You see your doctor’s office phone number calling, and you know it’s a confirmation for your next visit. While it might be tempting to cancel your annual physical or wellness exam, or to not schedule one at all, you may want to reconsider. Having an annual physical and wellness exam is crucially important to your overall health.

Be Proactive About Your Health

Consistency is a habit you must develop when it comes to your health. To develop good health habits, you should be consistent about going to your annual wellness exams. If you skip an exam one year, odds are, you will skip it the next year, and the next, all the while building up your fear that something may be wrong. Avoiding your doctor does not prevent illness from occurring; it only puts you in a reactive and weakened position.

It is risky to wait for your health problems to happen and deal with it then. For example, do not wait until your sunspot is cancerous to treat it. See your doctor, undergo an exam, and give yourself the best chance possible to catch the signs before they become a problem.

Your Body Changes Over Time

Unlike seeing an old friend after a long period of time, you don’t notice changes when you address your health on a day-to-day basis. However, looking at your health from year to year can offer overall insights you may not be able to realize yourself. It is also a more reasonable method to evaluate your health on a yearly basis, if you are not in need of daily care.

Additionally, factors such as weight gain or loss, dizziness, memory loss, unexpected and new aches or pains, frequent small illnesses or infections, new spots on the skin, feelings of tiredness, and so on, should all be evaluated and considered. These changes can bring about new symptoms, or indicate a predisposition to a problem you may not realize you have.

It can be costly over the long term

Medical costs for check-ups are less expensive than having to undergo treatments that could have been avoided in the first place. Have you ever left a cavity or toothache untreated until it had to be a root canal, or worse, a tooth extraction? Your overall health is just like that. Address your cholesterol levels today, save an emergency room trip tomorrow.