.

A closing note

Perhaps a screening really begins not on the day of the tests, but on the day you receive the results and start changing something.

Spending the days afterwards unhurried makes that start a little easier.

Notice

This article is general information from a wellness website and is not medical advice. For post-examination precautions, follow the instructions given by the centre that carried out your screening. Advice varies with individual circumstances and the tests performed.