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Medical Video: Check Ups Aren't Just for Kids, Why Adults Need Yearly Physicals
For many people, an annual medical check-up, aka a medical check-up, needs to be done regularly as a guarantee of good self-care. But, does everyone really need to regularly see a doctor every year, even for those who are healthy?
What is the medical check-up procedure at the hospital like?
A health check, aka a medical check-up, is a series of routine medical tests conducted at the hospital to check your overall health. You don't need to get sick first if you want to undergo this physical examination.
There are no standard sequences in the medical check-up procedure. A number of different tests can be done during your physical exam - from checking heart function, lung function, skin health and ENT, to the body's reflex response and muscle strength. And depending on your age or your family's medical history, your doctor can recommend additional medical tests.
Annual physical examination is also a good way to check cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. This is because you may have high levels of one (or all) of the above conditions without ever showing any signs or symptoms. Regular health screening allows the doctor and also you to work together to cope with the conditions you have before they get worse.
Do all people need to undergo an annual medical check-up?
The majority of health professionals and health policy experts argue that regular visits to annual health checks are unnecessary habits. Some of them even argue that this habit is just a waste of time and money for most people.
A number of large studies have shown that annual doctor visits do not make much difference in changes in health outcomes. According to a study published by BMJ Open 2012, routine annual health checks do not help you to avoid death, hospitalization, or appointment in the future. In other words, a routine check-up to the doctor once a year does not necessarily make you free from illness, or prolong life.
There is also a risk every year for a health check
The opposite is true, studies from several researchers found that annual medical check-ups can cause overdiagnosis or even misdiagnosis. An inappropriate diagnosis can put you at risk of following a follow-up procedure that is not really needed at all and complications that might be caused. This is because laboratory tests and medical tests intended for healthy patients (rather than for people with symptoms or diagnosed diseases) are more likely to show "false positive" results - that is, when the test results show a problem that does not exist; only to find that in the end there is nothing wrong with you.
Then, there is also the potential for "fake guarantees", where the test results show everything is fine so people tend to ignore or underestimate new symptoms, which can be dangerous. When you undergo an annual health check, doctors usually check general and easy things to check, but there are still many other conditions that do not have adequate health tests, and there are even a number of other conditions that test results cannot improve by identifying more diseases. early. And not to mention having to deal with swelling hospital costs from all kinds of unnecessary procedures.
Undergoing annual checks solely because routines are not wise. But this does not mean you have to ignore preventive steps at all - or just go to the doctor when you are sick. For example, a routine check for blood pressure or cholesterol checks is a good thing and must be kept in mind.
When should I see a doctor for a medical check-up?
If you have never had an annual physical exam at all, it's okay to ask a doctor to have a basic picture of your health. If at the first medical check-up you are declared healthy without certain suspicions about any health conditions, your doctor may advise you to return within the next 3-5 years unless problems arise.
And even if you have certain concerns, such as hypertension, the symptoms can be missed if you don't have an annual health check, remember that you are still very likely to make a doctor's appointment when you may have a cold or other general illness. At this time the doctor will check your health in general, including blood pressure checks. This is also your chance to make a complaint or problem about your health.
Health checks that should not be missed at all
But don't ignore physical examinations at all, because some health screening can save lives. There are at least three major physical examinations that you should not miss - regardless of your health condition:
- Mammograms for breast cancer: The American Cancer Society recommends that most women have an annual mammogram starting at age 45. Women aged 55 years and over are recommended for screening every two years.
- Colonoscopy or occult test (feces or blood) screening for colon cancer: recommended starting at age 50 and continuing regularly until the age of 75
- Pap Smear for cervical cancer is recommended every 3 years for most women aged 21-29 years. For women aged 30-65 years, pap smears are routinely recommended every 5 years.
On the other hand, annual health checks are routinely recommended every year or every two years, if you are 50 years and over and / or overweight, have diabetes offspring, or are undergoing treatment for hypertension or diabetes.
