by Dr. Donna L. Hamilton, MD, MS
In addition to maintaining healthy behaviors like eating well, exercising regularly, and managing stress, personal wellness also means making periodic visits to your health care provider. Routinely visiting your primary care doctor for health maintenance visits, commonly called physicals, boosts the effectiveness of personal wellness plans. It’s also a nurturing act of self-care.
While it’s important to focus on the presence of health rather than the absence of disease, it’s also important to periodically check for health warning signs. Early detection of health issues increases the likelihood of early correction. It also can expedite your return to optimal health and well being. Preventive visits help identify issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.
The human body tends to be very resilient, so it might not show signs or symptoms of health challenges until they become difficult to tolerate. It’s possible to feel fine while having early changes in your body that, if left unaddressed, could lead to serious disease. Even if you feel healthy, it’s best to periodically visit your doctor to confirm that everything is functioning as well as you think it is. It’s also important not to assume that your doctor “checked everything” if your last visit was for a medical problem. She might only have checked things that were necessary to diagnose and treat the issue prompting the visit.
The recommended frequency of health maintenance visits varies depending on many factors including age, family history, and health status. If you aren’t sure how often you need check-ups, the best thing to do is to ask your primary care doctor. Remember to check with your dentist and eye doctor about frequency of visits to them too.
During the visit, in addition to checking things like your heart, lungs, reproductive organs, and blood pressure, your doctor might also recommend screening tests to better assess certain things that can’t easily be checked in the office. For example, depending on your age and history you might be screened for a number of things, including diabetes, cancer (ex. colon, breast, etc.) or high cholesterol.
Your doctor might do some screening tests in the office, while others might need to be done at a laboratory. Some tests such as mammograms, colonoscopies, or vision testing, might require an appointment with another practitioner. In addition to using laboratory tests or equipment to screen for issues, some doctors also ask questions or do surveys to identify warning signs of certain conditions.
If you’ve been trying to decide where to start on your journey to personal wellness, consider making an appointment for a check-up. Adding health maintenance visits to your personal wellness plan is an easy and effective act of self-care. It can increase peace of mind and support you in your quest to achieve optimal health and wellness.
Be well,
Dr. Donna
Resources for locating a doctor in your area:
American Holistic Medical Association
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Pediatrics
More information about health screening:
US Department of Health and Human Services information on health screening
American Academy of Family Physicians-Preventive Services for Healthy Living
Holistic Wellness Speaker Dr. Donna L. Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAP is a former board-certified pediatrician residing in Northeastern Pennsylvania. She is Chief Wellness Officer and co-owner of Manifest Excellence, LLC. Dr. Hamilton specializes in holistic wellness promotion and speaks nationally on this topic. Her company Manifest Excellence teaches a comprehensive approach to health and wellness by addressing mental, emotional, social, spiritual and physical wellbeing. For more information visit www.ManifestExcellence.com
A wellness thought leader, she champions a comprehensive approach to health by addressing mental, emotional, social, spiritual & physical well-being with a simple and potent message. Her book Wellness Your Way offers a practical strategy to assist readers in creating a happier, healthier life. For more information or to book Dr. Hamilton for speaking engagements visit www.ManifestExcellence.com or www.DonnaHamiltonMD.com
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