You wouldn’t drive your car for years without getting periodic tune-ups, oil changes, and other essential maintenance and troubleshooting, would you? If you neglected it this way, there’s no question that one day — sooner than you’d like — it would simply give out, leaving you stranded.
The same can be said about the importance of maintaining your own physical health, and one of the most important parts of doing that is making sure you see your doctor once a year for a physical exam.
During this appointment, they take a look “under the hood,” so to speak, to make sure all is well — and if it isn’t, they can catch and address health issues sooner rather than later.
Dr. Gurprit Sekhon offers these important annual wellness exams at Nu Wave Medical Center and believes strongly in their value. Your physical offers both you and Dr. Sekhon the chance to focus on where you are health-wise, go over preventive screenings you may need, monitor and manage any chronic conditions you live with, and more.
Since your wellness exam is highly customized, Dr. Sekhon discusses your health history with you and encourages you to share any concerns about your health you’ve had over the past year.
We’ve compiled an easy-to-digest list of six reasons why you should schedule your wellness exam each and every year.
The more Dr. Sekhon understands about your unique health profile, the more personalized she can make your treatment.
Your annual physical is also a prime opportunity to develop more trust with Dr. Sekhon and deepen your partnership.
During your physical, you have time to speak with Dr. Sekhon about screenings you may need as you reach a certain age, any concerns you might have about managing a chronic condition you live with, or a new health concern that has emerged since your last visit.
Since you’re not visiting us with an illness, your wellness visit is a time that you and Dr. Sekhon can assess anything you need to do to live your best, healthy life. This might look like losing weight, increasing your exercise, or taming your stress. She has strategies, as well as services, that can help.
A big part of this is getting preventive screenings like mammograms, pelvic exams, and colonoscopies. Dr. Sekhon keeps track of when you’re due for these and can answer any questions you have about them and why they’re so important.
Your first physical sets your health baseline, and each one that follows gives you and Dr. Sekhon vital information about changes in your health as you age and enter different life phases.
The earlier you learn about a health issue, the better. Your annual physical allows Dr. Sekhon to discover problems in their beginning stages, when they’re easier to treat.
You can discuss your family health history with Dr. Sekhon at your exam. This gives her insight into your risk factors for any chronic health conditions you live with now or are at risk for in the future.
These are all strong reasons to be responsible about setting aside time for your wellness exam each year. With this type of oversight, Dr. Sekhon can closely monitor your health so she can address problems as soon as possible, and this strengthens your relationship as a team.
During your wellness exam, Dr. Sekhon collects some basic but important information that helps outline your health baseline. This includes taking your blood pressure, weighing you, recording your height, and learning what your heart rate is.
You can also expect her to manually examine (palpate) your internal organs, check your heartbeat and breathing, and evaluate your eyes, ears, nose, and throat health. Dr. Sekhon also routinely checks your reflexes during a physical exam.
If you live with any chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, Dr. Sekhon monitors them carefully, provides education so you can manage them together, and reviews any medication you’re taking. If she feels a medication change or adjustment is needed, she counsels you about that.
Finally, Dr. Sekhon may request tests that provide her with important information about your health, such as your cholesterol and hormone levels. These can be performed in-office, or she might recommend that you schedule preventive screenings, such as a mammogram or colonoscopy, at a specialty facility.
Call our Panama City Beach office at 850-493-6948 to schedule your annual physical today!
