3 reasons to get your annual checkup—especially during a pandemic

Primary care and preventive care are always important — but even more so during a pandemic. Other illnesses, health concerns and ailments haven’t gone away as a result of COVID-19. 

Keeping yourself safe from COVID-19 should not, and doesn’t have to, happen at the expense of your non-COVID-19 related health. 

Checkups are an easy and essential way to ensure you take care of your whole self. Getting care such as immunizations, annual physicals, bloodwork, and more give you peace of mind that you are healthy and well.

Here are three reasons everyone—of every age—should get an annual checkup.

1. Ensure your health today. 

• Seek care for any nagging or new issues that have appeared, especially since the onset of the pandemic.
• Talk with your provider about any chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis. Without regularly scheduled appointments, it’s much more difficult to properly manage them.

2. Promote good health in the near future.

• Screenings via imaging, bloodwork and lab tests can catch serious diagnoses such as cancer, osteoporosis and other diseases at the most treatable stage. If you're due for a new or routine screening, it's important that you not put it off. 
• Vaccines and immunizations done during or after a checkup can help significantly reduce your chances of getting sick with a number of preventable illnesses, from the flu, measles, mumps, and whooping cough to tetanus, polio, shingles, pneumonia and more.

3. Lay the groundwork for long-term health.

• Discuss with your provider your personal and family health history to determine what you can or should be doing today to reduce your risks for health concerns. 
• Ask your provider for things to keep in mind as you get older and what you can do to prevent or forestall joint pain, weakening eyesight, hearing loss, incontinence or other problems that sometimes come with age.

Many checkups can be done from the comfort and convenience of your own home using video visits. 

If you do require an in-person visit, you can be assured that our medical facilities are going above and beyond to keep you safe and healthy. Learn what to expect for in-person visits at PeaceHealth. Download this checklist for your visit.

Schedule a checkup to ensure you check all the boxes needed to keep yourself and your family healthy.