It is highly recommended that everyone – regardless of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender or national origin – have an annual physical exam done every single year. Physical exams are performed by your primary care physician and are generally very quick and painless.
A physical exam can be helpful because it helps to determine the status of your overall health. This can give way to early intervention and prevention of any health issues that you are currently at risk for. Moreover, it can help you have open communication with your provider and give you an opportunity to share information about your symptoms and overall health. These exams are also used to update immunizations and check for possible ailments so they can be diagnosed and treated before symptoms even appear.
Why is a Physical Examination Important?
Most of the time, people visit their doctors when they are sick and need treatment. For some people, this may be every few months but for others, it may be once every few years or longer. An annual physical exam lets you and your doctor assess how you are doing health-wise regardless of whether you are feeling symptoms or not. It can also help you assess which areas of your health need attention so they don’t cause bigger issues later on. Some examples include:
- Blood Pressure – Measure of how high or how low the force of blood against your arteries is.
- Cholesterol – Measure of the amount of cholesterol (good and bad) present in your blood.
- Blood glucose level – Measure of the amount of glucose present in your blood. A blood glucose test is typically performed during fasting to get an accurate reading.
- Body mass index – Measure of your weight compared to your height.
These health factors may not cause any symptoms but can cause several health problems in the future if they are left unchecked. Annual exams let your doctor assess whether these factors are in normal ranges. If they are above or below what they should be, your doctor will guide and help you to bring them back in the normal ranges.
Physical exams are also a great opportunity for your doctor to review your medications and immunization records. Your doctor will review all of the medications you are taking to see if there is any issue with them or if they are prescribed in accurate dosages. Immunizations are typically more of a focus for children, but there are several vaccines that can be good for adults, depending on their immunization records, age, and health factors. Annual physicals are a good opportunity to review your immunization record to see if you can benefit from any additional vaccines.
Without physical exams, a lot of health issues can go unchecked for years or until they become serious problems. Annual physicals allow for preventive care because you can take control of your health before things go wrong.
If you are ready to schedule your annual exam you can simply call our office at 573-332-7992 or email us at capefamilymedicalclinic@gmail.com and we will take care of you!
