Right now is a pivotal moment in world history, to say the least. COVID-19 has gone and wrecked half of 2020 so far, and there seems to be no end in sight.
Pair a pandemic with the regular stressors of life, and it can be a bit overwhelming. We completely understand this. However, you still need to keep up with your regular health checkups to make sure everything is in order.
Start With Your Family Doctor
When we say a health checkup, we mean your annual visit to the doctor, usually where you get a physical. This annual exam allows for you to recount to your family physician what’s happened in regards to your health.
The main benefit of getting an annual checkup is that you can catch things early on or before they happen. This allows you to take steps toward living a longer, fuller, happier life.
Some of the things you would want to discuss at this checkup, especially if you rarely go to the doctor or haven’t been in quite a while, include:
Any surgeries that have happened.
New family history.
Updated contact information.
New physicians in specialized areas such as urologists, OBGYNs, therapists, etc.
Big life events.
Many medical professionals, like us here at Norman Urology, truly care about our patients and want to know things are going alright outside of just what we take care of you for. Now is the time to tell us everything you can because this allows us to understand you better and therefore care for you better.
You also want to chat about any current things that are happening with your body that might be important. When it comes to medicine, no symptom is too small so even if you don’t think it’s important, now is the time to say something.
The easiest way to figure out if there’s anything you should mention to your doctor is to do a personal body check. Start with the top of your head and move your way down to identify if anything has changed physically.
If you’re a man, you could look for skin lesions, lumps in the prostate, lack of penial function, rashes, achiness, or soreness. As a woman, you could look for the same things but instead, do a breast exam and identify if there are any new lumps.
Not Just Physical
Although physical checkups are important, mental health checkups are just as important. It easily can be something that is dismissed by many people, which is how problems arise.
Mental health is our mental, emotional and social wellbeing. Mental health includes a lot of factors, including how well you deal with stress, your mood and how you respond to the environment around you.
It’s perfectly normal in a time like this not to feel like yourself. The first step is to acknowledge this and then find a solution to start making you feel better.
Try to identify some of the signs that might indicate you have a mental health problem, such as:
High levels of anxiety.
Loss of ability to deal with stress.
Hypersensitivity to topics.
Nightmares.
Loss or gain of appetite.
Low energy.
Sleep schedule changes.
There are many signs that you might be struggling in certain areas of your mental health. Because mental health and physical health are so closely linked, anything having to do with your mental health you can tell your family doctor as well. They’ll be able to recommend someone who can help you.
We’re Here for You
Despite the current circumstances, Norman Urology still is operating as usual with the added benefit of telehealth for all of our clients both new and old.
If you feel like you need to schedule a checkup with us, reach out on our website today to schedule an appointment. We will remain diligent in being flexible for all of our patients.