ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – Experts say seeing a doctor at least once a year can help detect and prevent long-term health problems, but physicians are seeing a troubling trend among young adults who are skipping that care.
Dr. Zachary Bittinger with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center said many young adults do not have a primary care doctor, and many who do are skipping annual checkups.
“It’s easy to assume that we’re in good health if nothing’s happened just yet,” Bittinger said.
What a checkup covers
Bittinger said annual checkups provide a baseline for future care. During a visit, a doctor can check vital signs, measure height, weight and blood pressure, listen to the heart and lungs, examine the mouth, ears and skin, feel lymph nodes, and check for swelling in the arms and legs…