Physical Exams Specialist

What are the benefits of a physical exam?

A physical exam provides an important snapshot of your health. It's an opportunity to meet with your provider before you're sick or injured and allow them to evaluate your overall wellness. 

During a physical exam, your doctor can check in with you and your lifestyle to make sure it's supporting your optimal health and wellness goals. They can also identify any potential risk factors, like elevated blood sugar or high blood pressure, indicating a future health problem. 

A physical exam is also a time that your healthcare team advises you on routine screenings, like cholesterol tests, mammograms, or colonoscopies. These screenings detect issues that could cause considerable damage in the future if not treated early.

What happens during a physical exam?

At the start of a physical exam, a technician gathers basic information about your height, weight, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and body temperature. Your provider then reviews your health history and goes over any recent symptoms you may be experiencing. 

They evaluate your lung and heart function and check your skin for unusual spots or lesions that could indicate a skin condition. You'll have an evaluation of your ears, nose, and throat, as well as your thyroid. Your physician performs an abdominal exam and review of your neurological system by checking reflexes and motor functions.

Your doctor may order lab tests as part of your physical exam, including blood tests for cholesterol, blood sugar, and a metabolic panel. You may also have your urine analyzed for unusual proteins, which could signify an infection. 

Expect your doctor to ask questions about your lifestyle, including your exercise and dietary habits. They will review your use of alcohol and tobacco as well as other potentially risky behaviors. 

The team can offer guidance on healthy eating that supports good health and recommend supplements and other healthy lifestyle behaviors.

How does a regular physical exam help me?

Your healthcare team encourages annual physical exams as a way for you to keep tabs on your health and ensure that you've got the support you need to feel healthy and energetic. Their guidance helps you make meaningful changes to your lifestyle that reduce your risk of developing a chronic disease and boost your physical and mental health.

When it's time to schedule your physical exam, call Del Sol Centro Medico Familiar PLLC or use the online tool to book your appointment.