Whether for children or adults, the September recovery is often the ideal time to take stock of the consultations necessary for the good health of the whole family. Dr Gérald Kierzek reminds us of useful consultations. On your calendars!
Your back-to-school resolutions often include eating better, resuming exercise or sleeping better. But the period is also ideal for planning the necessary appointments to take care of yourself and do a health check-up. Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of TipsForWomens, looks back on appointments by age group.
Children and teenagers: vaccination, sight and teeth on the program
The attending physician
In children and adolescents, it is always necessary to make an appointment with their doctor for an annual health check-up. “It is an opportunity to check the growth, the development of the child and to carry out a general medical examination, all these checkpoints which go through a clinical examination” reminds our doctor.
Vaccines
This passage is also an opportunity to update your vaccines. “Generally, toddlers have had their 11 mandatory vaccines, but there are reminders to plan depending on age and new features, such as the vaccine HPV for teenagers, which will be offered for girls and boys in college” said Dr. Kierzek.
The ophthalmologist
It is always a good idea to have your children’s eye health checked at the beginning of the school year “in particular to screen for myopia. Today there are frenetic glasses, myopia, and glasses that can correct it, as well as being able to have it from school” advises our expert.
ENT for hearing
In case of doubt, it is also useful to make an appointment for a possible hearing problem that will have repercussions on the school field. “An appointment to be made with your attending physician or with an ENT” specifies our expert.
The dentist
Finally, we also think of the dentist, who can carry out a dental examination in full growth, detect cavities, and practice scaling.
The medical certificate for sport is no longer mandatory
Since March 2022, with the exception of disciplines with particular constraints, to obtain or renew a license and participate in a sports competition authorized by a delegated federation or organized by an approved federation, the presentation of a medical certificate of absence of counter -indication (CACI) to sports practice is no longer mandatory unless the federation in question requires it. In most cases, this involves completing a health questionnaire. A medical consultation is only necessary if one of the questions has been answered positively.
Adults: the importance of prevention
An annual consultation
Adults may also benefit from an annual visit to their primary care physician. It will be an opportunity to answer and ask health questions, to be auscultated, to check blood pressure, etc.
“It’s also the time to check your vaccination, since it generally concerns 25, 45 and 65 year olds” recalls Dr. Kierzek. As a reminder, vaccination can now go through your pharmacist.
Preventive examinations
Adulthood, especially after 40, is also a good time to enter into what is called screening, whether it is for cancers, heart health, etc. depending on age.
- A pap smear for adult women;
- A mammogram to be considered in women from the age of 50;
- Screening for colorectal cancer from the age of 50 in men and women;
- A visit to the urologist for men over 50;
- An electrocardiogram in everyone after 40 years.
“It’s not about rushing to your doctor to do everything in a hurry, but let’s say it’s the right time to plan your year” concluded Dr. Kierzek.
Finally, a dental check-up and scaling are always good to consider.
Senior: eyes and hearing as a priority
Seniors don’t escape the back-to-school check-up either!
For the older ones, it is interesting to have an ophthalmological control further to detect macular degeneration, and glaucoma problems which are common. It is therefore important to take the eye pressure.
auditory control is also to be considered: to discuss the need for a hearing aid, when we know today that hearing is involved in the prevention of dementia.
Finally, for women, we can also add a bone densitometry test to identify osteoporosis