Are You Nervous About Your Routine Preventative Exam? 3 Tips To Handle The Discovery Of A Health Concern
Posted on: 28 November 2018
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Anxiety is a common emotional response to an upcoming physical exam. After all, a year usually passes between these exams, and you may be worried about something being found that you are not expecting. Although you cannot always control what happens during a doctor's visit, being prepared to handle a difficult situation helps to ease anxiety symptoms. As you prepare for this year's routine preventative exam, you can use these tips to feel confident that you are ready to handle any news you receive.
Know What Screenings to Expect Before You Go
Routine preventative exam services vary according to your age, lifestyle and current state of health. For instance, young children tend to receive vaccinations and general well checks during their annual exams. Older teen and adult women may receive breast and cervical cancer screenings, while people with certain risk factors are screened for diabetes and high cholesterol. When you schedule your appointment, ask what to expect. This helps you to avoid worrying about a test that you won't actually receive while giving you a way to prepare for a potential concern that could arise.
Remember That Early Discovery Provides the Best Prognosis
Occasionally, a potential issue is found during a routine physical exam. For instance, your physician may notice a suspicious mole on your skin, or your blood sugar test could reveal that you may have diabetes. As upsetting as news such as this may be, it is important to avoid panicking. The ultimate goal of preventative exams is to identify these problems early, and getting these tests done gives you the best chance of starting a treatment before things are out of control. For example, you may only need to make a few diet and exercise changes to address an early diabetes diagnosis.
Find Out What You Need to Do to Follow Up
Concerns found during a preventive exam often need to be followed up on to find out if they warrant further treatment. Be sure to ask your physician what you need to do next to identify if a concern is linked to a serious health condition, and follow through with any recommendations for additional testing. If necessary, write down your physician's instructions or ask for a print out of your follow up plan so that you know what to do next to preserve your health.
The majority of people get a little nervous about yearly exams, but you also don't want to spend your time worrying about something that might not happen. Make sure to let your physician know about any anxiety that you feel so that they can help you relax as you wait for your screening results.
Contact a center like Rapid Response Urgent Care to learn more.