When you’re younger, you may not need to see your doctor more than once every couple of years, but, as you age, those visits should increase in frequency. There are several reasons that an annual checkup will benefit you and help you maintain your life quality. Here are a few of those reasons.
Your Insurance Requires It
While some health insurers don’t require a yearly physical anymore, many companies still do compel policyholders to get checked out every year. This helps create a record of your physical condition, so you can maintain your health’s total quality. It also helps doctors predict what problems may arise in the future by comparing medical evaluations from year to year.
You’ll Receive a Comprehensive Evaluation
An annual checkup will also allow your doctor to run blood samples, urine tests, and other screenings to get an overall assessment of your health. These tests allow the doctor to identify health problems that may not be producing symptoms yet. Your doctor can identify conditions such as high cholesterol, hypertension, STDs, and other illnesses through this process.
Receive Early Diagnosis and Treatment
This is also an opportunity to begin addressing health risks. For instance, if your doctor determines that you’re in a state of pre-diabetes, taking early actions can prevent your condition from worsening. You can prevent many conditions by taking early action. If you are diagnosed with a disease, such as colorectal cancer, getting treated early can improve your chances for a full recovery.
Keep Medications Under Control
Your health will change from year to year and, in some cases, a physical or emotional health problem can correct itself. In this case, you may need to take less of a certain medication. Sometimes, your doctor may need to prescribe more of a medication, or he may need to switch you to a different treatment. Refining your treatments in this way will help you enjoy a better state of health between visits.
If it has been more than a year since your last checkup, it may be a good idea to schedule an appointment. Even if you feel healthy, a doctor’s visit can help you maintain that quality of health. It’s better to go and find out that there’s nothing wrong instead of waiting only to find out that some condition could have been treated more effectively if caught earlier.
