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Customized, Periodic Health Exams

The days of the generic annual physical are over. Today, preventive services are customized, taking into account your health status, risk factors, and personal and family health history. This more individualized approach is often built around a periodic health exam. Although you may still be seeing your health care provider for a checkup, you won’t necessarily receive the same tests as everyone else, or even the same tests you had last year. During a routine health exam, in addition to the screening discussed earlier, the following items are checked:

• Blood pressure
• Height and weight
• Immunization status (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend immunizations based on age, occupation, health status, and other factors.)
• Health of the oral cavity
• Vision and hearing (as appropriate for the your age)

It is your responsibility to schedule these health exams, although your provider will recommend the necessary frequency. You can also keep track of when you should have certain screening tests by signing up for reminders through the following free service.