Introduction
Many of us think that only falling sick would warrant a trip to the doctor. Falling sick or coming down with symptoms of illnesses should indeed prompt you for a visit to the clinic, but did you know that you should be seeing your doctor on a routine basis, even if you aren’t sick?
Many of us dismiss the idea of going for medical checkups every once in a while due to many different reasons. From a lack of time to reasons such as being too tired to wear respirator masks, willingly going for routine medical checkups come by rarely these days.
However, there is an importance on getting your health assessed and evaluated that not many people are aware of. Yes, doctors are here to provide solutions to your illnesses and health complications, but part of that solution comes in the form of prevention. This can only be done through the early detection of chronic illnesses and diseases that often come with early undetected symptoms.
Routine medical checkups allow you to be in the best state of health by addressing any plausible health concerns that you should take note of, and any necessary adjustments to your lifestyle that should be made. Healthcare and medicine should not only aim to cure but to prevent as well.
How Often Should You See Your Primary Care General Practitioner?
A General Practitioner is the doctor that we would typically go to for common illnesses such as flu and cough, but they are also equipped to conduct general medical checkups on a routine basis.
Going for a physical screening is recommended to be done at least once per annum. General screenings are a great way to be assessed in terms of overall health. These doctors are equipped with the necessary tools to conduct screenings for high blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol level, and body mass index for all ages and sex. These screenings can help build an indication of potential health concerns, and hence, streamline you to a specialist if needed.
Through a primary care doctor, one would be able to cultivate a better and healthier lifestyle suited to their health needs at the current moment. Furthermore, general practitioners are great initial counsels to issues you might have related to other medical concerns such as sleep, dietary habits, and even mental health.
As General Practitioners are a great source of medical advice and help, we recommend seeing a specific doctor on an annual basis to build a good rapport and relationship with one another. This would not only lead to a better understanding of your health for the doctor but also a good relationship and thus better health.
How Often Should Women See An OB/GYN?
It is recommended that women visit an ob/gyn at least once per year, or more if they have medical issues related to their reproductive health. These specialists in women’s reproductive and sexual health will be able to provide useful and key insights.
As many would know, ob/gyns are able to help you detect any signs of sexually transmitted diseases or even cancer in your reproductive systems. These screenings are crucial to ensuring early detection to enable the right countermeasures to be carried out.
However, did you know that ob/gyns can provide much more than that as well? They are your go-to for concerns regarding changes to your body such as unfamiliar vaginal discharge and period pain, as well as any questions regarding birth control and pre/post-natal care.
Hence, your ob/gyn should definitely be on your list for doctors to visit yearly. After all, these insights that can be given will be important to your overall health.
How Often To See Your Dermatologist?
The dermatologist is arguably one of the most overlooked healthcare professionals, and many tend to see it as a luxury. However, the dermatologist can give you insight into many issues related to your skin that may be of great concern to your health.
One of the biggest concerns pertaining to skin health would be skin cancer. Our skin is exposed to a fair bit of UV radiation throughout the day, especially for those living in areas which get a lot of sunlight. This may result in the development of skin cancer, or melanoma in medical terminology. Melanoma can be treated to a high degree of success, but only if it is detected early. This makes early detection ever more so important — melanoma in the late stages can be fatal.
Furthermore, a regular trip to the dermatologist can be helpful for those suffering from skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis in order to receive proper treatment.
How Often Should You See Your Eye Doctor?
Periodic eye exams are just as important as general medical checkups. Getting a check on our ocular health every once in two years is good for maintaining our eye health, which may suffer from deterioration as we age. In fact, the older we get, the more eye checks should come on a more regular basis.
Other medical conditions, or family medical history may also warrant a more regular trip to the eye doctor. For example, patients with existing medical conditions such as diabetes can potentially suffer from eye problems including diabetic retinopathy and cataracts.
Going down to an eye specialist annually is also recommended for those with prescriptions for far/short-sightedness and astigmatism. This allows you to update your prescriptions on a regular basis to prevent exponentially worsening eyesight down the road.
How Often Should You Receive Dental Care?
Our oral health should not be taken lightly, and hence receiving dental care on a regular basis is important. It is recommended to visit the dentist at least once per year, but the best would be to go every six months. Regular visits to the dentist for general cleaning will help improve your oral health and maintain your oral hygiene.
Conclusion
Our health is one of our most important assets, and hence, routine visits to various different specialists and doctors can be of great value, especially in the long run. If financial difficulties are preventing you from visiting doctors on a regular basis, do not worry as there are many ways to receive medical care at an affordable rate.
Medical insurance can be a good way to offset some of the costs, but if you do not have access to it, there are government schemes set in place to protect the medical interests of low-income individuals. You can even look towards medical aid offered by non-governmental charity organisations that often provide free or heavily subsidised medical checkups every year.
Your health should be taken seriously and the mindset that doctors are only worth visiting when sick has to be changed.