Routine yearly checkups are often ignored or postponed, but they are very important. Annual physicals provide preventative care, and gives you and your doctor time together to make sure the upcoming year is a healthy one.
Medics USA has offices across Virginia and Washington DC that offer primary and urgent care to the citizens of our communities. Call a location near you to schedule your annual physical checkup now, and get a handle on your health.
Do Physicals Need to be Yearly?
This question gets asked a lot, and we believe that physicals should be scheduled at least once a year. These can be beneficial because many Americans are living with chronic diseases, even though they are unaware. A lot of chronic diseases do not show symptoms until it is too late. But for young adults between the ages of 18 and 35, checkups can be a little bit more sporadic. From 35 onward, we absolutely recommend yearly checkups. Your risk for disease and illness increases as you age, and we want to make sure you continue to live a healthy life. For all ages, if you have been diagnosed with serious disease, or just feel you could benefit from an extra checkup, make sure to schedule an appointment.
3 Purposes of Health Exams
Yearly checkups have three levels of preventative-based care. Your doctor is trying to diagnose any symptoms and potential problems before they become real issues. This allows you to receive treatment before any permanent damage can be done to you.
Primary Preventions
The first preventative care is for treatments and interventions to totally prevent disease. This kind of care is mainly for immunizations. These can be for measles, tetanus, or many other scary diseases that have become preventable as medicine has advanced.
Secondary Prevention
This kind of care identifies risk factors in your life. These tests include checking your blood pressure, cholesterol, and performing various cancer screenings. These screenings identify abnormal results, and often lead to early discovery of diseases so your doctor can implement intervention measures to prevent or treat diseases.
Tertiary Prevention
The third and final part of preventative care is made to take care of a patient’s health once disease has been diagnosed. This form of care will do things like facilitate planning and lifestyle management for people that have an established heart disease or defect to avoid possible heart attacks. Your doctor can give guidance and advice to you when you are experiencing difficult circumstances. This can hopefully allow you to live normally, even when there are risks of future complications.
What To Expect During a Physical
During your visit, your doctor wants to make sure he or she has an accurate understanding of your life and medical history. You will usually update your clinical history both before and during your checkup. With the information gathered, your physician will analyze outlying abnormalities or risks, and suggest behaviors to support healthy living. Investing in preventative care now can save you pain, money, and heartache down the road.
Your doctor will likely run several common procedures during your visit to quantify your base health. Generally, these will include blood pressure readings, cholesterol tests, and similar screenings to measure risk levels for normal ailments.
If you are behind on immunizations, or leaving the country soon, you will receive your next set of shots that will help you avoid dangerous diseases.
If you are showing signs of disease, your doctor may prescribe medication or activities to keep symptoms at bay.
In most annual checkups, your doctor may offer a bit of health counseling and guidance. Doctors may suggest you stop smoking, advise on safe sex practices, or give pre-pregnancy advice. In the event that you have health issues, your doctor will look at future prevention and treatments with you.
Hopefully we’ve answered any questions you may have concerning an annual physical, and encouraged you to schedule your own preventative checkup today. Physicals are usually quick, covered by insurance, and can be a great way to improve your day-to-day life. Call Medics USA now to set up your own appointment. We proudly serve Virginia and Washington DC through several offices. Find which location is closest to you, so that you can live a happy and healthy life for many years to come. We look forward to meeting with you soon!