Health Tips for Your 20s and 30s
In your 20s and 30s, it’s much easier to ignore regular check-ups at doctors’ offices – after all, you’re young, strong, very healthy, and very busy, too.
However, the ability to stay healthy and strong throughout your life is closely related to how you took care of your body when you were young. By scheduling your routine health screenings, you increase your chances of catching diseases or other conditions at an early stage – and may even have the opportunity to prevent some diseases altogether. Here are a few important points you should consider when it comes to your health in your 20s and 30s:
Yes, You Need a Physical Exam
Take the time to find a generalist doctor you like, and discuss with them how often you should get physicals. Physical examinations help diagnose diseases and conditions early on, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol, that cause health problems as we age. Detecting potential problems at an early stage will allow your doctor to intervene and treat you immediately, and in return, you will have a much higher chance of recovery from your illnesses or their side effects.
Women in their 20s should also schedule annual doctor visits, which should include a full physical exam, pelvic exams and pap smears, and screening and examination for such diseases, including cervical cancer. It should be done every three years.
vaccinations
Make sure that the vaccines you receive are the latest and up-to-date. Once you turn 19, you may want to consider getting an annual flu vaccine, which means you’ll need to schedule a TdAP – this means that every 10 years there’s a time to get these vaccines to boost immunity against tetanus-diphtheria and acellular pertussis (whooping cough). It means planning. You may also need the following vaccinations:
- chickenpox vaccine
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
- pneumonia vaccine
Visit your dentist once a year
Do you want to keep your pearly teeth in the healthy condition they have always been? You will need to go to a dentist for this. Twenty-seven percent of adults ages 18-44 have untreated tooth decay. Visiting a dentist at least once a year will be beneficial to prevent tooth loss and gum diseases that may occur in the long term. It is recommended that smokers, diabetics, or people with a family history of dental disease visit their dentist more often.
Even if you don’t wear glasses, be sure to see an ophthalmologist
Even if you have 20/20 vision, regular eye examinations will ensure that your eye diseases are diagnosed and detected at an early stage.4 Your ophthalmologist can check the following eye conditions:
- glaucoma
- Diabetes
- Arthritis/joint inflammation
- high blood pressure
Research your family’s health history
Before scheduling your first medical check-up/health screening, call your family members and try to find out what diseases and conditions you have in your family history. Your health care providers will also ask you about your family’s health history, so they may ask you to have more frequent check-ups or annual tests for certain conditions and health problems.
When to visit a specialist?
If you suspect that you are at high risk for certain health conditions and diseases, see your general health doctor first. If necessary, your doctor may recommend that you see a specialist, such as a gynecologist for reproductive problems or a dermatologist for skin conditions. Even if you look very good and healthy in your 20s and 30s, do not neglect your routine health examinations and tests. Spending a few hours now for these tests and examinations for a small fee will give you a great advantage in preventing and treating medical problems that you may encounter in the future and that may affect you.
