Learn To Schedule Routine Medical Check-ups
From a certain age we must go to routine medical check-ups. How often do we have to do it? Read on and know the answer.
They say that it is better to be safe than sorry. And when it comes to diseases, it is preferable to address them when they are just beginning. It is less complicated, painful, traumatic, or expensive. Therefore, it is necessary to schedule routine medical check-ups.
There are different types of check-ups. Just as there are basic and general, there are specialties, in which the person is controlled in case of suffering from a chronic disease. Some are more complex and include specific tests.
In light of this, it is pertinent to ask: how often should routine medical check-ups be scheduled? What aspects should be taken into account when going to the appointment? In this article we will answer these and other questions.
Why are routine checkups important?
A routine medical check-up is an examination performed by a health professional. In it, a general physical examination of the patient is performed and a detailed medical history is drawn up.
The main purpose of a routine medical check-up is to prevent or rule out, as well as to carry out the early detection of pathologies, identifying the main associated risk factors.
There are, on the other hand, several reasons why it is important to visit the doctor regularly. Among these we have the following:
- In many medical check-ups it is possible to detect a disease. This frequency increases with age.
- A relationship develops with the doctor. In this sense, the patient feels more secure and confident and the health professional knows the patient better.
- Regular visits to the doctor allow you to build a history that can be helpful in emergencies.
- In the case of patients who are under treatment, routine visits allow evaluating how the person is reacting to a drug, for example.
- Also it assesses how determinants are risk factors and lifestyle in the development or onset of a disease.
With all this, a work plan is established for medications, examinations and subsequent check-ups. The ultimate goal or goal of routine medical check-ups is that we have a longer and healthier life.
Types of Routine Health Checkups You Can Get
Scheduling a routine medical checkup is for prevention and is directed at people with no known prior illness. In this sense, it is different from the control that is done with a specialist for a specific ailment. On the other hand, it can also be differentiated from the routine follow-up that people who have a chronic disease go to.
Basic medical check-up
A general medical check-up includes the basic examination and review of the clinical history : family history, medications and allergies, vaccination and previous screenings.
In this sense, the exchange of doctor-patient information, known as anamnesis , is very important . In fact, there are studies that indicate that forgetting to mention a data can compromise life expectancy.
Depending on the results of the history and initial examination of signs and symptoms, a series of tests may be indicated. These may be blood, urine and stool tests, an electrocardiogram or a chest X-ray, among others.
Routine medical check-ups by specialties
There are routine check-ups by specialty, focused on a particular device or organ. For example, in otorhinolaryngology, cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, urology, among others. Other checkups or reviews, such as ophthalmology and dentistry, should also be taken into account.
Complete medical check-up
For a more complete medical check-up, a variety of tests and examinations can be added, including the functional respiratory test, echocardiogram with stress test, and abdominal ultrasound. It will depend on professional criteria and the protocol that is applied in the geographic region in question.
For women, a Pap smear is recommended for cervical cancer screening. Taking into account the age factor, mammograms and screening for osteoporosis are performed from the age of 40 onwards from the age of 65.
In men over 50, prostate examination is recommended every year or two, including prostate antigen and digital rectal examination. Although in people with a family history of cancer it is suggested to start earlier.
Similarly, depending on lifestyle and medical history, additional tests may be performed. These include the following:
- Chest CT scan in case the patient is a smoker.
- Abdominopelvic CT scan.
- Coronary CT angiography when there are severe cardiovascular risk factors.
- Endoscopic studies in patients with digestive symptoms or over 50 years of age.
Tips for scheduling your routine checkups
From the age of 40, it is advisable to have routine medical check-ups, general or by specialty, at least every two years. And from 50 this frequency should be annual.
The same is true for people with a condition, such as high blood pressure; with risk factors, such as obesity or smoking; with chronic diseases, such as diabetes; or have a family history, such as cancer.
Here are some tips on what a person should do to schedule their routine checkups and organize themselves based on the exams they need to undergo.
1. Write down the checks that you should perform
Not only because of the fact that when we reach a certain age, memory begins to be unreliable, but also because we have many tasks and activities. It is necessary to note which are the additional checks that we must perform.
During the consultation it is necessary to take note of them. At the end of this, we must review the list with the doctor to be sure that we have not omitted anything.
2. Keep track of dates
We must keep a record of the dates in which we attend or perform the tests. In the same way, we must proceed with the dates on which we are going to go to control, we have a new appointment or an exam was scheduled.
3. Keep a symptom diary
Any symptoms that we consider to be of care should be noted down. For example, a headache. When? For how long? How intense? This diary is important to take with you to the doctor’s visit.
4. Program the dates in the mobile reminder
It is important to have an agenda to write down, but we can use various mechanisms to remember consultation and exam dates. From a programmer in the kitchen to the computer, through the mobile.
Today’s cell phones have multiple functions. You can schedule reminders a week before, the day before, and several hours before your appointment or exam. So you will not forget it.
When to go urgently to the doctor?
Scheduling a routine checkup is something you can wait, but not an emergency. This is a sudden and intense health situation that can be life-threatening.
In this regard, it is necessary to seek medical attention as soon as possible if you experience any symptoms such as those mentioned below:
- High fever
- Difficulty breathing.
- Sharp chest pain.
- Paralysis on one side of the body or sudden loss of sensation in one limb.
- Severe burns.
- Sudden loss of vision
- Symptoms of poisoning.
- Severe allergic reaction with anaphylactic shock .
- Shock.
- Vomiting or coughing up blood
Get in the habit of scheduling your checkups and get in the habit of writing down
On the day of the consultation, you will surely have a few things to say and ask. It’s good to make a prior list of the issues you want to discuss with your doctor. Do not forget that you must prioritize what is most important.
If you have not understood something of what your professional told you, you have a question regarding a dose, a medication or the date of an appointment, call and ask for information to clarify. Ask your doctor for their contact information: phone or email. Ask him what medium he prefers to communicate.
Take notes during consultations, like when you were at school. At the end, request the necessary clarifications. Remember that complete and accurate information is a tool so that an appropriate treatment can be established and help you. The only one who knows what he feels is you.
