Annual Physicals

Annual physicals are the foundation of preventive health care, identifying early warning signs of developing health risks before your body suffers irreversible damage. At Dr. Bamba’s Health and Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland, N’Dama Bamba, MD, MPH, offers comprehensive annual physicals for adults. Call Dr. Bamba’s Health and Medical Center to learn more about the benefits of having an annual physical or schedule a consultation online today.

What are annual physicals?

Annual physicals are routine medical checkups. They are an essential part of the preventive medicine service that Dr. Bamba’s Health and Medical Center provides.

Your annual physical enables Dr. Bamba to evaluate your disease risk factors and identify disorders before you develop symptoms. Treating conditions like high blood pressure (hypertension), high cholesterol, diabetes, and cancer in the early stages prevents them from worsening. It can even reverse some chronic diseases.

Many conditions can cause irreversible damage if you wait until you experience symptoms before seeking medical advice. For example, high cholesterol and hypertension cause no symptoms, so you won’t know you have them. However, they are the leading causes of life-threatening strokes and heart attacks.

Identifying cancer early also makes a considerable difference to your likely outcomes. Treating advanced cancer is difficult, painful, and debilitating and may not end positively. Early intervention using cancer screening tests ensures you get treated well in advance when it’s more effective and less distressing.

What happens at my annual physical?

Dr. Bamba plans each patient’s annual physical to meet their specific needs, such as existing diseases and age-related issues. However, the basics are the same for all physicals.

Dr. Bamba begins by discussing your health and any current problems. She checks your medical history and prescription drug list and then performs a physical exam. First, she goes through your main health indicators, including:

• Temperature
• Heart rate 
• Blood pressure
• Blood oxygen levels
• Respiration (breathing) rate
• Heart and lung sounds
• Reflexes

Dr. Bamba examines your joints, feels your abdomen, and inspects your skin, feet, eyes, ears, and throat. She’s looking for abnormalities like lumps, skin lesions, and pain. During your physical exam, Dr. Bamba also evaluates your freedom of movement, balance, mental health, and other aspects of your overall well-being.

Annual physicals typically include lab services as well, such as blood tests and cancer screenings.

What’s the likely outcome of my annual physical exam?

Following your annual physical, Dr. Bamba prepares a treatment plan where necessary, starting with lifestyle changes that improve health and reduce disease risk. Common recommendations include:

• Weight loss
• Exercising more
• Dietary changes
• Improved sleep quality
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing alcohol consumption

If Dr. Bamba finds anything concerning during your physical or from the lab test results, she arranges further tests or refers you to a specialist.

Call Dr. Bamba’s Health and Medical Center to learn how annual physicals help you live a longer, healthier life. You can also use the online booking form to request a consultation at any time.