There are a few guidelines on how often patients should visit a primary care provider. When getting annual physicals, patients may see a nurse practitioner instead of a medical doctor. Age, family history and current health conditions are all factors regarding when to visit a doctor. Read on to find out how often you should visit a primary care provider.
Nurse practitioners are licensed professionals who are focused on preventing and managing disease. Nurse practitioners have been playing an important role in the world of primary care. One of the benefits of nurse practitioners is that they can provide many of the same services as a traditional doctor. This is often at a lower cost than a traditional doctor.
At this age, patients should see the doctor or nurse practitioner every two to three years for a general health checkup. Patients should discuss healthy lifestyle habits with the doctor, such as diet, exercise and how to prevent disease. Individuals who are traveling internationally may need to receive certain vaccinations. Women should also discuss how often to receive cervical cancer screenings. This will depend on family history.
Most people who are this age should be getting a physical every year. Some of the common diseases that individuals may get at this age, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or signs of obesity, often do not cause noticeable symptoms in their early stages. An annual physical can work to catch these diseases as soon as possible. Women should also consider breast cancer screening beginning at the age of 40.
After the age of 50, it is important to have an annual physical. Both women and men should have annual colonoscopies to screen for colon cancer. In addition, women who are over the age of 50 should consider having regular mammograms. Both men and women who are over the age of 65 should have regular flu vaccines because they are at a greater risk from the flu.
While the above guidelines are for healthy individuals, there are additional guidelines for individuals with higher risk factors. For example, patients with a family history of certain diseases, such as high blood pressure or breast cancer, may need to have more regular physicals, even in the younger years. Patients who are overweight should also consider visiting a primary care provider more often. Individuals should talk with a primary care provider about the right frequency to have physicals.
A nurse practitioner can help screen patients for diseases such as high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes and high cholesterol. Getting physicals at the recommended times can help catch these diseases in the early stages. The earlier a disease is caught, the more likely it is that you will be able to quickly return to your normal life after treatment. Seeing your primary care provider may just help save your life.
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