No matter how old you are, it’s always wise to visit your doctor once a year for a yearly medical check up. During this annual physical examination, your primary care doctor can determine whether or not you’re in good health through testing and physically examining your body.
In some cases, you may go for a physical exam and your doctor discovers that you’re suffering from a physical issue. Maybe you’re having a hard time hearing, or you have a sore throat, or your allergies are acting up. In this situation, your general practitioner will recommend visiting the best audiologists Parker CO has to offer for further examination. Or if you live in a different community, your GP will tell you to schedule an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat doctor to get specialized treatments.
Remember, medicine is improving and it will continue to get better as time goes on. Things like remote patient monitoring (RPM) and other technological advances make it possible for your doctor to monitor your health progress from the comfort of your own home.
With that in mind, we’ll look closer at certain things to expect during your yearly checkup right now.
The Basics of an Annual Physical Exam
When you go in for a yearly checkup your doctor is going to look you over and provide a routine physical to start with. Hopefully they’ll determine that you’re in perfect health and it will not need to go any further.
During your annual exam, your doctor is going to go over your history and ask you about any particular complaints. If you use alcohol excessively, do not exercise, follow a poor diet, abuse alcohol, and smoke cigarettes, your doctor will keep these factors in mind and perform tests based on this information to make sure you’re maintaining good health.
Checking your vital signs is another important part of the yearly checkup. Your doctor will take your blood pressure and hopefully, it’s at 120/80 or less. Otherwise, you’re going to have hypertension and you’ll need to start taking blood pressure medication.
Next, your doctor will also check your heart rate. If your heart beats consistently between 1600 bpm, your heart rate will remain in a normal range. Third, the doctor will take your temperature and determine if you are at a perfect 98.6°. Your resting temperature can be slightly lower or higher, but ultimately it needs to be in this range.
Finally, your doctor is going to check your respiration rate. The average adult takes 12 to 16 breaths per minute, which is perfectly normal. You may have a heart or lung problem if you breathe 20 times per minute or more and the doctor will address this if necessary.
Ultimately, the doctor is going to look over the basics to make sure you are healthy. If not, he or she may recommend flourishing through healthy living by eating better, cutting back on your bad habits, exercising more, and ultimately leading a healthier lifestyle. Besides this exam, be sure to go for regular dental check-ups and fix painful oral issues with the Dentist in Modesto to keep your pearly whites healthy.
Other Basics during a Yearly Check-Up
Your doctor will check other areas during your annual exam. He or she will provide a neurological exam, a dermatological exam, an extremities exam, a head and neck exam, a lung exam, and a heart exam when needed.
If you generally look like you’re suffering from malaise or you look overtired, or your skin looks unhealthy, or you’re having a tough time standing or walking, your doctor will perform tests to determine why your general appearance doesn’t seem right.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, the doctor will perform a battery of basic tests during your yearly check up. If you’re a man, he or she may even perform a prostate exam, a penis exam, a hernia exam, and/or a testicular exam. And if you are a female, the doctor might perform a pelvic exam and/or a breast exam. So keep this in mind when scheduling your yearly check up and examination with your general practitioner because this is how you will find out if you’re still maintaining good health.
