Routine health care

Routine health checkups

Routine health checkups are important for quality health care. They help find problems that can be treated early. Many disorders do not produce obvious symptoms until the disease is well advanced. This type of disease can usually be effectively treated if it is identified at an early stage. Early treatment can help prevent more serious problems. The value of checkups and how often one must get them done depends mainly on age and sex. Personal and family medical histories are also important. There are certain routine checkups that every individual must get done.

Routine health check-up for women

Every year:

• Breast examination for breast cancer
• Pap smear until three normal ones and if still with the same sexual partner and subsequently one Pap smear every 3 years, unless there is change in partners or there is an abnormal Pap smear
• Dental examination for cleaning and check-up.

Every 2 to 3 years:

• Blood pressure check
• Height and weight measurement
• Brief physical examination including a pelvic examination to screen for cancers of the thyroid, lymph nodes, ovaries, and skin.

Every 5 years: A lipid profile.

Women 40 to 65 years old

Every year:

• A physical examination including a pelvic examination to screen for cancers of the breast, skin, thyroid, ovaries, uterus, lymph nodes, and rectum; examination includes a Pap smear every 1 to 3 years, depending on the personal history
• Dental examination for cleaning and check-up
• A breast X-ray(Mammogram) if 50 years old or older.

Every 1 to 2 years:

• Height and weight measurement
• Blood pressure check
• Stool sample checked for blood
• If 40 to 49 years old a mammogram is important
• Vision and glaucoma check.

Every 3 to 5 years:

• Lipid profile
• Blood sugar level check
• Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy after age 50 to screen for colon cancer.

Women over 65 years old

Every 6 months: Dental examination for cleaning and check-up

Every year:

• Weight measurement
• Blood pressure check
• Mammogram for breast cancer
• Physical examination including a pelvic examination to screen for cancers of the skin, breast, thyroid, ovaries, uterus, lymph nodes, and rectum
• Stool sample checked for blood.

Every 1 to 3 years:

• Blood count
• Lipid profile
• Blood sugar level check
• Hearing check
• Vision and glaucoma check
• Pap smear (if previous regular screenings have not always produced normal results).

Every 5 years: A sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer.

Routine health check-up for men

Men 18 to 39 years old

Every year: Dental examination for cleaning and check-up

Every 2 to 3 years:

• Blood pressure check
• Height and weight measurement
• Brief physical examination to screen for cancers of the thyroid, lymph nodes, skin, and testicles
• Vision check.

Every 5 years: Lipid profile

Men 40 to 65 years old

Every year:

• Physical examination to screen for cancers of lymph nodes, prostate, and rectum (this may include a Prostate Specific Antigen, PSA, blood test for prostate cancer)
• Dental examination for cleaning and check-up.

Every 1 to 2 years:

• Height and weight measurement
• Blood pressure check
• Lipid profile
• Stool sample checked for blood
• Vision and glaucoma check
• Heart check-up.

Every 3 to 5 years:

• Blood sugar level check
• Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy after 50 years to screen for cancer of large intestines.

Men over 65 years old

Every 6 months: Dental examination for cleaning and check-up.

Every year:

• Weight measurement
• Blood pressure check
• Physical exam to screen for cancers of the skin, thyroid, lymph nodes, prostate, and rectum (this may include a PSA blood test for prostate cancer)
• Stool sample checked for blood
• Heart check-up.

Every 1 to 3 years:

• Blood count
• Lipid profile
• Blood sugar level check
• Hearing check
• Vision and glaucoma check
• Lab tests of urine sample.

Every 5 years: Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to screen for colon cancer.

Other health care problems of concern

Ways to stay healthy include:

Diet and exercise: Maintain an appropriate body weight. Limit fat and cholesterol in your diet. Include a lot of grains, fruits, and vegetables in your diet. Be regular in exercising.

Injury prevention: Use seat belts while driving and helmets while on two-wheelers. Try to prevent falls.

Dental health: Visit the dentist regularly. Floss and brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste daily.

Sexual behaviour: Prevent sexually transmitted diseases by avoiding high-risk sexual behaviour and use condoms.

Substance use: Avoid tobacco, alcohol and drugs.