When To Get What Checked Out By A Doctor

My own theory about visiting the doctor: You’re healthy until you get checked out by a doctor and they find something wrong with you. This, obviously, is completely wrong.

What you’re actually supposed to do is visit your primary care physician on a more regular basis, getting certain parts of your body checked out as you get older. But when are you supposed to get what checked out? It’s not like your body comes with some kind of driver’s manual. Until now, that is. Men’s Fitness, doing us all a great service, has put together a list of when to get what checked out to make sure it’s healthy.

Since a majority of our readers are in their 20s, here is what Men’s Fitness says you should get looked at before you get into your 30s:

• Annual physical exam by your primary care physician, including blood pressure, and height/weight checks
• Screening for testicular cancer, including monthly self exams
• Cholesterol testing every 5 years
• Depending on your individual circumstances, your doctor may want to do an electrocardiogram to check for heart disease, and blood tests to screen for diabetes, thyroid disease, liver problems, and anemia
• Depending on risk factors, your doctor may also recommend screening for skin cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV infection, and alcohol abuse

It’s probably good to print out this list, laminate, and keep it in a safe spot to review whenever you hit another milestone year. Don’t worry. Prostate exams don’t start until you’re in your 40s. Enjoy the next few years!