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Annual Check Up: Why Should You Care About Physical Health Check Up?

As your partner in health & wellness, Health Products for You would like to remind you that yearly checkups are critical to your overall health and wellbeing, and why you should never avoid them!

Many people hate or even fear going to their doctor, which may lead to long periods of time between your yearly checkups or physicals. As you can imagine, this can hamper early detection of potentially dangerous health problems. It is critically important to make your annual checkup/physical appointment and keep it! The sooner health issues are detected and addressed, the greater possibility of a positive outcome.

The Anatomy of a Checkup

It's possible those who are anxious about a yearly checkup may not fully understand what happens during your annual checkup/physical and the benefits. The medical website WebMD lists the following tests you may expect:

History - Your doctor may ask about your behaviors such as diet, alcohol consumption, and vaccination status.

Vitals - This can include your blood pressure, heart rate and respiration rate and your temperature.

Heart Exam - Listening to your heart through a stethoscope, your doctor may detect issues such as a heart murmur or irregular heartbeat that may indicate a potential heart problem.

Head/Neck Exam - Say “ahh” and your physician will examine your throat and tonsils while observing your teeth and gums for signs of potential issues. Your eyes, nose, and lymph nodes are next.

Blood Work - By analyzing your blood, your doctor can determine a wide range of potential problems that may need treatment.

For men, the doctor may order a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test in order to test for prostate cancer.

Your doctor may also listen to your lungs for any respiratory issues. As well as your general overall appearance, alertness, and skin health.

Your general balance and steadiness will also be checked, along your abdomen, neurological system, your extremities for any abnormalities.

What Your Physical Can Achieve?

Okay, your doctor has examined you, so now what?

Depending on what your doctor finds or observers, there are common health issues that may be nipped in the bud.

As with any health issue, early intervention is the best way to successfully treat the issue. It is always better to be proactive than reactive! Some common issues that may be detected during your annual physical include, but are not limited to:

• Heart Disease
• Arthritis
• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Cancer

As we age, we should be diligent in seeing our physicians at least once a year for our exam. While some people believe that no news is good news or “I’m not going to the doctor unless there’s a problem,” allowing an undetected health problem to go untreated can lead to serious issues in the long run.

 

Disclaimer: All content found on our website, including images, videos, infographics and text were created solely for informational purposes. Our content should never be used for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment of any medical conditions. Content shared on our websites is not meant to be used as a substitute for advice from a certified medical professional. Reliance on the information provided on our website as a basis for patient treatment is solely at your own risk. We urge all our customers to always consult a physician or a certified medical professional before trying or using a new medical product.