Q: I am young and healthy. Why should I have an annual physical?
A: We often see patients in their 40s who are already dealing with chronic illnesses, in part because they didn’t see a doctor in their 20s and 30s – before they had specific health issues.
Having a physical exam every year allows your physician to monitor your health and work with you to develop a plan to help promote wellness. I recommend touching base with your physician once a year to help keep you on the right track. When you make slow and deliberate changes over time, you can head off weight gain, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, lessening your risk of developing conditions like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.
Eating wholesome foods, exercising every day and getting adequate rest are the foundation of a long and healthy life. Although these are simple suggestions, incorporating them into your daily routine can be challenging. That’s where developing a solid relationship with your physician can set you up to make better choices and hold you accountable.
Jenifer Herra, M.D., is an internal-medicine practitioner at CHI Memorial Family Practice Associates-Soddy-Daisy and a member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society.
Contributed Photo / Dr. Jenifer Herra