Importance of an Annual Physical Exam

Your family doctor can advise you to get a physical exam every year as it is a crucial step in collecting health data. If your doctor does not recommend the procedure you could ask them yourself and you could get a physical exam in Fort Worth from expert family doctors near you. You could take the physical exam annually as it could act as an intervention and prevention for different health issues.

How Important is an Annual Physical Exam to Your Health

What Is a Physical Examination?

A physical exam is a wellness check that involves routine tests performed by a primary caregiver. The tests help know your health status and it does not necessarily need you to be sick to get the tests done. It is an opportunity for you to discuss with your caregiver any changes and possible health problems. The tests will be conducted at your primary care-givers office and depending on your age and medical history the primary caregiver could recommend additional tests. You can discuss any symptoms and pain with your doctor and get treated for any disease.

Why an Annual Physical Exam Is Necessary

Although you could think that you are in perfect health, your health status can only be determined by your caregiver. The physical exams could help.

  • The tests check for possible diseases and help you treat the conditions at an early stage thus helping you manage them effectively.
  • You could identify issues that could develop into medical concerns in the future and deal with them at the budding stage.
  • When getting a physical exam done you could update any necessary immunizations
  • It also helps you build a positive relationship with your primary caregiver
  • The examinations could help you develop an effective diet and exercise routine

What to Expect When Going for a Physical Exam

Your primary caregiver would ask about your health including all the medications you are taking, and all over-the-counter drugs and herbal supplements. You could tell your doctor all the symptoms and pain for adequate treatment of existing conditions. You could also reveal results from recent and relevant tests and any surgical history. You could reveal any devices like pacemakers, and you could show your doctor the copy of the device. If you have any health-related questions it could be better to ask them during your physical examination appointment.

How the Procedure Is Performed

  • The doctor will examine the body for any changes such as moles that were not recorded in the previous physical examination.
  • You could then lie down and allow the doctor to feel the abdomen and other body parts while inspecting for consistency, location, tenderness, and texture of individual body organs.
  • They could also use a stethoscope to listen to the heartbeat, lungs, and intestines.
  • The caregiver could then tap the body to discover fluids in areas where fluids should not be while locating borders between body organs.
  • Your doctor could then check your weight, height, pulse, and BMI

The Bottom Line

Even if you are in the best health it could help to get a physical exam that helps you get any underlying health conditions and treat them adequately. It could help to answer all the questions asked by your primary caregiver during the appointment to get the best from your physical exam appointment.