Young and Un-insured
Too old for the annual pediatrician visit or too young for the annual mammogram or prostate exam?
A recent RedEye article caught my eye, because this personally applies to me and to 13.2 million other young adults that are medically uninsured.
People in the 20s and 30s are more likely than any other group to be uninsured often wandering in medical no-man's land. "Everyone assumes [young adults] are all healthy, and that's just not true," said study author Amy Bernstein. As much as we’d like to think we are made of steel, the facts are:
- Young adults account for the most injury-related emergency room visits.
- Certain sexually transmitted diseases, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, peak during young adulthood.
- As do rates of smoking, alcohol and drug use.
17% of 18- to 29-year-olds reported needing but not receiving medical attention in the past year because they couldn't afford it, and that age group is the least likely to have seen a dentist, according to a special report published this year as part of the National Center for Health Statistics' annual "Health, United States" survey.
"As long as men are feeling good, their weight is stable, they have no undue pain, they're functioning well at their job, in their relationships and at home, then for the most part, they don't need to be seen," said Dr. Ted Epperly, board chairman of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Same goes for young women, though they should have regular gynecological appointments for Pap smears and breast exams. That doesn't mean young people are home-free. If you're having symptoms of anything--worst headache ever, bleeding from somewhere, pain in your chest, pain that lasts for longer than normal or impairs your ability to function--you should be seen by a doctor, Epperly said.
Here are a few health issues to keep an eye on: Alcohol
Men should have no more than two drinks per day, and women should have no more than one per day, Epperly said. Alcohol causes damage to your liver, stomach and pancreas. Depression
Young adulthood is a critical period for identifying mental health problems, which usually manifest by age 24. Depression is the most common problem, affecting 11 percent of young women and 6 percent of young men. Hypertension & cholesterol
Three percent of young adults have hypertension (high blood pressure). The earlier you start treating it, the better chance of avoiding long-term problems such as heart attack, stroke and blindness, Epperly said. All adults over 20 should get a cholesterol test every five years, says the National Cholesterol Education Program. Obesity
If you are 30 pounds over your ideal weight, you are approaching obesity, Epperly said. To calculate your ideal weight: For men, give yourself 106 pounds for five feet of height, then add six pounds for every inch of over five feet. For women, give yourself 100 pounds for five feet of height, then add five pounds for every inch over five feet. (This is a rough approximation; different body frames have different ideal weights). Physical activity
Two-thirds of young adults don't get leisure physical activity. You should exercise at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week, Epperly said. Sexually transmitted infections
Chlamydia, gonorrhea and HPV (human papillomavirus) peak during young adulthood, with 45 percent of women age 20 to 24 testing positive for HPV. Both men and women should get tested for STIs if they're having unprotected sex. The CDC recommends girls and women under 26 get the HPV vaccine. The CDC this month stated that males age 9 to 26 "may" also get the HPV vaccine to guard against genital warts. Vaccines
In addition to an annual flu vaccine, adults are supposed to get a tetanus and diptheria vaccine every 10 years, and a whooping cough vaccine once between the ages of 18 and 65. Cancer
Healthy lifestyle choices during young adulthood--including good nutrition, quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol--are key to reducing the risk of cancer later in life, said Holly Trandel, cancer risk reduction program coordinator for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University.
Men should have no more than two drinks per day, and women should have no more than one per day, Epperly said. Alcohol causes damage to your liver, stomach and pancreas. Depression
Young adulthood is a critical period for identifying mental health problems, which usually manifest by age 24. Depression is the most common problem, affecting 11 percent of young women and 6 percent of young men. Hypertension & cholesterol
Three percent of young adults have hypertension (high blood pressure). The earlier you start treating it, the better chance of avoiding long-term problems such as heart attack, stroke and blindness, Epperly said. All adults over 20 should get a cholesterol test every five years, says the National Cholesterol Education Program. Obesity
If you are 30 pounds over your ideal weight, you are approaching obesity, Epperly said. To calculate your ideal weight: For men, give yourself 106 pounds for five feet of height, then add six pounds for every inch of over five feet. For women, give yourself 100 pounds for five feet of height, then add five pounds for every inch over five feet. (This is a rough approximation; different body frames have different ideal weights). Physical activity
Two-thirds of young adults don't get leisure physical activity. You should exercise at least 30 minutes per day, five days a week, Epperly said. Sexually transmitted infections
Chlamydia, gonorrhea and HPV (human papillomavirus) peak during young adulthood, with 45 percent of women age 20 to 24 testing positive for HPV. Both men and women should get tested for STIs if they're having unprotected sex. The CDC recommends girls and women under 26 get the HPV vaccine. The CDC this month stated that males age 9 to 26 "may" also get the HPV vaccine to guard against genital warts. Vaccines
In addition to an annual flu vaccine, adults are supposed to get a tetanus and diptheria vaccine every 10 years, and a whooping cough vaccine once between the ages of 18 and 65. Cancer
Healthy lifestyle choices during young adulthood--including good nutrition, quitting smoking and cutting back on alcohol--are key to reducing the risk of cancer later in life, said Holly Trandel, cancer risk reduction program coordinator for the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University.
