Annual Exams for Adults

As a kid, your parents and doctor made sure you kept up with your annual exams and immunizations, as adults, we often forget or don’t have time to make that same commitment to your health. As we age, there are screenings and immunizations we need to help keep us as healthy as possible. Why not make, this year, the year to invest in your health and make it one of your top priorities.

Jeffrey Saniuk, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, nurse practitioner with UT Health Austin’s Walk-In Clinic, spoke with KXAN about the importance of adult annual exams, what screenings and immunizations most people should have and why it’s important to establish a relationship with your doctor or clinician.

Video Transcription:

New year, new resolutions and many people across the country are making their health a top priority this year. January is the time to get started on the path to a healthy 2019. So, here to talk about the importance of annual exams for adults is Jeff Saniuk this morning. Jeff, thanks for joining us. Jeff is a nurse practitioner at UT Health Austin Walk-In clinic. Jeff, it’s really important, I think as kids, we go to those regular check-ups, we’re always at the doctor it seems like, then adults kind of seem to fall off the wagon. Why is it so important for adults to, you know, keep up on their annual exams?

I mean, that’s a great question and to your point for a lot of adults it’s been a while since they’ve been in. So, first just going in for the first time, but then annually as well is a good idea because we do a lot in those visits, we examine your health habits and how those could impact your health. We talk about your symptoms and things you’re feeling and things you may not even know you’re feeling that could indicate various health issues. You know we do thorough physical exams and check your body from head to toe. Then using all of that information, we look at the latest recommendations, and screenings available to see what would best be recommended for you.

And what screenings and immunizations should adults be making sure to get?

That’s a great question. It really depends on a lot of factors, such as your age or gender and family history. Some common ones you probably know about such as your annual flu shot, or when you get a cut sometimes you may need to come in for a tetanus shot. But other things are important as well, like mammography breast cancer screening, colorectal cancer screening is another one. So there’s a lot out there.

All things, you’ll tip your patients of. Why is it important that you don’t just go from doctor to doctor, that you really establish a relationship with a physician?

That’s a great question too. You know a lot of it is that relationship. It starts with just building that comfort level with a provider and that in turn let’s you, we have found, be a lot more honest and open about your health issues. But also, just having someone who knows you, knows your previous health issues that has your records and can monitor you and detect those more nuanced changes going forward because they know you so well. And practically too, if you have that relationship and you keep going to the same provider a lot of times it is easier to get in when you them for, let’s say, an acute urgent issue because you already have that relationship.

Jeff, thank you so much. Good tips that will hopefully help people get those resolutions out on the right track. Go to your doctor and get your yearly exams.

And if people would like to make an appointment, our number is 1-833-UT-CARES or they could go to uthealthaustin.org

UT Health Austin’s Walk-In Clinic diagnosis, treats, and manages a wide range of minor illnesses and injuries, from cold and flu to allergies, cuts, and broken bones as well as provides adult annual exams, screenings, and vaccinations, including catch-up immunizations. Our quick and convenient care is delivered in a timely fashion, and we offer health education tools to help you develop healthier habits.

For more information about the services offered through the Walk-In Clinic, please call 1-833-UT-CARES (1-833-882-2737) or visit here.

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Resources:

• Preventive Care Health Screenings for Adults (PDF)
• Centers for Disease Control: CDC Preventive Care
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Recommendations