Are You Due For Your Checkup?
When it comes to visiting the doctor, many of us tend to ignore the routine care and maintenance of our bodies, reserving such appointments solely for times of illness. If we’re honest about it, we can tend to be more fastidious about following the maintenance schedule of our automobiles. Friend, your body is an irreplaceable vehicle—the only one you will get this side of Heaven. It’s time you thought more seriously about its upkeep.
Below I’ve provided an “inventory” of tests and exams which are prudent to add to your annual health to-do list. While guidelines can change somewhat from time to time, this is a great starting place to get your body back to its scheduled maintenance routine.
BOTH SEXES
- BMI or Body Mass Index–annually, if your weight fluctuates. (Do this yourself using the BMI calculator on my website found under Free Resources.)
- Colonoscopy–beginning at the age of 50 (earlier if you suffer from polyps, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or inflammatory bowel disease, or if you have a personal or family history of colon cancer), and then once every 10 years if negative.
- Blood panels– (CBC, differential, renal, liver) annually
- Blood sugar– (*A1C test, fasting glucose) annually, more frequently if you have diabetes.
- Circulating lipids- (cholesterol, HDLs, LDLs, triglycerides) annually
- Urinalysis–annually (checks for urinary tract infection, kidney disease, and diabetes)
- Blood pressure-annually, unless you suffer from cardiovascular disease or are on heart medications
WOMEN
- Self-breast exam–monthly, just after your period has ended (if you are pre-or peri-menopausal).
- Professional breast exam (by Gynecologist or breast specialist)-annually
- Mammography–annually after the age of 40, unless there is family history of breast cancer and then go with your doctor’s recommendation
- PAP smear/test-every two years beginning at age 21. If you have had 3 normal Pap tests in a row, you may space this out to every third year.
MEN
- Prostate exam–every year after 50
Time is on your side when it comes to preserving your health. Why don’t you pick up the phone and schedule one of these overdue appointments today?
*The A1C test may not be one of the “regular” tests your doctor orders. Ask for it by name. It is critical in the early detection of blood sugar metabolism problems.