5 Things You Can Learn From Your Annual Physical

You’re in good health, you don’t have any chronic health conditions, and you feel fantastic. Why should you take time out of your busy schedule to see your doctor for an annual physical exam? Because you might learn something that keeps you in good health and prevents a chronic health problem.

At East Side Primary Medical Care on New York City’s Upper East Side, our skilled primary care provider, Dr. Daniel Klein, takes a proactive approach to your well-being, focusing on preventive health care. He considers the annual physical exam essential for preventing future health problems.

We know your time is precious, but so is your health. Here, we want to share some things you can learn from your annual physical that makes it worth your time.

1. Your current state of health

No physical exam is like another. However, your annual physical is a thorough evaluation of your total health — physical, mental, and emotional. The information we gather during your annual physical tells us how your body functions on a normal day, giving us a baseline that we use for future appointments. 

We check your heart rate, blood pressure, and body composition. We evaluate body systems and ask about your day-to-day routine. 

Because the focus is on you and your health (as opposed to an acute illness), your annual physical also gives us a chance to get to know each other, establishing a more trusting patient-provider relationship. 

2. Risk of future health problems

Most health issues develop without causing symptoms. You may feel perfectly fine, but that doesn’t mean you’re in picture-perfect health. We perform health screenings at your annual exam to look for problems that might affect your future well-being.

Finding health issues during the early stages may prevent long-term health issues and the complications that come with them. 

3. Tips for staying healthy

After we gather all the information we need to assess your health, we share our findings with you. We talk about lifestyle changes that can benefit your health and help you stay well. We offer specific advice based on your individual needs, not canned information from the internet.

4. Adults need vaccines too

Vaccines aren’t just for kids. You need vaccines too.

Vaccines are medical treatments that help your immune system protect you from contagious illnesses. We talk to you about the types of vaccines you need and provide them at your annual physical. 

5. Answers to your health questions

You may also learn answers to your nagging health questions. We encourage you to come to your appointment with a list of questions and concerns. Maybe heart disease runs in your family and you want to know what you can do to protect your heart. Or, you want advice about how to set up your home office so you don’t have neck pain anymore.

At your annual physical, you can learn a lot about your health and what you can do to protect it. Has it been more than a year since your last physical exam? Call our office or schedule your physical using our online booking button.

We offer concierge primary care services for those looking for a more personalized and attentive approach to health and well-being.