Yesterday, I delivered alarming news to a patient. Her diagnostic results revealed severe cardiovascular (heart) disease. To paint the picture a bit, she visited my clinic for the first time for joint pain a month ago. It was then that I noticed she could have Hypertension so I controlled her pain (because pain can cause an elevation in blood pressure), and by her third visit I was treating her for Stage 2 Hypertension. Although her blood pressure is now controlled, she still has irreversible damages to heart due to her blood pressure having been elevated for an unknown period of time. Once we were done discussing her plan of care she explained, “You’re the first person to do all of these tests on me and tell me this. My father died of a heart attack when I was 27. I want do better for my kids”.
This patient of mine had been inconsistent with her annual wellness exams with her previous provider due to many barriers such as lack of knowledge, work schedule, insurance, time, money, etc,. This is our reality in America. It’s unfortunate. Believe it or not, most Americans don’t know the purpose of an annual wellness exam and go many years without one. I want you to know what an annual wellness exam is and why its important.
An annual wellness exam is an overall health risk assessment that should be done once a year. During this exam your provider will get to know you by gathering or updating your history. To collect further information about you, your provider will perform a head-to-toe exam and then labs will be collected. All of this is done to establish a baseline and report of your health, create a plan of care that benefits you, to identify and prevent diseases, and to help you live a healthy life.
It’s easy to feel we are healthy on the inside if we look healthy on the outside. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. So I wanted to share 5 Reasons You Should Get Your Annual Wellness Exam.
: : For Your Own Good : :
Our health should be a priority and no one else is responsible for our well-being besides ourselves. I get it, life is busy and demanding. A lot of that comes from our workplace. Well guess what? The job can wait. To them, you’re just a number. If you fall out tomorrow, you’ll be replaced in days, if that. It’s a tough reality we have to face, but they can survive without you for a tad bit. Besides, YOU owe it to yourself to know if you are well or not!
: : To Help Prolong Your Life : :
This is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn all about YOU. You can learn about what your body needs and does not need. For example, during your wellness exams labs are drawn to check for abnormalities and diseases. Your provider can also use these labs to assess your risk for specific diseases and help formulate a plan to make the changes necessary to prevent them from developing, if possible. Some cases are inevitable due to generics, age, race— factors we cannot modify. But, this is how together, you and your provider, can help prolong your life
: : To Become Aware : :
Often times, age appropriate communicable diseases are discussed during annual wellness visits. For example, COVID-19 has risen many concerns and your primary care provider is a great resource to address these concerns or similar ones. In doing so, you leave educated and confident in knowing what you’re at risk for, how you can avoid it, and when to seek treatment if need be.
: : For Your Family : :
Our family needs us. But we can’t take care of them if we don’t take care of ourselves. Plus, when we show our family that our bodies and health are important to us, they will find their own to be just as important Especially if you have kids! Take them with you so they can see you have to visit the doctor once a year too and that it’s not as scary as they may think!
: : Make It A Habit : :
Remember, annual wellness exams should be done once a year. We benefit from this most when we do it routinely, not spontaneously. So do your best to make scheduling your annual wellness exam a habit and not a chore.
I hope this post has taught you at least one or two things, and encouraged you in some way! If you have any questions or advice, feel free to share them in the comments!
These past few years have been a struggle for me as far as doctors visits go. Honestly, I’m scared of the doctor because recently it’s always something. However, I’d rather go than not go.
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O Claudine, keep going! Even when it’s frightening. I promise it better to know then not!