Preventive health care

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Preventative medicine

2. Many diseases can be effectively treated when detected early. See your primary health care provider right away if:

• A lump or persistent lesion appears on your body
• You have unexplained weight loss
• You have a lasting fever
• A chronic cough develops (or you begin to cough up blood)
• You notice continued body aches and pains

Have a plan for obtaining professional care before the need arises.

3. Keep immunizations up-to-date. Remember that adults should receive periodic boosters for diseases such as tetanus (one dose should include the pertussis vaccine, sometime between ages 18-65). Other vaccines recommended for adults include: varicella (shingles, recurrence of chicken pox on skin), Hepatitis B and A, meningococcal and measles, mumps, and rubella. If you are either older than 65 or have significant heart or lung problems, you should consider receiving an influenza vaccine during the fall and winter season, as well as a pneumonia vaccine.

Review Date: 01/18/2007
Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.