Schedule annual wellness visits
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From The Knox County Hospital—
KNOX CITY– Are you healthy? Do you know if you are at risk of cancer or some other disease? Are you taking the proper precautions to prevent the onset of certain ailments?
These questions, along with others, are what medical providers aim to answer during annual wellness visits. While these essential screenings are important, Knox County Hospital District reminds adults in the community to schedule annual wellness visits.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular health exams, screenings, and tests can help medical providers find problems in patients before they advance.
“Patients who have a proactive role in their healthcare means they are doing what they can to live a longer, healthier life,” said Dr. Sloan, Knox County Hospital District physician. “When it comes to preventative healthcare, an annual wellness visit can be the difference between life and death.”
The CDC estimates that fewer than half of American adults, age 65 or older, and fewer than a quarter of adults, ages 50 to 64, receive the recommended level of preventative health services such as immunizations and cancer and cardiovascular screenings.
An annual wellness exam is a yearly appointment with your primary care provider to review your health status and develop a personalized preventative healthcare plan tailored to you. These exams typically review height and weight changes; check for possible diseases that could be treated early; update necessary immunizations; and order laboratory screenings that check cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
Before your next wellness visit, Dr. Sloan recommends that you review your family health history and write down any new conditions or diseases that have occurred in your family since your last visit. If you have put off any health screenings previously recommended, it is important that you share that information with your physician. Lastly, think about any symptoms you have been experiencing or want to ask your physician.
