Questions to Ask at Your Annual Physical

When it comes to protecting your health, the greatest step you can take is to start practicing preventive care. This means that you’re taking care of your health problems before they develop. And, with regular annual (yearly) physicals you can do just that!

Though you may be able-bodied, a regular exerciser, and a healthy eater, you still can have your health impacted by your family history and your environment. During an annual exam, we identify the signs of an illness that can progress into a serious health problem, like diabetes or heart disease.

At Capital City Primary and Immediate Care, Dr. Fernando Porter is here to cover all of your health care needs. That’s why we’ve compiled this helpful guide to all of the questions that you need to ask during your annual physical.

Question 1: Am I functioning optimally?

We can answer this question by easily checking all of your vitals. We use the latest tools to check that all of your body parts are functioning normally, including your:

• Ears
• Eyes
• Nose
• Throat
• Heart
• Lungs

We check your muscles and your joints too to make sure that you’re not experiencing any stiffness or pain that can impact your mobility.

Question 2: Are my vaccines up to date?

Vaccines keep you from developing serious illnesses. Some vaccines need to be administered more than once over time. So, at your physical, we make sure that you’re caught up on all of your necessary vaccines, including your annual flu shot, which is so important for keeping you safe during flu season.

Question 3: Do you know my medical history?

We cannot stress the importance of this one enough. We take a detailed record of your medical history, including that of your parents and grandparents. We want to make sure that we have all of the details of your family history so that we can know what to look out for when it comes to your medical care.

Question 4: Is my lifestyle healthy?

You’ll want to be as honest with us as possible about your lifestyle. Be sure to tell us about your diet and how often you exercise. We’ll also want to know how much you smoke, drink, and if you are a regular drug user.

This doesn’t penalize you in any way, but it does help us to figure out what may be causing any symptoms that you may be experiencing. So, be sure to be as honest as possible with us about your lifestyle and habits. You may be exposing yourself to health risks without even realizing it.

To learn more about why it’s important to schedule an annual physical, call us to schedule an appointment today.