When was the last time you checked in on your physical health? Even if you feel healthy, an underlying medical condition has the potential to affect your well-being; catching it early in its development could make a profound difference. However, you often won’t know about such issues until you talk to a healthcare professional. Scheduling a routine physical exam with your primary care provider can help you gain a clearer understanding of your health and give you the information you need to improve it before serious problems arise.
What Is a Physical Exam?
Physical exams are also commonly referred to as checkups or physicals. During these routine visits, your primary care provider assesses your current health through a series of tests, screenings, and observations; for example, your provider may use a stethoscope to check your cardiopulmonary health or have you perform a series of simple exercises to measure your strength, balance, and reflexes.
Why Are Physical Exams Important?
Your annual physical exam gives your provider a chance to not only ensure you’re healthy, but also a chance to gain a comprehensive understanding of your well-being and provide tips on how to improve your current condition. This means gaining a complete understanding of the entire body through exams such as:
- Abdominal exams
- Dermatological (skin) exams
- Head and neck exams
- Heart exams
- Lung exams
- Neurological exams
Your annual physical may also include examinations specific to your biological sex. For men, this could include testicular and prostate exams, while women may expect breast and pelvic exams.
During your physical, you’ll have an opportunity to discuss any previous or ongoing health concerns, or any considerations for your health in the future. Providers can address lingering or chronic issues and update your medical information and family history while also taking the opportunity to recommend new treatments or lifestyle changes based on this new information.
Regular screenings are also a key part of your physical and can help your care team detect and prevent health issues before they become more serious. These screenings may include:
- Blood pressure screenings — A regular part of most provider visits, a blood pressure screening can spot issues like hypertension, often called “the silent killer” because of its lack of symptoms.
- Lipid panel (cholesterol screenings) — Your provider may order a blood panel to analyze your blood cholesterol level.
- Blood glucose screening — This test is used to measure the amount of sugar, or glucose, in your blood, which could be an indicator of diabetes or prediabetes.
You may also receive scheduled vaccinations and immunizations during this time, including vaccines for COVID-19, flu, hepatitis B, HPV, pneumonia, shingles, and Tdap. Your provider can also offer education and counseling to provide you with a better understanding of your own health and what you can do to keep yourself healthy. Overall, it is beneficial to make regular physical exams a priority.
Get the full story on your well-being today. Contact your provider at Warner Hospital today or call (217) 935-9571 for more information.
