Little by little, while candles are being added to the birthday cake, certain responsibilities that were previously ignored are also progressively emerging. “There’s still a long way to go to have to worry about that.” But everything comes. And that includes the medical check-ups that are needed according to age, since the nature of these and the frequency with which they must be carried out is changing considerably.
The objective of undergoing medical tests periodically is aimed at the prevention and early detection of any type of disease or disorder that could be suffered. So the chances of success when it comes to intervening greatly increase. And we must not forget that, from certain ages, one is more prone to suffer some of them. So vigilance must increase. Above all, when the determining barrier of 50 years is crossed.
Medical check-ups at an early age, such as the age of twenty, are based on a blood test at most every four years, cervical cytology every three, periodic vision control and stress tests in the case of athletes. Beyond the age of 30, the HPV test is added every five years, the examination of moles and greater gynecological care in the case of women. In the forties the panorama did not change much, although the frequency of the analyzes was reduced to every two years. And vision checkup is advised as annual. But after 50 years is another story.
Once this age is reached, it is important to take special precautions, especially in relation to different types of cancer, to increase the probability of early detection. An example of this is that fecal occult blood testing is beginning to be recommended every two years, as it is an effective way to detect colon cancer. Mammograms will also be essential to identify early cases of breast cancer, also every two years. Another necessary test in the case of smokers will be to detect possible lung cancer.
To the annual tests to check the health of the eyesight, in which eye strain will acquire special importance, audition checks are added. Therefore, it will be necessary to visit the otorhinolaryngologist specialist every two years.
All these tests must be adopted as a preventive measure, which allows accurate and adequate monitoring of the state of health of the whole organism. As well as finding any type of disorder or disease in its beginnings to treat it in the most effective way possible.
