Few people look forward to their annual physical exam, and the number of people who question its value seems to be growing. The providers at all three locations of Apex Medical Center encourage you to establish regular primary care, including an annual physical exam.
Let’s look at five good reasons to have an annual physical.
Most of the time, when you schedule an appointment with your primary care provider, you have a problem. Maybe you’re sick, have a rash, or you may need a referral to a specialist.
Those appointments are usually shorter and focused on handling your immediate problem compared to your annual physical. During your annual physical, the focus is on taking steps to prevent future problems rather than addressing current ones—although that can be part of your appointment, too.
Nutrition, physical activity, mobility, vaccinations, and other topics that apply to your general health and well-being are things you can expect to talk about during your appointment. Similarly, your mental health may be addressed.
Specific health screenings are recommended at various times throughout your life. Recommendations are based on best practices and made by organizations in different specialties. For example, the American Cancer Society provides guidelines for various cancer screenings, and the American Heart Association recommends screenings for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and other tests that can indicate cardiovascular disease.
Screenings can reveal disease development well before you have symptoms, and earlier treatment usually results in improved outcomes. Your primary care provider knows your medical history and can make recommendations based on both the guidelines available and your personal health.
When you have a relationship with your doctor, you’re more comfortable discussing your health with them. Let’s face it: sometimes these conversations can be difficult. It’s much easier to talk about sexual dysfunction, mental health, and other personal topics when you have a better relationship with your provider.
Along with screenings and recommendations, your annual physical exam gives your doctor a chance to either get baseline measurements or to track important metrics related to your health. For instance, if your blood glucose rises, even if it’s just a little, year after year, your doctor may have specific suggestions to help you avoid becoming pre-diabetic.
These measurements are similar to screenings in that they can help your provider spot emerging issues or identify problematic trends while you have time to reverse them.
When you schedule an appointment because you have a problem, you may be coming in after work or on your way to pick up your children, or you may feel so terrible that you can’t focus on anything other than feeling better. In other words, there’s usually not much extra time for questions.
During your annual physical exam, you have time for those questions. In fact, asking those questions is encouraged! Maybe you’ve been wondering about skincare, or whether the diet your co-worker is following is likely to be good for you. Your annual appointment is a great time to ask those questions.
As you can see, there’s certainly value in having an annual physical exam. We have three convenient locations in Las Vegas. Schedule your appointment at the one that works best for you today.
