How often should you go for medical checkups?

As you grow older your body grows weaker and in need of better care (Photo: Courtesy)

Going for a checkup shouldn’t just be something you wait to do when you’re feeling unwell. Many people avoid going to hospital unless they’re severely sick but that’s not recommended.

There are many benefits that come with going for regular checkups. The first one is that, you’re able to detect any developing health issues that you might not know of and, it also helps you to build a personal relationship with a physician who can keep track of your medical history over the years.

At every age, there are certain checkups that should be done. This is especially true because we know that as we grow older, our bodies start to grow weaker.

Aging comes with some health downsides and that is a big reason why we’re always told to stay consistent with eating right and exercising from an early age.

When we narrow down to the checks that men need to have vs women, there are a few differences like the types of cancer screenings. Still, there is a specific recommended standard for how often you should go for checkups from your 20’s all the way to your 60’s and beyond.

Let us break it all down:

In your 20’s, you’re still young and full of energy. Here you have the chance to make the right decisions for your health in future because although you’re still young, the decisions you make can have a lasting impact.

It’s recommend that you go for a full checkup at least twice. Some of the most important checks you should do are cancer screenings, STD checks, kidney and liver tests, among others.

Checkups will help catch a health issue before it advances (Photo: Courtesy)

In your 30’s and 40’s, the checks to be done are similar to those that you should have in your 20’s. The difference is the number of times you should go for checkups at this age bracket. For instance, you should go at least thrice in your 30’s and four times in your 40’s.

You should still do screenings like breast and cervical cancer screenings, cholesterol checks, since many people start to gain extra weight around this age and other common checks like blood pressure monitoring.

When you reach your 50’s, there is now a gradual increase in the number of times you need to get checked. It’s recommended that you go at least five times.

At this age, there is a higher chance of having health complications but it also depends on how well you took care of your body when you were younger. You should go for detailed screenings such as prediabetes checks, liver, kidney and thyroid checks and cancer screenings as well.

Once you hit 60, that’s when the yearly checks start. Your body is now becoming more fragile and if you remained consistent with a heathy lifestyle, you will be much healthier.

The checks done include osteoporosis, diabetes and blood pressure checks as well as cancer screenings, just to name a few.

To conclude, the number of times you should go for screenings depends on your health condition. If you have underlying complications, you will need to go more regularly than the recommended standards so that you can be monitored.

Bottom line is, making the right decisions for your health early has a great positive impact on your health as you grow older. Besides living a healthy lifestyle it helps to go for regular checkups because you never know how your body is changing internally.