Why You Should Have a Yearly Physical

A yearly physical is a yearly appointment with a doctor or health care provider where your entire body can be examined! By having yearly checkups, you are giving yourself an opportunity to have any issues addressed before they become serious. In addition, your doctor can give you advice on how to live healthier and suggest preventative measures as well as screenings for certain diseases. It is an important yearly appointment that can help you maintain your overall health and well-being.

What to Expect at the Appointment

At a yearly physical, your doctor will perform several tests and screenings just to get a clear idea of your current health status. The results of these tests will provide valuable information for future appointments as new tests will be performed based on the results of the yearly physical.

Lab tests are performed to see whether any pre-existing conditions are worsening, to determine if medications are working, and to detect diseases or conditions that may not have symptoms yet. Screenings help your doctor identify medical risks for you, including genetic issues or risks associated with specific lifestyles.

Screenings include:

yearly blood pressure readings and measurements of height and weight
tests for high cholesterol and other lipid levels
colon cancer screenings (i.e., colonoscopy)
prostate cancer screenings (i.e., PSA test)
mammograms (breast cancer screenings for women over 40)
Tdap vaccine (to protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis)
yearly flu shot (healthy adults should receive yearly flu vaccines unless there are medical reasons not to get vaccinated)
yearly tuberculosis screening if you are in the high-risk group

How Can a Yearly Physical Help Me?

A yearly physical is a good way to check your general health and identify potential issues before they become serious. In addition, yearly checkups allow for more personalized care – if you have any pre-existing conditions that need monitoring, yearly physicals can help with that. It is also a time when you can voice your concerns about your health, ask questions, and set yearly goals. Some people use yearly physicals as a time for lifestyle changes – for example, some may decide to quit smoking during a yearly physical.

Yearly checkups allow you to detect diseases in their earlier stages so they can be treated more successfully and have less potential for long-term negative consequences. Moreover, yearly physicals are an opportunity to establish a baseline for later comparison.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor at Your Yearly Physical

There are some common questions that patients ask during their yearly physicals. This list should give you a good idea of what kinds of questions to ask your primary care provider!

1) What can I do this year to stay healthy?

2) How often should I get lab tests and screenings performed?

3) Is there anything I should do differently based on these test results (i.e., change medications, increase exercise, stop smoking)?

4) How can I improve my diet and physical activity to stay healthy?

5) What side effects should I expect from medications if there are any?

6) Do you have any recommendations for screening tests I should consider getting done within the next year?

7) How can I maintain a healthy weight?

8) What changes should I expect as I age?

9) Do you have any tips for reducing stress and improving my quality of life?

Be sure to update your doctor on any changes in your medical history. If you have been to another doctor for anything, including the ER, be sure to bring any records with you that you have so the doctor can add them to your chart. If any immediate family members have had any new medical history, tell your health care professional so they can include it in your medical history.

As you can see, yearly checkups are important for your health! It is essential that you understand the benefits of yearly physicals and make yearly screenings part of your yearly routine. To learn more about yearly checkups, call your primary health care provider.