7 Things to Know about Annual Health Check up

The health and well-being of your body are a top priority. This makes it necessary to schedule annual health check up with your physician, like the regularly scheduled maintenance on your car, truck, etc. It is essential to get regular checkups for overall good health.

1. Why are Annual health checkups important?

Annual health checks are recommended for people of all ages. They can identify and prevent health conditions before they become severe and in the early stages of diagnosis or treatment. 

It is also important to realize that annual health checkups are not a ‘one and done’ visit with your doctor. They alert any potential problems or issues, which means you should be regularly checking your physical and mental health to see how well you are coping.

2. What is the right time to start taking Annual Health checkups?

Annual checkups make sure that your body is healthy and can do all the things you want it to. It’s like taking your car in for an oil change every time you need gas. 

Even when you are in your teens and twenties, an annual health check up is essential for taking good care of yourself. Your primary doctor or family doctor may be the first to recommend a yearly medical evaluation. 

3. When to take Annual Health check up?

People above 40 years of age should go for a complete body checkup every year because these people are at risk of getting heart attacks or diabetes. They also have many other health problems due to their age and should be cautious about their health.

4. What are measures to follow before taking a health checkup?

To make the most of your annual health check up and also to get the maximum benefit from it, you should follow these measures:

• Do not rush for a general health checkup in a hurry; always plan a month before.
• Go through your records carefully.
• For better understanding and treatment, try to record all the symptoms you have been suffering from since last year’s checkup.
• Check your family history for hereditary diseases.

Before getting your health checkup done, you must follow specific guidelines and precautions to ensure that you get accurate results in your tests.

• Do not eat anything or drink anything after 8 hours before the test. The doctor might ask you to eat something before the test, depending on what tests he will perform, but blood tests usually require an empty stomach.
• Do not consume any alcohol at least 24 hours before the test. This will affect many of the tests and give false results.

5. Types of medical checkups

There are a few things that change as you get older. Here are some of the checkups and exams you should consider getting once you turn 18.

• Annual physical: Your doctor will check your blood pressure and heart rate and listen to your lungs and heart. They will also perform a simple exam of your head and neck, abdomen, ears, eyes, nose, throat, and skin.
• Pap test: The Pap test checks for any abnormal cells on your cervix, which could eventually turn into cervical cancer.
• Pelvic exam (women): This exam checks for problems with your reproductive system like ovarian cysts or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
• Mammogram: The mammogram is an X-ray of the breast that can help detect breast cancer earlier than a routine physical exam because it can see through the tissue layers in your breasts.
• Bone density scan: Bone density tests (also called bone mineral density tests or BMD tests) check how strong your bones are.
• Examine your heart and lungs: These tests are performed to know the functionality.
• Prostate exam (men): The exam typically involves a digital rectal exam (DRE) and a test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

Blood pressure measurement, Body mass index (BMI) calculation, Height and weight measurement, Heart rate measurement, Waist circumference measurement, etc., are some of the exams to be included.

6. Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s:

• Prepare for the appointment by writing down all your symptoms, questions, and concerns.
• Bring a list of medications you’re currently taking.
• Make sure you have your insurance information with you.
• Write down any questions that come up right after the appointment, so you can remember them when your doctor calls with test results.

Don’ts:

• Do not eat a heavy meal before your appointment. Go on an empty stomach, or have only a light breakfast or lunch before visiting the doctor.
• Do not drink too much liquid hours before your appointment. This can make it difficult for doctors to get an accurate reading of your blood pressure, as consuming excess liquid can cause misleading spikes in blood pressure.
• Do not exercise vigorously hours before your appointment. If you show up to the doctor’s office sweaty and out of breath, they may have trouble taking your pulse or reading your heart rate and blood pressure.
• Do not wear tight clothing that is constricting; this can interfere with the physical exam since your doctor will need to be able to check for lumps in different areas of the body.

7. How annual medical checkups benefits

Scheduling a yearly health checkup helps you stay aware of your body and stay on top of any warning signs that you are experiencing. Some more benefits are discussed below:

• Healthcare Expenditure is reduced: An early diagnosis of any disease helps in reducing the expenditure on healthcare and reduces the treatment period.
• Hidden Diseases are diagnosed: It is common to visit a doctor only when you experience symptoms of any disease. But many underlying diseases do not show any symptoms during the early stages and can only be detected by undergoing blood tests periodically. In such cases, health checkups help find hidden diseases with blood tests such as blood sugar level, cholesterol level, liver functioning, kidney functioning, etc.
• Nips in the Bud: By undertaking regular health checkups, you can find out if any abnormalities in your body might develop into serious diseases if ignored for long periods. This will enable you to nip it in the bud before it develops into something serious.
• Identifies Diseases Related to Stress: The current lifestyle leads to stress-related diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, which often go unnoticed until serious complications arise due to a lack of proper diagnosis at their early stages. Health checkups undertaken periodically will help identify stress-related diseases and take preventive measures accordingly.
• Creates Awareness of Your Health Status: If you undergo health checkups periodically, you will have a good idea about your health status.

In today’s world, where the number of diseases and healthcare costs are shooting up all the time, getting a complete annual health check for yourself and your family will save you a lot of money and possible pain in the future.

Dr. Remedies Labs offers comprehensive checkup packages to evaluate your overall health. It is the best chance to ward off the disease without complications if the disease is detected early. Avail of these affordable health packages and check out the Remedies Labs for detailed information about checkups.