Annual Health and Wellness Exam – What You Can Expect
Why visit the doctor when you’re not sick, you may wonder? Taking a proactive approach to health, rather than waiting until a problem occurs, is vital to a person’s overall wellness.
Visiting your doctor for an annual health and wellness exam is a good practice. The exam will vary depending on the patient’s age, but here are some things you can expect no matter if the individual is five, 25 or 65 years old.
A primary care physician or nurse will check/inquire about some or all of the following things during an annual health and wellness exam:
· Weight
· Blood pressure
· Pulse
· Heart rate
· Temperature
· Blood work and sugar levels – optional, depends on the patient’s age and doctor’s request
· Questions regarding any medications currently taking
· Questions about social habits
· Questions about smoking and alcohol usage, if age appropriate
· Questions and recommendations about screenings and immunizations, based on age, medical history and needs
“Annual visits with a provider are important,” said Eric D. Allen, DNP, APRN-C, family medicine certified nurse practitioner at GuideWell Primary Care. “Early detection helps identify any conditions or potential problems so that prompt treatment can be done.”
If you or someone you know is a student-athlete at an area public high school, then you, he or she may want to consider participating in the upcoming Andrews Institute annual free pre-participation physical exams in June. The physical exams include a height, weight and vision assessment, an orthopaedic musculoskeletal exam, a physician’s exam and a cardiac assessment. Contact the student-athlete's high school athletic director or head coach for more details. These pre-participation physical exams are not intended to replace an annual comprehensive physical exam by a PCP.
Know your current health status so you can stay well and keep on track with your wellness goals. Visit EasySchedule.com to make an appointment with a Baptist PCP for your own health and wellness exam.
