Schedule Your Annual Visit to Your Doctor!

Visits to the doctor are an important part of healthcare, as they may reveal some hidden concerns you didn’t know you had. However, the problem is that an average of 55 percent of men in the US do not get regular health checks, and they typically only go to the doctor when they feel sick. Women visit 33 percent more frequently than men, but still, plenty of people skip their annual routine checks.

It is always better to be safe than sorry, no matter if you are feeling sick or not. An annual visit can catch a condition like breast cancer in its early stages, preventing it from spreading into the rest of your body. Let’s see more reasons why scheduling an annual doctor’s visit can be very beneficial for you.

What to Expect from an Annual Visit?

An annual visit is a preventative health procedure that is scheduled to catch potential health issues early. These can be done regardless of your health status but are often recommended if you’ve experienced illnesses in the past. For the most part, your annual visits can include the following procedures:

• Surgical or medical history review
• Blood tests
• Screenings
• Physical exam
• Immunization
• Counseling 

During annual visits, patients should bring relevant medical documentation, ensuring a thorough screening. Follow-up “sick” visits can also be scheduled if the checkup reveals a concern.

Reasons for Scheduling an Annual Visit

There are several reasons why patients should schedule annual visits, including the following:

1. Establishing a Baseline

Very often, patients cannot tell what’s normal and what’s not. For instance, normal blood pressure may be between 80mm/HG and 120mm/HG. Some patient’s “normal” may be closer to 120 than 80, but that does not mean it’s bad. However, the situation may change if the numbers change suddenly, which is why it’s good to have a baseline.

2. Preventing Health Issues

Your annual consultation can help prevent potential health conditions from affecting you in the future. For instance, if you gained unhealthy weight since your last visit, you may be at risk for various conditions like diabetes, stroke, or heart disease. If you’ve had hernia surgery and gained too much weight, this may put you at risk for another hernia. Annual checkups can catch this so that you can make the necessary adjustments to your lifestyle.

3. Catching Health Conditions Early

The earlier you catch a certain health condition, the easier it will be to treat it. Gallbladder problems can often be treated with medication, but if it’s left untreated and leads to chronic cholecystitis, you might need gallbladder surgery. Early detection can reduce the chances of complications.

4. Reviewing Medications

Medication can be found under different formulas and names, with each patient tolerating them differently. A type of medicine that works on one patient may not work for you, even though you have the same condition. Maybe you have also developed tolerance, reducing the efficiency of the drug. Regular health checks allow you to have your medication reviewed and changed if necessary.

5. Building a Rapport

Annual visits can also help you build a rapport with your medical provider. The better they know you, the easier it will be for them to treat you. They will use the information they gathered on your lifestyle and medical records to determine whether you have a health risk or not.

The Bottom Line

Scheduling an annual visit to your doctor may as well help you live a long, healthy life. Not only can it help you catch health conditions in their early stages, but it can also prevent problems from appearing in the first place. Contact Dr. Patrick Moore and set up your annual visit!

For more information on health conditions and why you should schedule an annual visit, you can contact Dr. Patrick Moore, MD, at 951-477-5700. His practice in Murrieta is open for consultations.