Annual Exams

Annual exams help you improve your health and well-being so you can stay active and enjoy your life. At Anibal Avila M.D. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, experienced internal medicine specialist Anibal Avila, MD, offers yearly checkups to help patients detect and treat medical problems early while learning effective strategies to improve their whole-person health. The practice emphasizes compassion, respect, faith, family, and ethical care, making Anibal Avila M.D. the top option for primary care among the Oklahoma City community. Book your appointment online or call the office today. 

What are annual exams?

Annual exams are yearly checkups with your medical provider. As an internal medicine practice, Anibal Avila M.D. focuses on primary care throughout the adult lifespan. Annual exams are one of the bedrocks of that care. 

What happens during annual exams?

Annual exams check you out from head to toe. Dr. Avila takes a complete medical history to start. As your primary care provider, he already has your medical records, so the focus is primarily on new developments since your last exam.

During the physical exam, Dr. Avila checks many areas, including:

• Heartbeat
• Breathing
• Abdomen
• Muscle strength
• Reflexes
• Balance
• Eyes
• Ears
• Nose 
• Throat

Dr. Avila compares your recent health to your health history to identify potential issues and considers your current health, age, and risk factors to determine what kind of tests you might need.  

Tests commonly include complete blood count, blood chemistry panel, and urinalysis to check for high cholesterol, diabetes, and many other issues.

You may also need tests like X-rays or ankle-brachial index (ABI). Because the practice has all the equipment on-site, you can get many test results that same day. 

Dr. Avila may order colon cancer screening, osteoporosis screening, breast cancer screening, and other specific tests as needed. 

You can get any vaccinations you need, such as flu shots also. Geriatric care patients often need specific vaccinations too. 

Dr. Avila reviews your prescription medications and makes any necessary changes. If you need a new treatment, for example, male hormone replacement, he explains your options and helps you get started.

Why are annual exams so important?

It might be tempting to skip annual exams because you’re not sick. But that’s the focus of annual exams: keeping you that way. Dr. Avila uses annual exams as an opportunity to look for potential health issues that haven’t caused symptoms yet. 

He then explains your risk factors and creates a plan to redirect negative trends. For example, weight loss, exercise, and lifestyle changes can help prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other serious conditions. 

Yearly checkups are more important than ever as you age. Elderly patients have an increased risk of both physical and mental conditions, but annual exams help you prevent the issues while there’s still time to do so. 

Call Anibal Avila M.D. or click the online booking link to make your appointment now.