When and How Often to See the Doctor, Dentist, and More
Trips to the doctor and dentist can fall by the wayside when one becomes a full-fledged adult. Ironically, this is the time when most people need to set up a regular schedule for visits to their various health care professionals. But in the absence of a parent to call the shots, how does one know just how frequently they need to visit their optometrist, chiropractor, or ear, nose, and throat specialist? Read Fix’s guide to know how often to visit the doctor, and for guidelines on what professional you need to see, and when.
Because the health care needs of men and women differ, so do their schedules for when to visit the doctor. Women are advised to visit the gynecologist for pap tests and breast exams with increasing frequency based on age, whereas men don’t need to begin routine prostate exams until significantly later in life. Both men and women are advised to seek colon cancer testing between ages 20-39, based on the advice of their doctor.
With age, the frequency of visits to the doctor for routine colon, prostate, and breast exams will increase. But one thing that stays the same is visits to the dentist; make sure to schedule a visit for cleaning and a check-up every six months!
