Primary Care in Houston, TX.

Talk to your physician about screening if you're an older adult or notice trouble hearing — frequently asking people to repeat themselves, turning up the TV, or struggling in noisy rooms. Routine screening of adults without symptoms is individualized to your risk and concerns.

It's a short, structured test of memory, attention, and thinking used to establish a baseline and catch changes early. At Remix Medical it's done with BrainCheck, a digital assessment on a tablet, and your physician interprets the results alongside your history and exam.

Most guidelines now recommend average-risk adults begin at age 45 and continue through 75, with decisions after that individualized. If you have a family history or other risk factors, your physician may recommend starting earlier.

Major guidelines recommend women begin regular screening mammograms at age 40. The exact start age and interval can be personalized based on your family history and other risk factors, so it's worth discussing with your physician.

Internists train exclusively in adult medicine, with three years focused on the diseases adults actually get — diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, thyroid disorders, and the way several of them interact at once. Family medicine covers all ages, from newborns through adults. Practically: if you are an adult managing more than one chronic condition, internal medicine is usually the better fit. Remix Medical offers both.

No. Hearing screening is completely painless and noninvasive. It usually involves answering a few questions and listening to tones or sounds, and takes only a few minutes.

No. Screening is not a diagnosis. It provides objective data that helps your physician decide whether further evaluation is needed. A diagnosis, when appropriate, comes from a fuller assessment that includes your history, exam, labs, and sometimes imaging or specialist referral.

The main options are colonoscopy, typically every ten years if normal, or at-home stool tests (FIT yearly, or multi-target stool DNA every one to three years). Colonoscopy can also remove polyps during the exam; a positive stool test is followed by colonoscopy.

Most guidelines recommend screening every one to two years. Your physician will help you choose an interval based on your age, risk, and the guideline you prefer to follow.

Yes. An internist can serve as your primary care physician for life as an adult — annual physicals, screenings, vaccinations, sick visits, and long-term management of chronic conditions. The difference from family medicine is depth in adult disease rather than breadth across all ages. Most of our internal medicine patients use us as their medical home.

You'll be referred to an audiologist for a full hearing test (audiogram). Depending on the cause, treatment may be as simple as removing earwax or treating an infection, or may involve hearing aids.

It's worth discussing if you or your family have noticed changes in memory, word-finding, or handling everyday tasks, or if you'd simply like an objective baseline as you age. Your physician can help decide whether and when screening makes sense for you.

Only for colonoscopy, which needs the colon cleaned out beforehand to be accurate. At-home stool tests require no prep, though a positive result still leads to a colonoscopy.

The breast is compressed briefly, which can feel uncomfortable or pinching for a few seconds, but it isn't usually painful. Scheduling after your period, when breasts are less tender, can help.

Some causes, like earwax buildup or ear infections, are reversible. Age-related and noise-related hearing loss usually isn't reversible but can be managed effectively, most often with hearing aids.

The BrainCheck assessment usually takes about 10–15 minutes and is done on a tablet in the office. There's no preparation and no recovery time.

It's done under sedation, so most people feel little or nothing and don't remember the procedure. You'll need someone to drive you home afterward because of the sedation.

Usually not. Callbacks for additional images or an ultrasound are common and most turn out to be normal or benign. It simply means the radiologist wants a clearer look at an area.

Beyond communication, untreated hearing loss is associated with social isolation, a higher risk of falls, and faster cognitive decline — which is why catching and addressing it early is worthwhile.

Your physician reviews the results with you and looks for treatable contributors — medications, thyroid problems, vitamin B12 deficiency, sleep, or mood. Depending on the findings, the next step may be repeat testing over time or referral to neurology or geriatrics.

The best test is the one that fits your risk and that you'll actually complete. Colonoscopy is the most thorough and can prevent cancer by removing polyps; stool tests are convenient and noninvasive. Your physician can help you decide.

Women with a strong family history, known genetic mutations such as BRCA, or prior chest radiation may need to start screening earlier and add breast MRI. Your physician can assess your risk and tailor a plan.

A baseline taken while you're well is one of the most useful things to have later, because it lets your physician measure change against your own starting point rather than a population average — making a real shift easier to spot early.

Roughly half of American adults live with at least one chronic condition, and many are highly manageable with medical oversight and lifestyle change.

At least every three years, or sooner if your risk changes, such as with weight gain or new symptoms. People with prediabetes are tested annually.

For a fasting glucose or glucose tolerance test, yes — at least 8 hours. A1C requires no fasting, which is one reason it's widely used.

The CDC highlights four modifiable drivers of chronic disease: poor diet, smoking, excess alcohol, and physical inactivity. Addressing these, alongside taking medications as prescribed, can stabilize and sometimes improve chronic conditions.

Chest pain, trouble breathing, confusion, stroke symptoms, or a high fever that won't break need urgent or emergency care rather than a routine visit.