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PERIODIC HEALTH EXAMINATIONS

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BY ELIZABETH EMORDI

The culture of annual physical is no longer advocated. Instead of an annual physical, periodic health examaminations are recommended.

What is PERIODIC HEALTH EXAMINATION? A periodic health examination is an evaluation of the general health status of an individual, during which a doctor will evaluate the body, organs, and their functioning.

These medical check-ups can help in the prevention, detection or treatment of conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and other treatable problems before they lead to more serious health problem.

Below is a helpful health examination routine for every stage of life:

FIRST WEEK OF LIFE

 Antibiotic eyedrops at birth to prevent bacterial infection.

 T4/TSH to check for overactive thyroid gland or an underactive thyroid gland

 Phenylalanine test to check for a rare inherited metabolic disorder called phenylketonuria.

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BIRTH TO 18 MONTHS OF AGE

 Height and weight

 Hemoglobin or hematocrit test to check for anemia

Schedule exams for two, four, six, twelve, fifteen and eighteen months of age.

19 MONTHS TO 6 YEARS

 Height and weight

 Blood pressure

 Eye exams to check for amblyopia and strabismus

 Urine test to check for bacteria in the urine

7 TO 12 YEARS

 Height and weight

 Blood pressure

 Tanner staging to check for signs of normal sexual development

An exam to check whether the child has been immunized is recommended between ages 11 and 12.

13 TO 18 YEARS

 Height and weight

 Blood pressure

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 Tanner staging

19 TO 39 YEARS

 Height and weight

 Blood pressure

 Pelvic exam in women to check for vaginal and yeast infection

 Pap smear in women to check for changes in the cervix that could be cancer(annually)

 Blood cholesterol

40 TO 64 YEARS

 Height and weight

 Blood pressure

 Physical exam of breasts in women to check for lumps that could be cancer (every one to two years after age 50)

 Pelvic exam in women

 Pap smear in women to check for changes in the cervix that could be cancer (every three years)

 Fecal occult blood test or sigmoidoscopy (annually beginning at age 50)

 Total blood cholesterol test

 Mammogram in women to check for signs of breast cancer.

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65 YEARS AND OLDER

 Height and weight

 Blood pressure

 Vision test

 Hearing test

 Physical exam of breasts in women to check for lumps that could be cancer

 Pelvic exam in women

 Listen to heart sounds

 Total blood cholesterol test

 Urine test to check for bacterial infection, traces of bleeding from bladder or kidney cancer

 Mammogram in women to check for signs to breast cancer (every one to two years until age 70)

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