Sentara Health and Preventive Services

Preventive Health Guidelines

 
The following guidelines are provided as general recommendations and stresses things you can do to protect your health.* Clinical data in a particular case may necessitate or permit deviations from these guidelines.

Download Immunization Schedules
Infant /Child
Child/Adolescent
Adult


Women (age 18 + years)

Health Assessment: Age 18+, every 3 years
Cholesterol: Age 20+, every 5 years
Blood Pressure: Age 18+, every 2 years
Vision: check with doctor
Dental: check with doctor
Bone Mineral Density testing: Age 65+, once in your lifetime
Blood Sugar testing: Age 51+, every three years

Early Cancer Detection
Pap Smear: Age 18+, yearly or as directed by a physician. 
 Clinical Breast Exam: (By a professional) Ages 20-39 every three years, age 40+, yearly 
 Mammogram: Ages 40+, yearly 
 Fecal Occult Blood Test: Age 50+, yearly (Checks for colorectal cancer) 
 Colonoscopy: Age 50+, every 10 years (Checks for colorectal cancer) 
 Sigmoidoscopy: Age 50+, every 5 years. If you are at high risk for colon cancer, check with your doctor 
 Skin Cancer: Self exam

Adult Immunizations 
 Tetanus/Diphtheria: Age 20+, every 10 years 
 Influenza (flu shot): Age 50 plus, yearly 
 Pneumococcal (pneumonia shot): Age 65+, and one dose revaccination if vaccinated before age 65. Check with your doctor if you have a medical high risk condition, or were vaccinated before age 65.

Men (age 18+ years)
Health Assessment: Age 18+, every 3 years
Cholesterol: Age 20+, every 5 years
Blood Pressure: Age 18+, every 2 years
Vision: Check with your doctor
Dental: Check with your doctor
Bone Mineral Density testing: Age 65+, once in your lifetime
Blood Sugar testing: Age 51+, every three years

Early Cancer Detection 
 Prostate Screening: Based on age and history, check with your doctor 
 Digital Rectal Exam: Age 50+, yearly, age 40+ for those at high risk for prostate cancer 
 Fecal Occult Blood Test: Age 50+, yearly (Checks for colorectal cancer) 
 Colonoscopy: Age 50+, every 10 years (Checks for colorectal cancer) 
 Sigmoidoscopy: Age 50+, every 5 years. If you are at high risk for colon cancer, check with your doctor 
 Skin Cancer: Self exam

Adult Immunizations
Tetanus/Diphtheria: Age 20+, every 10 years 
 Influenza (flu shot): Age 50 plus, yearly 
 Pneumococcal (pneumonia shot): Age 65+, and one dose revaccination if vaccinated before age 65. Check with your doctor if have a medical high risk condition, or if you were vaccinated before age 65.

Children
Children need frequent health assessments to make sure that they are developing normally and to make sure that they are receiving all of their childhood immunizations.
The following schedule is recommended:

Health Assessments
 Under age 2, every 2-3 months 
 ages 2-6 every year 
 ages 8-10 every other year 
 ages 11-18 every year
Vision: Check with doctor
Dental: Check with doctor

*Optima Health updates preventive guidelines each fall.
Last update Fall 2005.