A wellness exam is precisely what it sounds like. It’s a check on your overall wellness. Most of the benefits of wellness exams hinge on the fact that they’re a way to catch potential issues at an early stage. Furthermore, this can make a huge difference to your treatment. Here is a quick guide on what to expect at a wellness exam and why it matters.
Height And Weight
Maintaining a healthy body weight is essential at all stages of life. Furthermore, being overweight can put excess strain on your body, particularly your heart and joints. Unfortunately, being underweight can be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
It’s also important to measure a person’s height. If an adult gets shorter, it could be a sign of a bone condition such as osteoporosis (brittle bones).
Blood Pressure
If your blood pressure is too high, then it creates extra work for your heart. On the other hand, if your blood pressure is too low, then your body may struggle to function effectively. Ultimately, this could leave you prone to tiredness, weakness, and fainting.
Visual Full-Body Scan
This is mainly to check for abnormalities such as moles, lesions, and lumps. Generally, these are completely benign and are nothing to worry about. It is, however, often advisable to have them checked anyway, just to be on the safe side.
Audio Check Of Heart And Lungs
Having a doctor listen to your heart and lungs can detect potential issues before you even become consciously aware of any symptoms.
Checks Key Body Areas For Abnormalities
A wellness exam will generally include a check of your abdomen, thyroid glands, and lymph nodes. It can often be very hard for people to connect the symptoms they are experiencing with problems in these areas. An internist, however, will know how to identify the signs of potential issues.
Checks Eyes And Ears
Regular medical internists are not experts in the eyes and ears. They can, however, undertake basic checks and refer you to a specialist if necessary. It’s essential to have your eyes and ears checked regularly as problems in these areas can often progress significantly before you notice meaningful symptoms.
Personalized Checks
Most wellness exams will include all of the above regardless of a person’s age, gender, or medical history. However, many wellness exams will also include additional tests based on certain factors.
Assesses Mental Wellness
Wellness exams typically focus on an individual’s physical health. Some wellness exams will, however, also assess the person’s mental health. This allows the doctor to make an onward referral if necessary.
A Question Session And Aftercare Advice
Almost all wellness sessions will give the individual a chance to ask questions. Specifically, this may be during the checkup process or afterward. Generally, it will be a combination of both. As a rule of thumb, doctors will answer questions on the checks as they are being performed. Additionally, they’ll then answer broader questions at the end of the exam.
Internists will also typically issue guidance on how individuals can take (better) care of their health!
Final Thoughts
We hope you are better able to understand how a wellness exam can be beneficial! If you are in need of a wellness exam, you have come to the right place! Aqeeq Internal Medicine is here to help with all of your medical needs. We are your local internist in Houston, Texas; we care about your needs and are happy to assist you in any way we can. To learn more about what we can do for you or your loved ones, call us today at 832-786-8195.