An annual wellness visit or annual check-up with your primary care physician is more than just a good habit. While making healthy lifestyle choices is key in maintaining good health, you can’t rely on eating right and exercising alone. Scheduling an annual wellness exam is just as important as making other healthy choices in your life. Annual doctor visits can help improve your health, inform decision making regarding your health, and improve your overall quality of life.
Regular doctor visits can even help save your life. According to the CDC, over 100,000 lives could be saved annually in the United States if everyone received recommended preventative healthcare. Preventative care includes wellness visits, tests, and screenings.
What is a wellness visit?
Wellness visits may also be called check-ups, wellness exams, wellness health care visits, or some other variation of the term. Regardless of what you call them, regular check-ups with your primary care physician are very crucial to ensuring your wellness.
A wellness visit is designed to provide a look at your overall health. During your wellness visit, your doctor evaluates your current health. The information provided in one of these visits allows the doctor to monitor your health, and can help you make informed decisions to promote better health. An annual snapshot of your health can create a detailed picture over time.
An annual doctor visit gives you the opportunity to voice concerns and ask questions regarding your health. Your visit may include assessment or evaluation of things such as your weight, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, tobacco or alcohol use, nutrient deficiencies, your risk for certain types of cancer, disease, or other health conditions, and many other health issues.
Basically, these visits provide updates on your health and help you establish an ongoing game plan for your health, based on your personal needs.
Why are wellness visits important?
Wellness visits are important for several reasons.
- Early detection and prevention of health problems. Annual doctor visits can help you find health problems before they start, or find problems early enough to treat them.
- Better results and more accurate health care. When you establish strong, trusting, long-term relationship with your primary care provider, you can expect better results with your health care.
- Maintaining health and wellness through informed decision making. Most people have a good idea of what healthy decisions look like. However, meeting with a doctor on a regular basis provides a healthy outline based on your own personal needs. Annual doctor visits can also help you make sure you stay on the right track.
Don’t just go to the doctor when you’re sick, or when something is wrong. You should never wait for a health problem to occur before taking care of your health. Wellness is an active process of maintaining good health. Schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor today!