A lot can happen in one year, as far as your overall health goes. Whether you’re concerned about an ongoing medical condition or want to stay proactive about your long-term wellness, an annual physical can go far.
At LA Medical Clinic Inc in Glendale, California, board-certified nurse practitioner Lusine Apikyan and her team are pleased to offer comprehensive primary care services for adults.
Let’s delve into three important ways annual physical exams may help keep you healthy.
1. Management of a chronic condition
If you have a chronic condition, annual physicals provide a valuable opportunity to find out if your care plan is working well. If there’s room for improvement, we can recommend adjustments in your medication or other treatments.
During your visit, we can also ask questions about symptoms that you might not have known were related to a condition you’re managing. Back pain, for example, is sometimes linked with heart disease. If you weren’t aware of that, you might not have thought to inquire about your own aches.
Chronic diseases we monitor and treat at LA Medical Clinic Inc include:
- Cancer
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Kidney disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Respiratory disease
- Stroke
Our team can also help coordinate your care specialists, take blood tests, and get a deeper understanding of your symptoms at your physical.
2. Diagnosis of a new medical condition
Did you know that 1 in 3 adults in the United States have high blood pressure without knowing it? It’s even considered a “silent killer,” given that it seldom causes obvious symptoms — and the first sign may be a life-threatening heart attack or stroke.
A blood pressure test during your annual physical can reveal your risk for such events so you can turn it all around. Your bloodwork may also reveal early signs of conditions like Type 2 diabetes or a nutrient deficiency.
3. Peace of mind about your wellness
Whether or not you have a chronic condition or discover something new about your health at your physical, you can walk away knowing that you have either a clean bill of health or a plan for your next important steps.
A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine even showed that routine physicals may reassure people of their positive health, leading to less worry.
Your annual physical also provides a chance to ask your provider about helpful lifestyle changes so you can continue to feel confident about your health practices.
To learn more about annual physicals or get on track with your own, call LA Medical Clinic Inc or book an appointment online on our website today.