How Often Should You Go to the Doctor? A Simple Guide

Did you know that 34% of people in the US don’t see or speak with their doctor even one time per year?

If you’re concerned about health, you likely know that you need to see the doctor when you don’t feel well. However, you may need to go more often than you think, regardless of any illness or condition! You can also read about GP in Singapore to get local help anytime.

So, how often should you go to the doctor? Is there a right or wrong answer?

Keep reading to learn more about what you need to know to keep yourself healthy.

Age and Risk Level

These are, for the most part, the two most important factors to help you figure out when to go to the doctor.

If you’re younger than 30 without many risk factors, you still need to go get a checkup every 2 or 3 years.

Individuals that are overweight or have a family medical history that makes them at risk need more frequent checkups with family physicians.

Are you between the ages of 30 and 40? In that case, it’s best to get a checkup every year. Diseases like hypertension, diabetes, or obesity may not come with many symptoms during this time, but they can still be detected early by your doctor.

If you’re older than 50, annual exams become much more important. As you age, your risk levels increase for most conditions, and you can use these exams to talk about prevention with your doctor.

Specialized Care

Women need to get annual cervical and breast cancer screenings. These exams should start as soon as the woman becomes sexually active or by the age of 21.

Pregnant women will need to visit the doctor frequently. This schedule for visits can be agreed upon by the woman and her physician based on the individual situation.

If you have a specialist, such as an allergist, dermatologist, or gastroenterologist, you’ll likely need to see them at least once a year (possibly more). This will be for both preventative care and generalized treatments you need.

Chronic Conditions

Anyone that has chronic medical needs should be visiting their doctor about every 6 months. Patients with diabetes likely will need checkups every 3 months.

Generally, if you have a chronic condition, your doctor will want to talk to you about how treatment is going and whether your symptoms have changed.