Except for the occasional cold or minor injury, you’ve never been sick a day in your life. Nor do you have any allergies or chronic conditions. So why bother visiting a doctor every year for a routine physical exam?
Regardless of your age or your medical history, annual physical exams with your primary care provider are essential to your continued health and well-being. For one thing, it’s one of the best ways to identify and treat any new health issues before they can get worse.
In addition, an annual physical can help you stay healthy by assessing your overall health and taking care of several important medical priorities:
- Screening for any previously undiagnosed conditions. Your doctor may order a variety of blood tests and other analyses involving blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose levels, and a DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan to measure bone mineral density and check for osteoporosis. These tests and other tests can identify any underlying conditions such as heart disease and diabetes (even if you aren’t experiencing symptoms) and enable your doctor to recommend treatment.
- Updating vaccinations. Vaccines aren’t only for kids. Adults need to stay up to date with their vaccines to prevent diseases. Among the immunizations your doctor might recommend are the flu, pneumonia, HPV, shingles, and hepatitis B vaccines.
- Routine cancer screenings. These should be conducted to increase your chances of detecting cancer in its earliest stages and when it’s most treatable. If you’re a male age 50 or older, your doctor may check your skin for irregular moles and growths or your prostate. If you’re a smoker or have quit smoking recently, your doctor may recommend a lung cancer screening. And mammograms and Pap smears are recommended for women with a high risk of breast cancer and no risk factors, respectively.
- Updating medical records. An annual physical exam is a good time to let your doctor know about any changes that might have an effect on your health, such as different medications, new allergies, changes in lifestyle habits, or updated directives regarding your healthcare wishes if you become ill and cannot make medical decisions for yourself. Changes in your mental health condition or family medical history may also be relevant topics for discussion with your physician as they may require subsequent screening or referral to a specialist.
- Establishing a long-term relationship with your primary physician. Your good health should be rooted in a good, cooperative relationship with your doctor. Scheduling an annual physical exam provides you and your doctor an opportunity to really get to know each other and work together to ensure your overall health and take preventive measures to keep you healthy.
SC Internal Medicine Associates and Rehabilitation offers a range of comprehensive care using advanced diagnostic technology and procedures to evaluate current and potential health risks. To learn more about our extensive services and whether you could benefit from an annual physical, call SC Internal Medicine Associates and Rehabilitation at (803) 749-1111, or request an appointment online.
