Wellness Visits

What’s involved in a wellness visit?

A wellness visit is a yearly appointment that allows a doctor to evaluate your physical and mental health. During a wellness visit, the team discusses your health history, including the medications you take and any conditions you currently have or have had.

Preventive care is a primary focus of the wellness visit, allowing the team to check your health for issues early on, which can prevent complications and severe health issues down the road.

During a wellness visit, the team performs a physical exam after discussing your medical history. The physical exam includes the following parts:

• Blood pressure, pulse, and respirations
• Height and weight
• Heart and lung evaluation
• Vision and hearing tests
• Eyes, ears, nose, and throat screening
• Abdominal evaluation
• Skin checks
• Feet evaluation
• Mental health check-up
• Urine screening

The team also evaluates your sexual health and any concerns you have about anything on your body, including your mental health.

Why are wellness visits important?

Wellness visits are essential throughout your life to keep you up-to-date on your health. It allows you to keep track of your physical and mental well-being to stay ahead of dangerous chronic illnesses and to address any concerns that arise.

Preventive care is another essential aspect of wellness visits where the team addresses concerns that could prevent illness or disease. 

Vaccines are one of the ways the team offers preventive care during a wellness exam. They follow the CDC’s guidelines for vaccinations as you age, providing immunizations like the flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, and pneumonia shot for older adults.

Wellness visits also help you avoid chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. 

Are cancer screenings included in wellness visits?

Cancer screenings are another aspect of a wellness visit that gets more important as you age. These screenings allow the team to look for signs of cancer, even before you have any symptoms.

There are different forms of cancer screenings, which may involve blood or urine tests, imaging studies, and genetic screenings. These tests are an essential aspect in preventing or finding cancer early on.

The physical exam is another way the team screens for cancer. They evaluate the skin for any changes that could indicate melanoma and look for changes throughout the body that could signal a problem.

Call Puget Sound Medical Associates today to schedule a wellness visit or request a consultation on the website.