It is vital to have an annual physical exam every year to prioritize your health and improve your overall well-being. At the Doctor’s House, a West New York med spa, Dr. Daniel Maenner, DO can perform your exam and record all relevant information about your health. This makes it an essential practice as the data can be used to view trends that can help detect potential risk factors. However, the information needs to be accurate, and your preparation for the exam can ensure that. Here is how to prepare for your annual examination.
Consult Your Provider
The initial step towards an annual physical exam is scheduling an appointment with your provider, particularly if you have particular risk factors. Not every provider can help you with that complication. This is the time where if you do have a personal care provider who can direct you accordingly, you have to be keen in choosing your provider who will help exhaust all the information about your health accurately.
Physical Exam and Fasting
Before your appointment day for your physical exam, please ensure you ask your provider about fasting. This is because you might be required to fast, particularly if you have certain health complications. Besides, if your doctor plans labs to be taken during your exam, it may be necessary not to eat before the physical. It is not always the case, and that is why it is vital to consult your doctor.
Write Down All Your Medications
As you go for your annual examination, it would be good to list all of your medications you are taking or have taken after your last assessment. This should include over-the-counter medications, herbal supplements, prescription medications, and vitamins. It would also be good to write down other medical providers who have prescribed some medicines or treated a particular condition. This is very critical information that can tell a lot about your health status.
Carry with You the Results of Any Medical Tests
If you have undergone any medical tests since your last exam, it is essential to take them to your doctor. Besides, it is good to include the medical experts who conducted the tests or others you have seen. Please include their names and contacts as your provider may require to enquire something from them. Besides, after your exam, your provider may also be required to coordinate your care through the same providers.
Compile a List of Your Current Immunizations
Immunizations are crucial to your overall healthcare, and your provider requires the information if you have been immunized since your last physical to ensure that you are up to date. Besides, understanding what type of immunization you received can help your provider evaluate any risks associated with the vaccinations or the changes they can bring.
Be Psychologically Prepared
One crucial thing to put your mind to as you seek your annual examination is that the visit will be confidential. You can also be sure to answer any question your provider may enquire about to review your health status. You may be asked detailed questions about any part of your body from head to toe, and you should be ready to mention intimate or complex matters, particularly about your reproductive health.
You can be sure to be ready after making the above complications. However, be sure to consult your provider should there be any other special preparations needed to be put in place. For more information, you can contact your provider at The Doctor’s House.