Good health is a blessing that so many take for granted. It’s all too common for people, especially those who enjoy generally good health, to assume that their fortune will last indefinitely and that everything is fine, so long as nothing hurts, itches, or bleeds.

Unfortunately, that also means they tend to avoid having an annual checkup with their primary care physician – or don’t have a primary care physician at all. Here are some reasons why your annual physical exam is necessary, even if you feel great.

A Yearly Physical Gives You a Baseline

The best time to start getting annual physicals is when you’re healthy. One reason to do so is to provide your primary care physician with a baseline for all your future visits. Knowing exactly what your body’s vital signs and blood chemistry look like when you’re healthy makes it so much easier to spot a future issue while it’s still a small, easily managed condition. Without a solid baseline of your normal health, small variations in your vitals or blood could go unnoticed for years before additional symptoms of serious health conditions begin showing up.

For example, if your blood pressure is normally lower than the average 120/80, then consistent readings of slightly more than 120/80 could indicate that your blood pressure is elevated due to a chronic condition. However, since 120/80 is a standard reference point for normal blood pressure, readings of just slightly above that wouldn’t be recognized as a problem.

A Yearly Physical Helps You Make Lifestyle Adjustments

Your body will perform very differently at age 65 than it did at age 25. Even just a few years’ aging can mean major differences in how your body handles excess calories; absorbs the impacts of work, sports, or exercise; works with stress; and fights off infections. Following the same lifestyle in your sixties as you did in your twenties is probably not a viable option.

When you have a yearly physical, your doctor can talk you through some of the changes you’ll be experiencing as you age. Making gradual but regular changes to your lifestyle to adapt to your advancing age is considerably easier than trying to make massive changes all at once when you realize that you’re not your younger self anymore.

A Yearly Physical Helps Prevent Illnesses

From the annual flu to conditions like pneumonia, shingles, and more, timely vaccination is the best weapon you have in your fight to stay healthy. When you attend your yearly physical, your doctor will review the available vaccinations that you should have, talk to you about them, and answer your questions. Getting these vaccines isn’t just important for your health – it’s vital to ensuring that your friends, family, and other loved ones are protected as well.

A Yearly Physical Detects Emerging Concerns

Many of the chronic or other severe medical conditions that affect patients have warning signs that appear before the condition has progressed to a dangerous stage. All too often, though, those warning signs are missed because the patient was not receiving annual physical exams from their primary care physician.

If you do have annual physicals, your primary care physician is far more likely to detect when something is not quite right. Maybe there’s a change in your blood chemistry, your appearance, or the types of medical complaints you suffer from. However it’s noticed, when your doctor notices something of concern during an annual physical, they can quickly refer you for additional tests or evaluations that can increase the chances of early detection and an overall positive outcome.

A Yearly Physical Monitors Your Conditions

On a long-enough timeline, nearly everyone will deal with a chronic condition. Some of the most common include:

• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Pulmonary conditions like COPD or emphysema
• Asthma
• Thyroid disorders
• Arthritis
• Depression and anxiety

Managing these conditions requires close coordination between your primary care team and any specialists who are involved in your care. They also require careful monitoring of your health, proactive management of medication and other therapies, and long-term strategies for maintaining overall wellness in spite of the chronic condition.

When you’re seeing your primary care physician for annual physicals, they’ll provide regular monitoring of your condition and can alert you when treatments are becoming less effective. They’ll help you navigate your healthcare, coordinate with specialists, and manage your prescriptions for maximum effectiveness.

A Yearly Physical Gives You Peace of Mind

Possibly even more important than any of the above reasons for a yearly physical is this: it gives you peace of mind. When you know that you have a trusted healthcare professional who knows your overall condition, understands your lifestyle, and is dedicated to helping you manage your health, you’ll not only be less worried about your wellness overall, but you’ll also know who to call when you have a question or a concern.

Mercer Medicine Jekyll Island
Primary Care for Brunswick and the Golden Isles

Newly opened and situated on the second floor of the Jekyll Island Beach Village, Mercer Medicine’s newest clinic serves Brunswick, Jekyll and St. Simon’s Islands, and the greater Glynn County region. Our facility boasts a dedicated team of healthcare providers, clinicians, diagnosticians, and other medical professionals.

Whether you need a primary care physician to help you manage chronic conditions or need to see someone quickly for a minor illness, we are ready to help. As the clinical faculty practice of Mercer University School of Medicine, Mercer Medicine is staffed by experienced healthcare providers who are leading the way in medical education, technology, and research.

Mercer Medicine Jekyll Island
11 Main Street, Suite 201
Jekyll Island, GA 31527
September-April: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., M-F
May-August: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Daily

Call our scheduling desk at 912-766-0755 or visit our scheduling page to make an appointment.

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