5 Reasons to Not Skip Your Annual Checkup

Roughly one in five adults goes to their annual physical with their primary health care provider, according to a 2007 study (Heid, 2018). Are you one of them? If so, you may be missing out on crucial preventative health care.

Here are 5 reasons to not skip your next annual checkup:

    1. Health Care Assessments:

          Your healthcare provider will provide you with appropriate health assessments depending on your risk factors, age, lifestyle, and family history. A few examples of assessments and screenings are:

        Blood Pressure: High blood pressure is often asymptomatic so getting a regular blood pressure reading is essential to prevent future heart problems. A reading lower than 120/80 is considered normal (Doshi, 2022).

        Cholesterol Screening: In healthy patients with no risk factors an ideal total cholesterol reading should be lower than 200 mg/dL. However, it's important to have readings for LDL and HDL as well. LDL is the "bad" cholesterol and should be less than 130 mg/dL. HDL is the "good" cholesterol that should be more than 60 mg/dL (Doshi, 2022). Catching high cholesterol early and treating it can save you from future vascular issues.

        Blood glucose screening: Measures the amount of sugar in your blood and can be a detector for diabetes mellitus. An A1C reading of less than 5.7 percent is considered normal. (Doshi, 2022)

        2. Updating your vaccinations

        Vaccinations aren't just for kids. Adults need to keep up to date on their vaccinations in order to prevent dangerous diseases. A few vaccinations that commonly need to be given to adults are:

        Covid-19: This vaccine is recommended to everyone 5 years and older (Pfizer only) and get boosted when eligible.

        Tdap: This vaccine is a combination vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, and cellular pertussis (whopping cough), and requires a booster for adults. Women who are pregnant should get the Tdap vaccine in every pregnancy to protect their newborns.

        Flu: This vaccine is recommended annually before or during the flu season for people 6 months old and older.

        HPV: This vaccine protects against cancers caused by human papillomavirus. This vaccine is recommended for ages 11 & 12, however, can be administered up to age 26. However, adults ages 27-45 who haven't been previously vaccinated can benefit from the vaccine.

    Shingles vaccine: This vaccine is recommended for most adults over the age of 50 (Doshi, 2022).

        3. Screening for cancer

    Staying up to date on age-appropriate cancer screening can increase your chances of detecting cancer early. Thereby increasing the chances of an effective treatment.  Cancer screenings that may be recommended are skin cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, or lung cancer (Doshi, 2022). Talk with your Primary Healthcare Provider about which cancer screenings are recommended for your age and risk factors.

        4. Updating your medical records

    Many things can change in a year, so it's important to keep your medical records up to date. Updating things such as medication changes, allergies, surgical history, allergies, social history, mental health, and family history are all included in keeping your medical records up to date (Doshi, 2022).

        5. Establishing a relationship

    An annual physical exam is a great way to get to know your primary care provider and allow them to get to know you. You never know when you're going to be in a sticky situation, where you need your primary health care provider. A visit may be necessary at other times in the year for minor illnesses, minor injuries, and sick visits. Your primary care provider is your partner in your health.

Now is the time to partner with your primary care provider and take control of your health. Schedule your annual checkup today.

References:

Doshi, S. (2022, January 3). 5 REASONS WHY ANNUAL PHYSICAL EXAMS ARE IMPORTANT. Virtua Health. https://www.virtua.org/articles/your-annual-physical-and-why-its-important

Heid, M. (2018, January 10). You Asked: Do I Really Need an Annual Physical? Time. https://time.com/5095920/annual-physical-exam/