The Importance of Regular Physical Exams: Key Benefits for Your Health and Wellbeing
Do I need a physical exam when I am fit? Many people ignore physical exams in the delusion that they are fit and don’t need any examination. This becomes the reason why people develop severe conditions and complications. A physical exam or wellness check is taken by your primary care provider (PCP) who checks your overall health by performing several tests. It has many benefits, and you may need it once or twice a year. Learn 5 key benefits of regular physical exams and how you should prepare for them in this article.
Why are physical exams important?
There are many benefits you can get with regular physical exams:
1. Healthcare maintenance:
When you get physical exams regularly, your primary care physician (PCP) ensures your healthcare maintenance stays up to date. It starts with checking your vital signs like blood pressure, heart rate, and weight.
The primary focus is preventative, where they review your health status and send you for a blood test. They may even send you for mammography, colonoscopy, prostate screening, lung imaging, or other tests that can detect diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, etc. earlier.
Your body may take good time to address chronic healthcare issues such as hypertension, diabetes, or thyroid disease, and your PCP may adjust the dosages of the medication you’re taking.
2. Vaccinations:
Physical exams allow physicians to identify which vaccine you’ve received and which ones you need (or not). Like most U.S. adults, you might have also received polio and MMR vaccines during infancy. Physicians also ask about vaccinations that you should receive or haven’t received including tetanus shots, shingles, pneumonia, the latest COVID booster, or vaccines for other preventable illnesses. This ensures you stay updated with vaccines and have a healthy immune system.
3. Early prevention:
Physical examination allows us to detect health conditions early and start treatment on time. After confirming the underlying cause and the level of risk of any medical conditions, the doctor tells you how to prevent the disease or slow its progression.
4. Lifestyle modifications:
Your physicians guide how conditions like heart disease or diabetes can lead to life-threatening complications and how you can prevent them by losing weight, getting in shape, improving your sleep quality, eating a healthier diet, and staying physically active.
5. Mental health screening:
Conditions like depression, anxiety, stress, etc. affect not only mental health but physical health as well. Physical exams can easily detect its symptoms which include fatigue, irritability, weight gain, or physical pain. Your physicians then refer you to a mental health professional for prompt treatment and for managing your condition.
6. Build good bonds with your doctor:
Regular examination allows one to build a great bond and trust with your doctor. It also makes it easier for your doctor to collect and store your medical information for future reference. You also feel confident in sharing your reservation or health preferences if you work with the doctor you know.
How to prepare?
For physical exams first, you need to make an appointment with the PCP of your choice. If you have a family, then they should also get a physical examination. If you don’t have a PCP, you can get a referral from your health insurance providers.
After you find a suitable PCP for your physical exam, he/she guides you on how to prepare for your physical examination. You should also gather all the paperwork that is necessary before your physical examination. It may include:
- List of current medications you use which include over-the-counter drugs and any herbal supplements.
- Symptom or pain you’re experiencing.
- Results for any recent or important tests.
- Medical and surgical history reports.
- In case you have an implanted device such as a pacemaker or defibrillator, you should take a copy of the front and back of your device card.
- Any additional questions you like to ask
You may want to dress in comfortable clothing and avoid any jewelry, makeup, or other things that may prevent your PCP from fully examining your body.
Regular physical exams are essential to keep you healthy and detect early symptoms that require prompt treatment. It also helps you stay up to date with vaccinations. Your PCP also gives you prevention tips on how to prevent common chronic conditions and stay healthy and fit.
Now are you ready for your physical exam? We also have the best medical providers, physicians and staff that are highly trained in their respective specialties. To know more about the locations of our urgent care clinics, you can visit us at Doral Health and Wellness. If you are looking for urgent care near you, you can visit Doral Health and Wellness Urgent Care. We provide urgent care for common illnesses and injuries. Additionally, we also provide comprehensive care for any related injuries and health problems. We also offer other services, such as vaccinations, immunizations, and blood testing. For more info, visit us or call 1-347-384-5690.
At Doral Health and Wellness, our team of primary care physicians aims to provide the best health care and services to everyone. For more information, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11212 or call us at 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at doralhw.org or contact us at info@doralhw.org if you have any queries. We have the best primary care doctor in Brooklyn to provide you with the best comprehensive medical care and health care services.