Preventive healthcare and screenings

You may have seen your healthcare provider a few times this year for a cold, the flu, and a backache. You felt so badly when you saw your provider that you didn’t feel like a thorough exam and lab work, and even if you had been, it would have just shown that you were sick.

Check-ups or well visits are a good way to help you stay healthy. Seeing your healthcare provider at least once a year, no matter your age, gives your provider the chance to have a good look at you, make a health and wellness plan, update your vaccines, and get age-appropriate screenings. Screenings may be as simple as a questionnaire or listening to your heart and lungs. They are used to catch problems early so that they are easier to treat and have better outcomes. Most adults should have the following screenings.

• Alcohol use
• Anemia
• Blood pressure
• Breast cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Cholesterol
• Colorectal cancer
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Hepatitis C virus (if born between 1945-1965)
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
• Sexually transmitted infections
• Tobacco use

Talk to your provider for more information.

A check-up appointment is also a good time to review your prescription medications, herbal supplements, and vitamins to be sure that your medications are working for you. Bring all of your medicines to your appointments. Call today to schedule a check-up. Appointments with the Southern Ute Health Center can be made at 970-563-4581.

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