In this section:

Routine Health Screenings You Can't Ignore

Making time in your busy schedule to have routine health screenings, make a big difference in the detection and prevention of serious diseases.

Let's face it, your life is busy. Between work, family, community and social obligations there's hardly time to think. You run from meeting to meeting at work, attend your daughter's soccer game, help your son with his science project, volunteer for the local soup kitchen and plan your high school class reunion. It's no wonder you take very little time for your own health - mostly because there is little time to take. However, by making time in your busy schedule to have routine health screenings, you can make a big difference in the detection and prevention of serious diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Below is a list of recommended screenings, when they should be completed and what they are designed to do.

• Routine Physical Exam (men and women) - A routine physical should be done every 3 to 5 years until you are 40, then yearly afterward. It should include a measurement of your Body Mass Index (BMI) and your blood pressure.
• Cholesterol Screening (men and women) - To help prevent heart disease or a stroke, you should have your cholesterol checked every 3 years beginning at age 20. A fasting lipoprotein profile is the most accurate type of cholesterol screening. It measures HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels.
• Diabetes Screening (men and women) - Your glucose levels should be checked every 3 years. If you are in a high-risk category, your doctor may recommend that you have them checked more frequently.
• Blood Pressure Screening (men and women) - Healthy adults with normal blood pressure should have their blood pressure checked at least every 1 to 2 years during a routine visit. Adults who are prehypertensive (120-139 and/or 80-89 mm Hg) should have their blood pressure checked as often as recommended by their doctor, or at least yearly. Adults with risk factors for heart or blood vessel disease may need to have their blood pressure checked more often.
• Immunizations (men and women) - No one likes getting shots, but they do serve a purpose. Be sure to get your annual flu shot, a tetanus booster every 10 years and a pneumonia shot once you reach age 65.
• Colon Cancer Screening (men and women) - At age 50 you should have a screening colonoscopy. If you have a family history of colon cancer or polyps (small growths in the colon that are a risk factor for colon cancer), you should begin having regular screenings at a younger age.
• Eye Exam (men and women) - If you have no symptoms or risk factors and are seeing clearly, comprehensive eye exams are recommended at the following intervals:
  • 20-39 years old         One-time comprehensive exam
  • 40-64 years old         Every 2 years
  • Over 65 years old      Every year
  If you have special risks such as diabetes, previous eye trauma or a family history of glaucoma, speak with your optometrist to see how frequent your exams should be.
• Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Screenings (men and women) - If you are sexually active, age 25 and under, it's important to have an STD screening for Chlamydia and gonorrhea, because many affected individuals do not have symptoms.
• Breast Self-Exam (women) - This exam should be done monthly starting around age 20. By regularly examining your breasts, you are more likely to know what feels normal and what doesn't. Any variation in how your breasts look or feel should be reported immediately to your health care provider.
• Mammogram (women) - Every woman should receive a baseline mammogram at age 40 and follow-up mammograms every 1 to 2 years. At age 50, women should begin receiving yearly mammograms.
• Pelvic Exam with Pap smear Test (women) - This annual exam should be done by the age of 21 or within 3 years of the onset of sexual activity.
• Bone Density Exam (women) - A Bone Mineral Density (BMD) test should be considered in women 40 years old or older who have sustained a fracture; after minimal trauma; postmenopausal women under the age of 65 with risk factors (risk factors include being Caucasian, smoking, poor nutrition, low weight and alcoholism); and for all women beyond 65 years of age.
• Prostate Cancer Screenings (men) - In the early stages, prostate cancer does not typically have symptoms. This is why it is important to have a digital rectal exam and Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test starting at the age of 50. If you are in a high-risk group (African American men or those with a father, brother or son with prostate cancer), you should consider having the screenings at age 40.
• Testicular Self-Exam (men) - This exam should be done monthly starting at age 20. By regularly examining your testicles, you are more likely to know what feels normal and what doesn't. Any variations in how your testicles look or feel should be reported immediately to your health care provider.

The primary care physicians at UAP Clinic are accepting new patients. If you do not have a doctor and would like more information regarding health recommendations, please call one of the UAP Clinic primary care locations for an appointment.

UAP Downtown Family Medicine - 812-242-3120
UAP Internal Medicine - 812-242-3140
UAP Northside Family Medicine - 812-242-3600
UAP Southside Family Medicine - 812-232-3281
UAP OB/GYN - 812-242-3115