Five reasons you should see your doctor every year

Regular checkups with your primary care provider (PCP) are essential and can help you stay healthy and avoid or delay the onset of many diseases. During these wellness checks your provider can evaluate your risk factors for various medical conditions, screen for cancer and other diseases, and assess your lifestyle habits which can help you stay healthy while reducing your risk of chronic or life-threatening diseases. How often you should get routine checkups should be based on your age, risk factors, and current health status, but annual exams are a good idea for most people.

Here are the top five reasons why you should see your provider each year: 1. Establish your baselines. Getting a routine physical will help establish a baseline that will help you and your provider make future health care decisions. Having regular checkups can reveal changes in your health that should be addressed, from increases in your weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure to a suspicious growth that may need follow-up from a specialist.

2. Discuss what screenings you might need. The annual wellness exam is a good time to talk about what screenings might be right for you, such as blood pressure, cholesterol, colonoscopy, mammogram, diabetes or osteoporosis screenings. An evaluation of your mental health is also important. The yearly checkup also is the perfect opportunity to make sure you are up to date with your vaccinations, such as for flu, pneumonia, and shingles.

3. Set your health goals and work with your provider to accomplish them. Your provider can play an important role in helping you set and achieve your health goals. Whether your goal is to lose weight, stop smoking or address a mental health concern, your provider is your personal care partner and can help you come up with a plan. Your mental health is as important as your physical health so make sure to bring up any concern you might have. Setting personal health goals is an important part of planning for your future.

4. Develop a strong relationship with your provider. Fostering and maintaining an open, honest relationship with your primary care provider is essential to main-taining your good health. People who have a good rapport with their providers are more likely to go see them, be honest with them, and listen to their advice. It’s important to talk openly with your provider so that he or she can personalize your care.

5. Educate yourself. Use your annual exam to ask questions about your health and learn more about your body and what you should be aware of. The more you know, the better you’ll be able to identify any possible warning signs in the future. Your provider is your best resource for learning new ways to live a longer, healthier life and improve your health.

What your annual checkup should include: During your annual checkup, your provider will review your past health history, evaluate your current health, and schedule appropriate screening tests.

For men and women, an adult annual checkup should include a review and update of:

• Your medical history

• Your family history, if necessary

• Your medication list and allergies

• Your vaccination and screening test history Men and women are typically screened for:

• High blood pressure

• Obesity, based on your body mass index (BMI)

• Alcohol and drug misuse

• Tobacco use

• Depression

• HIV screening for adults ages 15 to 65 and anyone at high risk

• Hepatitis C for anyone born between 1945 and 1965

• Type 2 diabetes for anyone with risk factors or a family history

• Correctol cancer starting at age 50 Additional screening tests for women include:

• Intimate partner violence screening for women of childbearing age

• A mammogram for breast cancer screening, between ages 40 and 74

• A Pap smear for cervical cancer screening, between ages 21 and 65

• High cholesterol screening starting at age 45

• Osteoporosis screening starting at age 65 Additional screening tests for men include:

• Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening, from ages 65 to 75 with a smoking history

• A prostate cancer screening starting at age 50 for men with average risk and 45 for those at high risk

• High cholesterol screening, starting at age 35 Making time to see your provider at least once each year can keep you healthy and reduce your chance of serious health conditions down the road, by catching the early warning signs. Early treatment of these health conditions increases the odds of a good outcome and regular monitoring of existing health issues can lower the risk of worsening symptoms or severe complications.

Physicians provide clinical services as members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Scott & White Health’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and do not provide clinical services as employees or agents of those medical centers or Baylor Scott & White Health. Baylor Scott & White Clinic in San Saba hours are 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. The clinic also offers video visits through the MyBSW Health app.