My Memorial Docs: Memorial Clinical Associates

Why Should I Have an Annual Physical?

As you age, maintaining your physical health becomes increasingly important to maintaining your overall wellness. One way to support healthy aging is to schedule a yearly physical with your primary doctor. During an annual physical, your doctor will evaluate your overall health to identify any potential health concerns, prevent conditions from developing or progressing, or to prescribe treatments for existing conditions. Here are some other ways patients can benefit from visiting their doctor for a yearly physical.

1. Support Early Detection and Diagnosis: Whether we ignore or simply do not recognize them, the symptoms of many serious health problems can go unnoticed for a long time. By the time symptoms become apparent, your health condition may have progressed significantly, sometimes to the point where treatment becomes less effective. Even if you feel fine, getting a yearly physical to check for any possible concerns is critical in early detection. Early detection helps lead to an early diagnosis and more effective treatment options.
2. Monitor Your Body’s Health and Changes: During your annual physical, your doctor will record and track all of the findings and results. These ongoing records help you and your doctor to track your body’s changes over time. Bodies respond differently to aging, so understanding how your body is changing can help to keep those changes healthy and normal.
3. Achieve a More Comprehensive Health Outlook: During an annual physical exam, your primary care physician will examine you more thoroughly than he or she would during a regular checkup examination. Physicals are comprehensive evaluations that give your doctor insight into your entire body’s health status and your overall wellness.
4. Support Patient Education: Physicals are an opportunity to develop a relationship of trust and openness with your physician. This kind of relationship, in turn, can lead patients to become more comfortable asking questions of speaking openly with their doctors. This helps not only your doctor to better understand your health but also provides you, the patient, with additional information and education to make an empowered decision about your health.

If you are ready to schedule your annual physical, contact the physicians at Memorial Clinical Associates. Our practice offers exceptional, full-service primary care in the heart of Houston's Memorial communities. Visit us online, or call us today at (713) 407-3067 to schedule an appointment.

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