Why Annual Physicals Are Important

In today’s world, it can be difficult to justify going to the doctor every year just for a checkup, especially when you feel healthy. But did you know having a checkup when you’re healthy can actually help your doctor identify when something is wrong later on? These are some of the reasons why annual physicals are important:

Establishing a Baseline

If you’ve been to the doctor a few times, you know you always get a handful of tests every time. A nurse or assistant checks your height, weight, blood pressure and heart rate before anything else. In more recent times, you probably get a temperature and illness screening before you even check in.

This is a good example of establishing a baseline for your health. If your results are always about the same for these tests, a random fluctuation is easy for your doctor to catch and address.

The same goes for other types of tests. You may get routine blood work done with your primary care doctor, a cleaning and inspection by your dentist and an eye exam by your eye doctor. By logging these results in your records, your doctors can look back and compare to find potential problems even if you feel fine. They can also recognize any quirks like a slightly higher normal temperature, so it doesn’t get mistaken for a problem later on.

Catching Hidden Illness

There are a lot of health problems that can go unnoticed for a long time until they suddenly get worse and have already done damage to your body. Getting an annual physical usually includes tests for common illnesses such as breast or prostate cancer, where it is vitally important to identify them early.

Another example of a hidden illness that routine physicals can catch is sleep apnea. You may go to your annual physical and mention feeling tired or that your partner complains about your snoring, thinking your doctor might have some advice. If they end up diagnosing you with sleep apnea, it could very well save your life.

On the more mundane side of things, having an annual physical can give you the opportunity to address any health concerns you may be having with your doctor. Something annoying you may think is normal could have a simple treatment or cure you wouldn’t have known about otherwise, giving you a boost to your quality of life

Get in touch with Reliable MD for an appointment today and see the difference a routine exam can make.