Whatever your age or stage of life, prevention is better than cure. Regular check-ups with your doctor should be a priority even if you have never felt better. Health screenings are designed for people who aren’t showing any signs or symptoms and are important for detecting and preventing diseases and managing risk factors. Routine screenings can be blood tests, imaging tests, physical exams, or questionnaires.

Here are the top health screenings you should be considering at different stages of your life.

Newborn (0-2 months)

• Physical Exam: Complete physical exam to check vital signs, reflexes, and overall health.
• Hearing Test: Screen for hearing issues.
• Newborn Screening: Blood tests for various metabolic or genetic conditions (e.g., hypothyroidism, sickle cell anaemia, etc.).
• Jaundice Check: Monitor bilirubin levels to check for jaundice.
• Vaccinations: Begin vaccinations (e.g., Hepatitis B, DTP, polio, Hib, rotavirus, etc.).

Infancy (2 months – 1 year)

• Regular Checkups: Typically, at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months.
• Growth Tracking: Monitor weight, height, and head circumference.
• Developmental Milestones: Assess motor skills, vision, and speech development.
• Vaccinations: Complete vaccines such as DTP, Hib, rotavirus, IPV, MMR, varicella, etc.
• Hearing and Vision Check: Assess early hearing and vision.

Toddler (1-3 years)

• Regular Checkups: At 15 months, 18 months, and 2 years.
• Growth and Developmental Monitoring: Track physical, motor, and speech skills.
• Vaccinations: Booster doses for DTP, MMR, varicella, and others.
• Dental Health: First dental checkup around age 1 or 2.
• Vision and Hearing: Regular checkups to ensure no issues arise.

Preschool (3-5 years)

• Annual Checkups: Yearly checkups starting at age 3.
• Physical Exam: Growth assessment (weight, height, BMI), and a general health evaluation.
• Vaccinations: Final doses of DTP, MMR, and varicella, plus flu vaccine.
• Vision and Hearing: Screening for any emerging issues.
• Dental Checkups: Continue with routine dental visits.

School Age (6-12 years)

• Annual Checkups: Regular yearly checkups, which may include monitoring of vision, hearing, and physical development.
• Growth Tracking: Monitoring of height, weight, and overall physical development.
• Vaccinations: Tdap, HPV (starting at age 11-12), and flu vaccine.
• Dental Checkups:  Continue with routine dental visits.

Adolescence (13-18 years)

• Annual Checkups: Health evaluations to monitor physical growth and any emerging concerns.
• Vaccinations: Tdap booster, HPV, Meningococcal vaccine, and the flu vaccine.

• Vision and Hearing: Ongoing screenings.

• Dental Checkups: Regular visits for cleaning and assessment.

• Blood Pressure and Cholesterol: Begin screening for high blood pressure or cholesterol around age 12, especially if there’s a family history.

If you are in your 20’s, 30’s and 40’s

• Blood Pressure: High blood pressure usually does not have any obvious symptoms and is therefore known as a silent disease. Left untreated, it can increase your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, heart attack, or stroke.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight: Maintaining a healthy weight is important to reduce your risk of developing serious illnesses.
• Skin check: This should be done by everyone regularly to examine for suspicious moles or lesions.
• Cholesterol: High cholesterol can put you at risk of heart attack and stroke; it’s therefore important to get your cholesterol levels checked regularly.
• Diabetes: Early detection can help manage the disease.
• Cervical screening: Women should attend for regular screening starting in their 20’s.
• If you are in your 50’s and 60’s
• Blood Pressure: High blood pressure usually does not have any obvious symptoms and is therefore known as a silent disease. Left untreated, it can increase your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, heart attack, or stroke.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight: Maintaining a healthy weight is important to reduce your risk of developing serious illnesses.
• Skin check: This should be done by everyone regularly to examine for suspicious moles or lesions.
• Cholesterol: High cholesterol can put you at risk of heart attack and stroke; it’s therefore important to get your cholesterol levels checked regularly.
• Diabetes: Early detection can help manage the disease.
• Cervical screening: Women should attend for regular screening starting in their 20’s
• Testicular exam: Tests for signs of testicular cancer in men should be done yearly.
• Colonoscopy: With normal results, colorectal cancer screenings should be completed every 5 years.
• Mammogram: Usually every two years. If breast cancer runs in your family or you have other risk factors, you may need to begin regular mammograms at an earlier age. 
• Prostate check: Starts annually for men at age 50, unless you are high-risk, then you start at 40.
• Bone density scan: Men and women should have a bone density exam every 5 years
• Urine test: To assess kidney health every year after the age of 50.

If you are in your 70’s and beyond

• Blood Pressure: High blood pressure usually does not have any obvious symptoms and is therefore known as a silent disease. Left untreated, it can increase your risk of heart disease, kidney disease, heart attack, or stroke.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight: Maintaining a healthy weight is important to reduce your risk of developing serious illnesses.
• Skin check: This should be done by everyone regularly to examine for suspicious moles or lesions.
• Cholesterol: High cholesterol can put you at risk of heart attack and stroke; it’s therefore important to get your cholesterol levels checked regularly.
• Diabetes: Early detection can help manage the disease.
• Cervical screening: Women should attend for regular screening starting in their 20’s, every two to three years.
• Testicular exam: Tests for signs of testicular cancer in men should be done yearly.
• Colonoscopy: With normal results, colorectal cancer screenings should be completed every 10 years.
• Mammogram: Usually every two years. If breast cancer runs in your family or you have other risk factors, you may need to begin regular mammograms at an earlier age. 
• Prostate check: Starts annually for men at age 50 unless you are high-risk, then you start at 40.
• Bone density scan: Men and women should have a bone density exam every 2 years.
• Urine test: To assess kidney health every year after the age of 50.

• Pneumonia: Talk to your doctor about having a pneumonia vaccine.

• Herpes Zoster: If you are over 60, talk to your doctor about having the Herpes Zoster va
• Vision: Eye tests every one to two years.