They say “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”—and the old adage is most directly applicable to your health. If you’ve been searching for “where to get a physical near me,” then you’re already thinking in the right direction. Regular physical exams are essential to preventative healthcare and offer a smart way to protect your long-term health. They could even play a key role in avoiding chronic diseases.
At East Adams Rural Healthcare, we make it easy for you and your family to access preventative care like physicals through our family doctors, walk-in clinic, and mobile clinic. If you are trying to stay on top of your health, here’s how a physical could help you catch minor issues before they become something much more serious.
What Happens During a Physical Exam?
A physical exam is your yearly opportunity to check in with your healthcare provider. It’s a chance to talk about how you’re feeling, update your medical history, and review any new health concerns with a professional.
During your visit, your doctor may:
- Take your vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature
- Review your medical and family history
- Check your weight and BMI (body mass index)
- Perform a general physical assessment
- Order lab tests, such as blood sugar or cholesterol panels
- Provide age-appropriate screenings
- Offer vaccinations or preventive treatments
Your provider may also ask about certain lifestyle factors, such as nutrition, exercise, sleep habits, and mental well-being. These conversations can help them identify any patterns that may lead to chronic illness and help you make adjustments before that happens.
How Regular Physicals Help Prevent Chronic Illness
While you may feel perfectly fine, chronic diseases can develop quietly over time without causing any noticeable symptoms. A professional physical exam is the best way to identify warning signs before they become symptoms that affect your daily life. This is why annual checkups are so crucial to your health.
Regular physical exams can help detect and manage conditions like:
- Hypertension: Often called a silent killer, hypertension (also known as high blood pressure) has no symptoms until it causes damage. A routine physical is the best way to spot the problem early on.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Early signs might not be obvious, but a simple blood test done during your annual exam can identify elevated blood sugar before diabetes develops.
- Heart disease: Besides checking cholesterol and blood pressure, your doctor can consider your lifestyle and family history to determine your risk for developing this chronic condition.
- Obesity: Tracking your weight and lifestyle habits over time can help prevent obesity and associated conditions like joint pain, diabetes, and heart disease.
- High cholesterol: High amounts of LDL can lead to heart disease over time. Regular cholesterol checks during a physical can guide dietary or medication changes.
Where to Get a Physical in Adams County
Preventative care, like a regular physical exam, is vital to your health, but it’s not always easy to fit into your schedule. That’s why EARH offers several options to help make getting to a routine physical easier for Adams County residents. You can get a physical for school, work, or as a part of your regular healthcare routine at:
- An appointment with a family doctor: If you’re already established with one of our doctors, you can give us a call to schedule your annual exam.
- The EARH Walk-In Clinic: You can stop by our walk-in clinic without an appointment and get a physical for school, work, or even just for your peace of mind.
- The EARH Mobile Clinic: Our mobile clinic brings quality care closer to home for residents outside of Ritzville! Call us to find out when we’ll next be in your area.
You don’t have to wait for symptoms to start taking your health seriously. Take charge of your well-being by making time for a physical exam. You can call our office, visit one of our clinics, or even schedule an appointment online. We look forward to serving you!
