Recommendations for Staying Healthy

Adults (19-64 years)

Adults ages 19 to 64 should visit their doctor for a routine check-up every one to three years.

Routine screening and testing

Height and weight (body mass index-screening for healthy weight)
Blood pressure
Vision
Chlamydia for women (up to age 24)
Cholesterol every 5 years, if normal
Colon cancer (1) starting at age 50
Mammogram every year for women ages 40 and over
Pap smear every year for women (testing less often may be recommended by your physician)
Your provider may want to discuss the following:

Nutrition
Exercise
Seatbelt use
Smoking, drug and alcohol use
Depression
Safer sex
Prostate cancer screening for most men ages 50 and over
If the provider does not ask about any of these health issues, you should bring them up if you have questions or concerns.

Immunizations

Tetanus, Diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine (if last tetanus vaccine was 10 or more years ago may receive one-dose one-time)
Influenza (Flu) vaccine (adults 50+ years, annually)
Hepatitis B vaccine (adults at risk)
Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine (adults who’ve never received vaccine)
Meningococcal vaccine (college students in dormitories)
Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine (adults who’ve never had chicken pox and never received vaccine)
Human papillomavirus or HPV (protects against cervical cancer and genital warts) (adult women ages 19-26)
Pneumococcal vaccine (adults at risk)
Zoster (shingles) vaccine (adults 60+, one dose)
Notes:
(1)One of the following screening tests is recommended:

Annual fecal occult blood test (FOBT) or stool sample
Flexible sigmoidoscopy, every five years
Annual FOBT and flexible sigmoidoscopy, every five years
Total colon examination by double-contrast barium enema (DCBE), every 5 to 10 years
Total colon examination by colonoscopy, every 10 years

For more information on health insurance coverage in North Carolina, please visit our website at www.nchealthplans.com or call our toll free number 888-765-5400 and speak with one of our qualified agents.  Our agency provides coverage for health insurance in North Carolina through Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC).  You may qualify for a 15% healthy lifestyle discount if you are in excellent health.  Call us for details.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 6:27 pm and is filed under Health & Nutrition, Mens Health, Womens Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.