You might be thinking about skipping your annual physical exam this year, again. It didn’t seem as important last year, and it surely doesn’t look like a big deal this year either, but when you choose to skip your wellness check annually, you might overlook some key signs that something is not going as it should with your body, and without your provider to notice and treat any health issues early on, you could see some trouble in the future.
5 Powerful Reasons for You to Go to Your Annual Physical Exam
1. Evaluation of Your Overall Health
Your healthcare provider would go over all the crucial information that can be of help in determining your health condition, as well as to find out if you are at risk of developing a disease or chronic condition, or if you are showing early signs of one.
This can include aspects such as:
- Blood pressure.
- Weight and BMI.
- Cholesterol screening.
- Blood glucose screening.
- Habits and lifestyle.
- Family health history.
Among other information that can help your doctor determine your health condition. With this knowledge your provider can suggest recommendations to improve your lifestyle, like exercise or diet to maintain your health, or guide you if you have a disease, and tips to relieve stress in case you need it.
2. Cancer Screening Test
This means checking your body for cancer, even before symptoms start showing up. A cancer screening test can lead to an early diagnosis, and it’s in the early stages of cancer when treatment is more likely to work best, which is specially helpful in some cases, like breast, cervical, colorectal, or lung cancer. Your provider will suggest cancer screenings according to your evaluation, this includes your age, and risk factors, making it so that the screening would depend on your specific case.
3. Update Medical Records During Your Annual Physical Exam
This is the time to inform your doctor about any change related to your health that has occurred to you during the year, so your provider can keep up with your medical information. It’s important that you inform your healthcare provider about any of the following:
- Medication changes.
- New allergies.
- Habits and lifestyle changes.
- Mental well-being.
- Family health history.
As well as any other information that can affect your health in the long term, for future supervision and to take the necessary precautions.
We know that not all health problems are visible, your mental health is also important. Mental distress manifests as symptoms, both emotional and physical, and when it comes to problems like stress, anxiety or depression our behavioral health services can be of help to you. We can plan and schedule mental health support for you, and above all, help you remember that you are not alone in your time of need.
4. Preventive Care for Health Issues
When you skip your preventive care visit annually, and only choose to go when you are feeling unwell, those visits are normally focused on treating a specific problem, therefore other problems that might be emerging or already present, could be overlooked. Annual visits give your provider time to focus and evaluate your general well-being, and to check for signs of early stages of a disease, when treatment is more likely to work better, and preventive care for cases like diabetes, hypertension and other chronic conditions are more effective.
5. Vaccine Schedule Up-To-Date
Immunizations are not only for babies or kids, adults also have their own immunization schedule. Moreover It’s recommended that they receive their vaccinations and stay up to date to prevent diseases, and to protect, not only themselves, but also people in their families or in their communities. Your healthcare provider would inform you of the recommended immunizations for you as an adult, according to a review of your vaccination history, as well as which diseases they protect against and how many doses are necessary.
Some suggested immunizations, include:
- COVID-19 vaccine.
- Tdap vaccine.
- Flu vaccine.
- Hepatitis B vaccine.
Preventive Care with South Plains Rural Health Services
Annual checkups are a moment to start changes in your lifestyle and diet to maintain your well-being in optimal conditions, or for preventive care in case you are prone to suffer from a condition because of habits, risk factors or family health history.
Don’t wait another year to schedule your physical consultation, annual physical exams are necessary to ensure your wellness, book an appointment with us today for your checkup and receive the care you need.