Are you feeling something weird and you are not sure of what the problem is? Are you in the age where you need to visit your doctor more often than before? Do you have a complaint or a pain somewhere in your body which needs a professional diagnosis? Do you feel like you are out of shape due to a medical condition, disorder or a poor lifestyle? Are you over the age of 65 and are looking for professional medical advice? Have you had previous surgeries or are you under any medication for a previous illness or a chronic disease? If you answered yes to all these questions, you definitely have to seek professional medical advice so that a trusted professional will be able to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. You need to have a physical examination.
A complete physical examination is also a version of the general health check up. It is also beneficial to know about how the body functions healthily and what may happen if your digestive system or circulatory system is not healthy. To discuss the whole body and its normal functions would be an entirely different article, actually it won’t fit in just one article, and it will probably amount to an entire collection of encyclopedia once it is finished. A physical examination or a clinical examination is a process by which a doctor investigates the body for any signs of diseases or illnesses through a series of medical tests. Generally the medical industry has already formulated a series of tests that are to be conducted for a typical general physical examination. Doctors usually test the head first, down to the extremities.
What are the things you have to know before you go to a physical version of the general health check up?
- You have to know your family history of any illnesses- know the health background of all your close relatives. This should help your doctor identify or watch out for the symptoms he or she needs to watch out for. Your family history can tell if you are at risk for circulatory system diseases, cancer or diabetes. Medical advice could improve with this knowledge and can help to give you preventive measures.
- Find out if you are due for any specific vaccination or general screening- Based on your age, gender, family background, medical history, health and lifestyle, you need to have some general screening tests that may not be included in a general physical examination. Examples of these tests are mammogram, Pap smear test, colonoscopy, cancer screening, aids test, hearing test and so many more. Check with your health provider and inquire with them the vaccines and other tests that you may require.
- Write down ALL your health or bodily issues. This should be your health questionnaire. If you have noticed any slight change with your normal daily activities and routine, tell the doctor so they can have proper tests done and get a correct diagnoses or treatment for it. Have you had any physical change, like lumps or skin changes? Has your eating habits altered as well? Has your hours of sleep changed; are you depressed, are you having anxiety disorders? Have you been sleeping at all?
- If you have a medical condition or disorder and are taking some prescription drugs, it is good to have the list with you too. Your doctors and nurses will need all these information, even the drugs that you may have allergies with.
What are the different tests for the usual version of the general health examination?
- Vital Signs- Body Temperature, Blood pressure, Pulse Rate and your Respiratory rate, all these vary with age. Some sources even say that pupil size, equality and reaction to light to be a vital sign as well.
- Complete Blood Count or CBC- a blood count is used to rule out any bleeding problems, glucose levels to detect diabetes, thyroid function tests to rule out any thyroid disorder, and blood electrolyte counts, which can detect kidney problems and early heart problems. Your doctor may also check some additional labs depending on your personal and family history.
- Chemistry Panel- an excellent means that provides a high level evaluation of the body’s major organ functions including the heart, liver, kidney, gland, nerve, bone and muscle functions. An imbalance in any of these levels can suggest a wide variety of acute or chronic illnesses.
- Urinalysis- This is a diagnostic tool which can be used in the screening process to test the urine. It can usually detect any substances and cellular material that is associated with metabolic and kidney disorders. This can also tell if you have a urinary tract infection or other urinary diseases as well.
- Height and Weight- These are also measured and compared with your previous records. Any significant change with your height is usually an indication that you have a bone density problem that can lead to accelerated osteoporosis. A sudden drop or increase in weight may also pose as a symptom for a possible health disorder or condition.
General check up or annual physical examinations for men and women of varying age will also differ. The list I previously mentioned are the general ones, meaning these are the tests given to all females or males of all ages. Men will have further tests like prostate exam and women may have a mammogram, pap smear and pelvic exam, and have their bone density measured.
