What is an Annual Physical Exam?

Do you remember the last time you went to the doctor’s office for a check up? The common answer is no because you think why would you need to see the doctor if you feel fine? An annual physical exam is a crucial part of maintaining your long-term health and is often termed a preventive exam (PE) to manage and control risk factors through screenings to reduce the risk of more severe conditions.  

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What to expect during your annual physical:

Vitals:

Once you schedule your appointment and enter the doctor’s office, you will be greeted by the front desk staff in which they will check your insurance. The medical assistant or nurse will escort you in and take your vitals, which include your blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, and respiration. They will also take your weight, height, and blood oxygen levels. These values may differ for everyone based on age, weight, gender, and health. However, major deviations from some established values are a reason for concern. The standard body temperature is 97.7-99.5℉. The normal blood pressure values are 120 or below systolic and 80 or below diastolic (it will look like 120/80 on the blood pressure monitor). A normal resting pulse rate value is 60-100 beats per minute. A normal respiration rate is 12-18 breaths per minute. Although these may be standard, please consult with your doctor to determine what values apply to you.

History Taking:

After taking your vitals, the medical assistant or nurse will ask if you have any complaints or concerns about your health. They will also update your history with any current medications you’re taking, and your social history, including drinking/smoking status, sexual health, and exercise habits. Some clinics may screen you for depression with a 9 question quantitative screening (PHQ-9) and also for anxiety disorder (GAD-7). 

Physical Exam:

The doctor will take a look at your chart to determine if your vitals are within normal range and if you are maintaining good health habits. They will go over any pre-existing conditions and address any concerns you have, whether it is arm pain, headaches, or general discomfort. 

The examination may consist of a heart exam, where the doctor will listen to your heart with a stethoscope for any irregular heart sounds. They may also listen to your lungs for crackles or wheezing, indicating an underlying lung or heart condition. They might ask you to open your mouth to check your teeth, gums, throat and tonsils. 

A more thorough doctor may assess your lymph nodes, abdomen, extremities to determine any abnormalities. 

Some quick tests can be done directly at the clinic, including blood glucose checks, simple urine tests, nebulizer treatments, and even COVID-19 tests at some clinics. For those with pre-existing conditions including diabetes and heart conditions, the doctor will often order an on-site EKG to be done to determine any heart rhythm irregularities, including latent coronary artery disease.

Additional screenings may be ordered for you to do at a radiology center including x rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds to help with diagnosis of any possible conditions. 

Male Physical Exam:

The male physical exam may also include a testicular exam where the doctor will feel for any lumps, tenderness, or changes in size which can be a sign of testicular cancer. The doctor may ask you to turn your head and cough to feel if you have a hernia, or a bulging of tissue. The doctor may also examine your penis for any bumps, blisters, and sores indicative of sexually transmitted disease. A prostate exam may also be done by inserting a finger in the rectum to determine any abnormalities of your prostate.

Female Physical Exam:

If you are a female age 21 or older, it is recommended to do a pap smear to screen for cervical cancer. A pap smear can be done during your annual physical or scheduled for a later date based on the clinic’s guidelines. The pap smear is usually painless and is a quick process where the doctor will insert a speculum into the vagina to hold the vaginal walls open and then brush with a swab over the cervix to collect a sample for analysis in the lab. Additionally, a breast exam can check for abnormal lumps, pain, or discharge, that may indicate breast cancer. Females ages 40+ are recommended to complete an annual mammogram, which is an x-ray of the breast to detect breast cancer. 

After your physical exam

When the doctor is done with the physical exam, the nurse will assist you with any orders the doctor has placed. The doctor may order a comprehensive set of blood tests for you, which can test for blood count levels, cholesterol levels, sugar levels, STD status, thyroid function, liver function, and kidney function. These tests are crucial in determining if you have any diseases like diabetes or hyperlipidemia, and also monitor any pre-existing conditions. These tests can be done at some clinics with blood taken from your vein by a needle and sent to a laboratory in blood specimen tubes for analysis. You will also be directed to complete any imaging tests at various radiology centers. Any medication prescribed will be available for pickup at the pharmacy of your choice and referrals to specialists will be either sent to you by mail or directly given to you at the clinic. You can expect to have a follow up visit scheduled with your doctor in 1-2 weeks for your blood results.

With this, your visit is complete and you are left with either a peace of mind of no medical conditions, or a more proactive sense to manage your health for the better.

Source:

https://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/prevguid/p0000109/p0000109.asp