How Annual Physicals Can Help Save Your Life

Being proactive with your health is very important. Preventing a problem before it has the chance to take over is the best way to stop a chronic health issue from developing. Unfortunately, 133 million Americans currently live with a chronic illness, and more than half don’t receive the care they need.

The majority of these chronic conditions can be caught by an annual physical. Early detection is important, because it can mean the difference between solving and fixing the problem or allowing a more serious one to develop.   

Here at Integrative Primary Care in Houston, Syed Farhat Zaidi, MD, and our dedicated providers offer exceptional primary care to our patients. And since we want you to stay as healthy as possible, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide on the importance of annual physical exams.

1. Detect silent but dangerous conditions

Unfortunately, many dangerous conditions don’t present any warning signs until it’s too late. For this reason, many conditions have earned the nickname “silent killer.” An example of this is high blood pressure. This condition may not present symptoms until a heart attack or stroke hits. 

However, checking for conditions, such as high blood pressure, during an annual physical can save your life. And detecting something early can give us the opportunity to discuss with you how to reverse the problem, so you can avoid further complications. 

At your annual physical, we’ll check for small warning signs that your body may be giving you. Many conditions, such as glaucoma, diabetes, and even certain cancers can be detected at an annual physical, and we can provide recommendations on how to deal with the condition. 

2. Keep track of your health year over year

Another benefit of going to annual physicals is that we can watch your health over the years. Important baseline health information is provided when you are healthy at a physical. 

Being able to see inconsistencies over the years can aid us in spotting diseases and trends faster. Tracking your health over time is important in catching conditions. 

3. Get the right screenings

Physicals can help you stay on top of general screenings, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. They can also help establish your medical history, family health history, and any relevant lifestyle considerations, so we can make sure you get the right screenings for your unique situation.

'At Integrative Primary Care, we want you to live a long and healthy life. And one of the best ways to work toward that goal is to get annual physicals. To set up a physical or learn more about them, book an appointment online or over the phone with Integrative Primary Care today.