Annual Exams are the Foundation of Preventive Care

You may have grown up only going to the doctor when you were sick. Or you may have spent several year prioritizing your child's doctor visits and neglecting your own. Whatever the reason, no matter your age, gender, or stage of life, annual physical exams are an essential element to your lifelong health. Staying healthy is a team sport. The players? You and your primary care provider (PCP).
Visiting your PCP for regular preventive care helps you and your provider increase your chances of identifying and treating health issues in the early stages before they get worse. It is also a great way to track progress towards health goals. If that's not reason enough, here are five reasons why you should schedule your annual physical exam today.

Assessing your overall health
Risk factors, age, lifestyle and family history all play a role in helping your PCP determine what blood tests to order, as well as what screenings are necessary, during your annual exam including:

• Blood pressure screening - measures the force of your blood against your arteries. Your PCP will look for a reading lower than 120/80.
• Cholesterol screening - measures the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Your PCP is looking for a total reading of less than 200 mg/dL.
• Blood glucose screening - measures the amount of sugar in your blood. An A1C of less than 5.7 is ideal.
• Osteoporosis screening - uses an imaging test called a DEXA scan. This is recommended for women starting at 65, and men starting at 70 (unless other risk factors are identified).
• Body mass index - a BMI calculation uses your height and weight to determine if you are at a healthy weight. A BMI of 18.6 to 24.9 is considered normal.

These tests can help identify any underlying conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, even if you are not currently experiencing any symptoms. Your results will help your PCP recommend further testing as well as lifestyle, exercise or dietary changes to help you improve or maintain your overall health.

Updating your immunizations
No, these are not just for kids. Adults need to keep up on their immunizations too. Your provider will review your health history and risk factors and may recommend the following immunizations:

• Flu - recommend annually for most people over 6 months of age and are typically administered before the start of the flu season.
• HPV - protects against cancers caused by the human papilloma virus. While typically recommended at age 11-12, it is also beneficial to adults aged 27-45 who have not previously received the vaccine.
• Tdap - a combination vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) which requires a booster for adults. Pregnant women should get a Tdap vaccine with every pregnancy to protect their newborns.
• Pneumonia - for patients with asthma, smokers, or those over than 65, your PCP may recommend the pneumonia vaccine to prevent lung infections. 
• Shingles - recommended for most adults age 50 and older. 
• Hepatitis B - patients with diabetes, other conditions that affect their immune system, or who live in group environments (such as nursing homes) may benefit from this vaccine.

Screening for cancer
Routine cancer screening can help you and your PCP detect cancer in the earliest stages when it's most treatable. Your age and risk factors will help your PCP determine which screenings you need, and when. This includes those for skin , breast, cervical, colon, prostate, or lung cancer.

Updating your health record
A lot can happen in a year, so keeping your health records up to date helps keep your PCP informed of any changes that could affect your health, including:

• Medication changes - this includes prescription medications, vitamins, supplements, and all over the counter medications you have been taking, including up to date dosage information. 
• Allergies - food, environmental and medication allergies can develop and change over time and cause dangerous reactions.
• Social history - your lifestyle, smoking habits, alcohol intake, and sexual activity play a role in your overall health. Those over 65 may also want to discuss fall risks. 
• Mental health - it is common to screen for mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety that may have developed over the past year.  
• Family history - Has anyone in your family developed any new conditions in the past year? Your family history can put you at risk of developing similar medical conditions that may require additional screenings. 

Establishing a relationship with your provider
Think of your PCP as your health care partner. Your annual exam is a chance to get to know each other better. When we only come in for sick visits, we miss the opportunity to help our PCP know us better, and catch problems when they are most treatable. 

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How to prepare for and make the most of your annual exam

These annual visits don't have to be stress inducing. For the most part, your PCP will lead the way. But being prepared with questions or concerns will help you get the most out of your appointment. 

• Write down any questions you may have before you forget
• Catalog your medical history - has anything changed since your last visit? Any new diagnoses, received a vaccine, had surgery, or have any other recent health information to share? 
• Know your medications - this includes vitamins, over the counter medications, supplements, and their dosages. 
• Bring any additional health date - this can include food and exercise logs, symptom trackers, blood pressure readings, etc.
• Share a list of any specialist you are currently seeing.
• If you have an implanted device (insulin pump, spinal cord stimulator, etc.) bring the device card with you.