Check-up time! Early Detection of Serious Illnesses

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Every day working as a nurse at Kaiser Permanente, I have helped numerous of our members on their annual physical exam. How about you? Have you had your annual health check-up this year? Did you really do it? If you have a check-up one every year, do you actually know if it is completed? Do you understand the screening tests and examinations you have done? Most of you will answer “no” to at least one of these questions. What is a comprehensive annual physical exam? A comprehensive physical exam is a once-a-year routine screening being done for a general health check even if you feel healthy. It includes preventive health procedures such as mammogram, blood lipid profile, or a check for prostate cancer .The exams and screenings you need will depend on your age, family health history, and lifestyle choices including diet, physical activity level, smoking and drinking alcohol. Timely identification of health problems, which means no more excuses and to take an action to make an appointment with your doctor before it’s too late. Annual physical exams provide the early detection of serious illnesses, the prevention of expensive treatment, wellness maintenance and provide you a more complete picture of your overall health.
Why does everyone a needs regular physical exam? We need to have annual exam to provide early detection of serious illnesses. Why is early diagnosis important? Obtaining an early and accurate diagnosis is the key for any diseases to be cured or successfully managed. According to the National Cancer Institute, the sooner cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better a person’s chance for a full recovery. Often a doctor can find cancer in its infant stages during physical exams or with routine test even if a...

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