Wellness exams can put you on track for a healthy life!

In our high-stress world of work, school, family, friends, meetings, social media, etc., our health often takes a backseat to the environment in which we surround ourselves. Often, we don’t take into consideration the role stress takes on our bodies. It’s important to take time out of our busy schedules to take care of our bodies. A wellness exam is the best way to keep your body in tip-top shape.

Photo provided by Nathan Cowley

What role does stress play on our bodies?

Stress is a common experience for people in the workplace. Unlike many other things we feel, stress seems to be an unavoidable part of our lives as it can come from anywhere and at any time – whether you’re sitting in traffic or waiting on hold with customer service representatives. While we might not always realize it, chronic stress has been shown to affect our health and wellbeing.

“But chronic stress, which is constant and persists over an extended period of time, can be debilitating and overwhelming. Chronic stress can affect both our physical and psychological well-being by causing a variety of problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.” –  Jennifer F. Kelly, PhD, and Helen L. Coons, PhD, ABPP

From: https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/chronic

Imagine what your body would look like if every day was a stressful one: you’d have higher blood pressure (which could lead to heart disease), sleep deprivation (which leads to obesity and depression), increased risk of stroke, high cholesterol levels (leading to diabetes) and more! Fortunately, there are ways that we can reduce the amount of stress in our lives such as daily exercise, plenty of rest and a well-balanced diet.

With all these stressors in our life we forget that a healthy life starts with a healthy body. Good health is essential for building good relationships in both our personal and professional lives. Our mental health is also directly related to our physical health. The National Institute of Mental Health, NIMH states:

“Over time, continued strain on your body from stress may contribute to serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other illnesses, including mental disorders such as depression or anxiety.” – The National Institute of Mental Health Information Resource Center

From: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress

It’s important to feel healthy and be proactive about staying that way. That’s why we recommend a wellness examination at least once a year. Our medical professionals will perform an evaluation of your heart, lungs, stomach, skin and more!  Along with our comprehensive physicals, we also offer lab tests such as cholesterol levels and blood pressure screenings. And if we find anything that needs treatment or further investigation, we’ll let you know right away so that you can take care of it before it becomes a problem for your whole family.

A wellness exam is an important step in your health care routine. It’s not just about preventing disease but being able to take proactive steps that could potentially save your life. When you go in for a wellness exam, the doctor will ask questions and perform tests so they can find out what’s going on with you, and if there are any signs or symptoms of illness. They might also recommend additional testing depending on their findings during the examination. You should always follow up with your doctor after receiving test results because it’s possible that more tests may be needed before treatment begins. The sooner you know what’s wrong, the better chance you have at getting well again! If your doctor wants you to do a specific test due to your family history, that is preventive care.

A preventive check-up means that doctors look at people’s general state before something happens; this way we can prevent potential injuries from occurring which could lead up towards major complications such as chronic conditions.

The point of an annual wellness visit is to keep you in good health and reduce your overall medical costs through assessment of risk factors and early detection of diseases.

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What happens during the exam?

Have you ever thought about what happens during a wellness exam? Well, the first step is to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician. Once you do that, they will then give you a list of tests and procedures that need to be completed. These can include blood work or other lab tests as well as urine analysis and even x-rays. Our bodies undergo many changes throughout our lives; we all know this! That’s why it’s important to go for yearly checkups so we can stay healthy and avoid any major health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure. Most  wellness exams are completed in the mornings since the blood profile is most accurate when fasting.

The wellness exam checkup will include:

• A physical examination.
• Checking your vitals.
• Checking BMI.
• Examination of personal and family medical histories.
• Discussion of current lifestyle and health choices.
• Complete blood profile
• Screenings
• Establishing a plan for your health.

How do I find the right doctor?

When you’re looking for a doctor, your first question is likely “Can they provide me with the best care?” You want to find someone who listens well and takes good care of their patients. If you need more than that, though, it can be hard to know what questions to ask. The fact is that many regular doctors don’t specialize in preventive medicine or wellness exams. A wellness exam is an important aspect of the healthcare routine and getting an annual checkup can prevent serious problems further down the road. Living a healthy life means staying on top of your wellbeing. This means going in for a wellness exam at least once a year. It can be the difference between living with an illness or managing one. Plus, they’re easy, affordable, and something you owe yourself!

Photo provided by Trang Doan

Are you looking for a way to stay healthy?

It’s not just about being healthy; it’s about feeling great! If something doesn’t seem right or if there are any warning signs like unexplained weight loss, fatigue, fever, pain or swelling – don’t ignore them! Go see your doctor as soon as possible and get checked out by one of our doctors today! Don’t wait until it’s too late … because when it comes to taking care of yourself – early detection is everything!

Call us now at (912) 964-CARE and schedule an appointment today!

At SATS Urgent Care we take your health very seriously and want you to be in the best physical shape you can. Along with our regular wellness exams we also offer: DOT Physicals, Sports Physicals, Summer Camp Physicals, Travel and College Physicals, as well as immunizations and vaccinations.

If you’re looking for more information on wellness exams here are a few resources to consider:

What Should I Ask My Doctor During a Checkup?
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-should-i-ask-my-doctor-during-checkup

Your Healthiest Self: Wellness Toolkits
https://www.nih.gov/health-information/your-healthiest-self-wellness-toolkits

Physical exam frequency
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002125.htm