Your health is your most important asset. The best way to maintain your health for years to come is to visit the doctor regularly and listen to his or her recommendations. If you’re hesitant to visit the doctor, you should know that routine physicals are quick and painless. Physicals are also essential for identifying potentially life-threatening conditions before they become untreatable.
What to Expect in Your Physical
Your annual physical will begin with a discussion of your health history, primary health concerns, and family history. Vital signs such as heartrate and blood pressure are also taken at the beginning of the visit. Next, you may need physical screenings such as a pelvic exam or testicular cancer screening. Finally, the doctor may recommend lab work with blood testing to measure your cholesterol, blood sugar, and other critical numbers.
Importance Of Annual Physicals
Just as you would take your car in for maintenance, so should you take yourself in for an annual physical. Here are just a few reasons why an annual physical is important for adults.
- Evaluating Overall Health: Most people’s health deteriorates as they get older. Going in for an annual physical is essential for identifying the health issues that come with age and finding ways to manage them.
- Identifying Dangerous Conditions: Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in the United States. A routine physical is an important first step in the detection and treatment of these deadly conditions.
- Receiving Lifestyle Recommendations: Your doctor is thoroughly trained to help people make healthy choices. After your physical, your doctor can make precise and personalized recommendations to help you maintain or improve your health.
The Importance of Preventive Care
General wellness visits offer a number of benefits to your health. During these checkups, you can get a better idea of your overall wellness needs and identify the screenings that will be most important for your lifestyle.
- Cost-effective medical care – With any insurance plan, the lowest copays will be for visits to your primary care provider. Plus, a preventive approach to your care can minimize the need for visits to the ER or specialists. In much the same way that preventive maintenance can extend the life of your car and reduce the need for specialized services, annual physicals reduce possible problems in your health that might require a higher level of care.
- Improved lifestyle choices – When you see a doctor complaining of specific symptoms, these complaints will be the primary focus of your visit. Alternatively, a preventive healthcare visit will take a look at your overall health so that you can discuss the right lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise to boost your wellness.
- Essential screenings – Your doctor will ask you a series of questions to determine your risk for common conditions like heart disease, STDs, and certain types of cancer. Based on your answers, specific screenings will be recommended to identify potentially serious conditions before they cause more significant problems.