You may feel fine, but that’s no reason to skip your annual medical examination.
Seeing your doctor for a yearly checkup is one of the best ways to prevent diseases, catch health problems before they become serious, and receive medical advice tailored to your specific needs.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are choosing to stay at home and visit their doctors only in serious situations. Unfortunately, doing so can keep potential health concerns under the radar and allow them to grow into bigger problems.
For these reasons, we wanted to promote the benefits of annual medical exams and highlight why it’s a good idea to keep one scheduled.
Build a Trusting Relationship With Your Doctor
One of the best ways to receive comprehensive, personalized medical care is by building a good relationship with your doctor. This is why the doctors at Montes Medical Group work hard to establish lifelong relationships with each patient.
Seeing your doctor annually makes that possible and gives you the chance to dive deep and review your medical history along with any chronic health problems. Additionally, if there is something new you’re concerned about, you can schedule follow up sessions to discuss diagnoses and treatment options.
An annual exam is also an ideal time to share lifestyle changes you may have had in the past year. Your physician will likely ask you questions about your nutritional habits, activity levels, smoking, alcohol use, and sexual history.
Catch Warning Signs & Prevent Diseases
Did you know that regular preventive health screenings can increase your life expectancy? Annual checkups create a valuable baseline of information and medical history that can be used to track your health over time.
These exams are also one of the best ways to catch and treat early signs of illness before they turn into serious health problems.
Unfortunately, many health problems and chronic conditions go undiagnosed for too long, making them much harder to treat. However, if these problems are caught early on, a simple treatment or lifestyle change could stop the condition in its track!
Your doctor will advise you on ways to prevent diseases you may be at risk for. For example, they may advise you to stop smoking cigarettes, shed excess weight, or pay attention to your cholesterol levels.
Check Your Vital Signs
Annual exams allow your doctor to take note of your vital signs and track changes from previous years. They can be an early indicator of illness and show whether your health is improving or declining in comparison to past exams.
Vital signs such as blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature readings give physicians a clear window into your health. Once a baseline has been established, your doctor can compare your vital signs during times of illness to catch any abnormalities against your norm.
Annual exams are also a good time to examine your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. They can fluctuate to unhealthy levels without showing any symptoms so it’s a good idea to make sure they are within a healthy range.
Update Your Vaccinations
Did you know that vaccinations aren’t only for children? Vaccines play an important role in disease prevention for people of all ages. During your annual exam, your doctor can recommend any vaccinations that may be necessary for your age group or specific health condition.
It’s important to keep a record of your vaccines, especially since childhood vaccinations can wear off as the years go by. Depending on your career, age, or lifestyle, you may also be at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases. For these reasons, it’s a good idea to review your vaccinations during an annual medical exam.
Your doctor will point out vaccinations that benefit your health and prevent you from getting sick. For example, an annual seasonal flu vaccine is recommended for all adults. This flu vaccine is even more important for those with chronic health issues, pregnant women, and older people.
Review Your Medications
Take some time during your annual exam to go over your current medications. Your doctor can analyze your current prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and supplements to make sure they aren’t interacting negatively with each other. They can also recommend any changes to your medication routine and point out potential side effects you may experience.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are so many important reasons to visit your doctor for an annual medical examination. Doing so can prevent small health issues from turning into problematic diseases.
Committing to an annual exam every year also builds up data on your health over time and allows your doctor to track any significant changes in your overall health.
Here at Montes Medical Group, we know what to monitor in every stage of life and tailor our physical exams accordingly.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule your annual exam with us, please click here to contact us.
AUTHOR
Maneeza HasanManeeza is a content marketing professional from Los Angeles, California. She loves to create content that helps people live better lives. To learn more about her please visit her website at www.maneeza.com