062118 SWB DIGITAL EDITION

20 x June 21 — July 4, 2018 x www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com
As the famous quote by Benjamin
Franklin goes, “An ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure,” which
is true for your annual physical
exam, as well. Most common medical
problems don’t present with any
symptoms until after a serious event
occurs, like a heart attack, stroke or
complications from diabetes. If your
blood pressure gradually increases,
you may not notice it, but having
high blood pressure is one of the major
risk factors for having a stroke.
Similarly, high cholesterol and heart
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MATTER OF HEALTH
The Importance of Annual Checkups
by Gary Visser, M.D., FAAFP
PremierMED Family & Sports Medicine
2940 Maguire Road, Suite 200, Ocoee, 407-581-9065 • www.premierfsm.com
disease may not develop any symptoms
until you have chest pain, when
blood flow to the heart has reduced
to a critical point. Diabetes, which
can cause increased thirst and urination,
is sometimes not found until
a complication develops, and the
sugar level is checked. Unlike an injury
that causes pain, these common
medical problems sometimes don’t
have any warning symptoms, which
is why getting an annual checkup is
so important.
Preventative medicine, or having
an annual medical checkup, may
help reduce the development of
these serious problems. During an
annual checkup, vital signs, such
as blood pressure, body mass index
and heart rate, are checked; a
physical exam is done; and, most of
the time, screening labs, too. Based
on your medical history and age,
certain vaccines also may be recommended.
If you’ve had chicken pox,
then you’re at risk of developing
shingles. One of the newer vaccines
indicated for adults 50 years and
older, called Shingrix, has recently
become available as another option
to help prevent this painful skin
rash. A tetanus shot should be done
every 10 years, unless you plan on
having a baby or will be around a
newborn. If that’s the case, the Tdap,
which is the tetanus shot plus the pertussis
vaccine, should be provided
as a booster. Other adult vaccines,
such as the pneumonia vaccine,
which is normally provided at age
65 unless there is a medical problem
that requires it earlier, would also be
reviewed during your annual preventative
visit.
Along with the common medical
problems that may not have any
warning signs until a significant event
occurs, cancer can also develop
without any symptoms. Breast, colon,
cervical, prostate and lung cancers
each have recommended screening
tests based on age, gender, family
history and if you smoke or have a
history of smoking. Your unique family
history should also be considered
to help decide if any extra testing
should be done. Other important
parts of a person’s health are diet
and exercise. The general guidelines
include a balanced diet and moderate
physical activity 150 minutes a
week, plus 75 minutes of vigorous
activity. However, each one of us is
different and may require a modified
activity level or a certain diet based
on the results of a physical exam.
The time is now to focus on an ounce
of prevention, so schedule your
annual medical checkup today. ª
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