The frequency of physical checkups depends on age, health, and insurance coverage. Children should have yearly checkups until 18, and young women should have an annual gynecological exam. Adults should have checkups every few years, with more frequent visits for those at risk. People over 65 should have yearly exams. High-risk individuals may need more frequent checkups. Any health concerns should be addressed with a doctor immediately.
How often you should get a physical checkup depends a lot on your age, your health, and of course, for many people, their insurance coverage or ability to pay for one. A strictly medical point of view may differ from insurance coverage, which may establish allowable time intervals between doctor visits. Most insurance companies will cover a physical every few years for young adults and more often as people get older. They also usually comply with a person having certain tests and screenings as needed or recommended by doctors.
Doctor visits or checkups are often necessary during the first year of life, even for healthy children. Once a child reaches the age of one, and provided they are healthy, most doctors and pediatricians recommend that they have a medical checkup once a year until the age of 18. As children continue to grow and change, the need for health assessments, vaccinations and booster shots mean children should get an annual checkup.
Young women should also have an annual gynecological exam once a year after they become sexually active, or starting at age 21, whichever comes first. Sometimes a general practitioner can provide both an annual physical exam and this exam so people don’t have to have two checkups in one year. For women and men between the ages of 20 and 20, there are variations on the recommendations.
Many doctors recommend getting a checkup every three years or so, and others suggest you need two checkups in your 20s. Some doctors argue that while you don’t need a physical exam every year, you should still have your blood pressure checked once a year and possibly have your blood cholesterol levels evaluated every two years. Of course, if you’re at risk for medical conditions and/or have an illness or family history of early-onset illnesses, you may want to get more frequent checkups.
As people reach the ages of 40 to 65, it may be more important to see a doctor every two years or more often if you’re at risk for developing other medical conditions. At age 50, men should start having annual rectal exams to assess the risk of prostate and colorectal cancer. Women should start having mammograms annually by age 40. People 65 years of age and older should ideally have a physical exam once a year to continue to assess disease development and overall health.
Of course, you may need complete checkups more often if your risks are high for developing the disease. A morbidly obese person might require an annual physical exam, and women at risk for early-onset breast cancer might start getting mammograms several years before age 40. You also shouldn’t hesitate to see your doctor between physical exams about anything health-related that worries or concerns you. The sudden appearance of a skin growth or mole, for example, shouldn’t wait a year or two for your physical, but should be investigated right away.
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