The best thing that you can do to take control on your health is do these medical exams at the right time:
1. The blood pressure
At what age: 20, 30, 40, and 50 +
How often: At least once every two years.
Details: go to the doctor to measure your blood pressure, because the devices that are on the market are not very accurate.
2. The cholesterol
At what age: 20, 30, 40, and 50 +
How often: At least once every five years if normal, and more frequently in special cases;
Details: Do your tests for HDL, LDL and triglycerides.
3. Eye exam
At what age: 20, 30, 40, and 50 +
How often: do it once at 2-3 years if you don’t have eye problems and once at 1-2 years after the age of 40.
Details: This exam is not just for vision; it helps you find if you present the risk of developing cataract, glaucoma and macular degeneration. It can reveal the high blood pressure in the brain caused by tumors or bleeding.
4. The teeth
At what age: 20, 30, 40, and 50 +
How often: once or twice a year.
Details: This exam means more than treating caries. The dentist can check an oral cancer or gum problems (which can be symptoms of heart disease or pregnancy problems).
5. Breast examination
At what age: after 25 years;
How often: every 1-2 years until the age of 40 years, then every year.
Details: go to the doctor for examination.
6. Mammogram
At what age: 40, 50 +
How often: every year.
Details: if you have dense breasts, it’s required to do a digital mammogram, which detects more tumors than any ordinary mammogram.
7. Skin cancer
At what age: 20, 30, 40, and 50 +
How often: examine yourself every year and go to the doctor once at three years until the age of 40 and then, go every year.
Details: count all your beauty spots and try to create a map of them;
8. Check the other cancers
At what age: 20, 30, 40, 50 +
How often: once every three years until the age of 39, then every year;
Details: check the symptoms of thyroid cancer, mouth and skin. The screening for colon cancer should start at 50.
9.Chlamydia
At what age: at any time after you started your sexual life.
How often: every year for women under 25 years, and repeat it every year if you changes your partners;
Details: it is a simple test that can detect this sexually transmitted disease responsible for the problems of infertility and pain;
10. HIV
At what age: if you had sex unprotected, do the tests anytime.
How often: before you have sex with a partner, at 4-6 weeks after unprotected sexual contact, and again after 6 months.
Details: The tests results are fast (20 minutes), and are secure in proportion of 97-99%.
11. HPV
At what age: 30, 40, and 50 + (and 20 if Papanicolau test doesn’t look well);
How often: every year. If the HPV test and Papanicolau revealed no problems, repeat them both every 3 years.
Details: do your HPV test even if you did the vaccine.
12. Papanicolau
At what age: 20, 30, 40, and 50 +
How often: repeat it every year. After three negative tests in 30 years, you can reduce the tests, doing it once at 2-3 years.
Details: Do you Papanicolau test even if you did the HPV vaccine.
13. The gynecological control
At what age: 20, 30, 40, and 50 +
How often: every year.
Details: this exam will be able to detect infections, sexually transmitted diseases, cysts;
14. The glucose level
At what age: starts from 45 years;
How often: once every three years if the level is normal and more frequently if it isn’t ok.
Details: even if you do not have diabetes, you can have pre-diabetes, which can be treated by changing your lifestyle;
15. Thyroid
At what age: before becoming pregnant.
How often: talk to your doctor.
Details: the doctor will make you a blood test that will reveal the level of thyroid hormones. Test yourself especially if you feel impoverished of energy, if you gained weight or if your hair falls. As most women have no symptoms, the doctors recommend that every woman to be tested at least once before becoming pregnant.
Sources: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002125.htm, www.romedic.ro, www.drdaveanddee.com/heal.html, www.nyu.edu/shc/medservices/breast.self-exam.html, www.drugs.com/enc/physical-exam-frequency.html
