The Annual Physical Exam keeps you healthy throughout the year
Regardless of age, visiting a primary care doctor at least once a year can have a significant impact on your overall health and greatly improve your chances of diagnosing serious conditions early. Your PCP doctor will discuss health screenings that are appropriate for you based on your age, health conditions, and other risks such as family history of heart problems.
Wellness Check Up and Physical Exam
Wellness checks and physicals keep you and your doctor abreast with your medical history and renew your relationship. They can reveal early risk factors for disease or developing health conditions but mostly just provide reassurance that you are healthy. Wellness exams were initially performed on an annual basis. This may vary depending on your health condition.
At a wellness exam, your doctor will listen to your concerns and provide appropriate counseling based on a thorough history and physical examination. While reviewing your history during the process of physical exam in Sugar Land clinic, your doctor will discuss your concerns, symptoms, lifestyle, habits such as smoking or drinking or any changes in your personal or family history.
What’s Included In Physical Exam
Examination of Vital Signs
- Pulse rate and blood pressure.
- Breathing rate.
- Temperature of the body.
- A physical examination that detects issues with nails, skin, reflexes, as well as muscle strength.
- The examination of the lungs and heart with the help of a Stethoscope.
- Examining the throat and an ear, lymph nodes and the nose.
- There is an additional exam for men of the penis and testicles for any lumps or STD. The older men also need an exam for prostate cancer.
- Women undergo an additional exam of their pelvic and breast organs (vulva vagina, cervix) to look for lumps and infections.
Laboratory Tests During Annual Physical Exam
There aren’t any routine laboratory tests that are required in the annual exam. There are a variety of tests offered on the Buckhead Clinic.
- Complete blood count
- blood biochemistry
- Urinalysis
- cholesterol test for cholesterol
- blood sugar levels
- hepatitis C test
- Test for testosterone levels (for males)
- prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test (for men)
- HPV test and pap smear (for women)
- Mammography (for women)
- thyroid function tests to determine thyroid function. Test 3 thyroid hormones that are the main ones T3 free; free T4; and TSH
- electrocardiogram
Additionally, a doctor might order a test that determines your bone density, ultrasound as well as a CT scans of certain organs.
Annual Exam For Prevention and Screening
An annual physical exam for your physical provides an excellent time to review your focus on prevention and screening
- At the age of 50, it’s time get regular screenings of colorectal tumors. Anyone with family members who have colorectal cancer or other risk factors may require to undergo screening before the age of 50.
- Some women find that the age of 40 is the right moment to start regular mammograms to check in order to identify breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society recommends that women aged 40 to 44 are able to choose to get mammograms should they want to. Women aged 45-54 should have mammograms at least once a year. However, women over 55 are advised to have mammograms every two years, or they can continue to have annual screening. Women should consult with their doctor regarding when they should start and how often to have an exam for mammograms. Women must weigh the advantages and dangers of screening tests before choosing whether to start getting mammograms before the age of 40.
Annual Exam Typically Check For
This is your opportunity to discuss any concerns or complaints regarding your health. During this physical exam period, your health care provider at our Lifetime Primary Care Sugar Land will likely ask you questions about your habits that you engage in like smoking or drinking excessively eating habits, sexual health and exercising. Your doctor will also keep tabs the status of your vaccinations and update your family and personal medical background.
Vital Signs form an essential element of your physical exam.
- Blood pressure of less than 120, but more than 80, is considered to be a normal level of blood pressure. Doctors define the term hiigh blood pressure (Hypertension) as 130 or more than 80 or higher.
- Heart rate: Values ranging from 60-100 are thought to be normal. A lot of healthy people have heart rates that are lower than 60, but.
- Respiration rate: Between 12-16 minutes of breathing is typical for an adult who is healthy. Inhaling more frequently than 20 breaths in a minute could indicate issues with the lungs or heart.
- Temperature 98.6 Degrees Fahrenheit. This is an standard, but healthy people may have temperature levels that are slightly more or less.
Abdominal Examination. Your healthcare provider may employ a variety of techniques for examination, including tapping your abdomen to determine the size of your liver and the presence in abdominal fluids, listening to sound of bowel movements using the stethoscope and then palpating for tenderness.
Heart Exam. By listening to your heart using a an stethoscope, your doctor may detect an irregular heartbeat or heart murmur or other signs of heart disease.
A lung Check. Using a stethoscope an examiner is able to detect wheezes, cracks or breath sounds that are less frequent. These sounds, along with other ones, can indicate the presence of lung or heart disease.
head and neck Examination. Opening up and saying “ah” shows off your tonsils and throat. The condition of your gums and teeth can also provide information on the overall health of your body. Sinuses, ears, nasals eyelids and thyroid glands, lymph nodes and carotid arteries can be assessed.
Neurological Exam. Nerves, muscles strength as well as balance, reflexes and mental state can be evaluated.
Dermatological Examination. Skin and nail results may indicate some kind of dermatological issue or another disease within the body.
Personalized Annual Wellness Exams in Sugar Land
An examination of your vital signs including your blood pressure, heart rate, respiration and temperature is then performed. Your doctor will study your general appearance, skin texture and mental alertness. Your heart, lungs and abdomen are examined with a stethoscope and other tests. At Lifetime Primary care, your primary care physician also examines your head and neck and vision and performs a general musculoskeletal and neurological examination.
Men may undergo a genital examination as well as a hernia check and prostate exam. Women undergo breast and pelvic examinations.
Certain laboratory tests such as a blood count or urinalysis may be ordered on a routine basis. Further testing may be necessary depending on your medical history, examination, age and risk factors for disease. Screening for colorectal cancer is recommended after the age of 50 and women undergo periodic mammograms after the age of 40.
Your doctor will also review your vaccination schedule and discuss prevention of illness through exercise, diet, avoiding smoking and other healthy lifestyle changes.
Physical Exams For Women
If you make an appointment for your annual check-up with your doctor it’s a major step to take a proactive approach to your health. In this visit you’ll have the opportunity to ask your doctor questions and talk about women’s health issues that concern you.
The appointment also includes regular screenings. As a part of physical exam, our doctor will carry out an examination of the breasts that is clinical and an annual pelvic exam. They’ll also administer the Pap test if necessary. Exams and tests like these aid in keeping you well by identifying any health issues early.
At your annual check-up with your well-woman Your doctor will inquire about your mental and physical health. If you’re experiencing any health issues or concerns, your doctor will make treatments recommendations and recommend specialists.
There are a number of standard tests that are typically part of our annual Personalized Annual Wellness Exam:
- A review of your current medical concerns;
- An update of any family or social history that may impact your health;
- A comprehensive physical exam, including blood pressure assessment;
- Laboratory testing, including cholesterol panel and blood sugar; and
- A review of any additional recommended tests such as mammogram and colonoscopy.
Women should also have the following screenings:
- Pelvic exams;
- Breast exams;
- Pap smears, for early detection of cervical cancer; and
- HPV (genital human papillomavirus) screenings.
After the age of 40, men should consider annual prostate and colorectal exams for early detection of cancer.
Vaccines
At your Personalized Annual Wellness Exam, we will review your vaccination status. These are some important vaccines for adults that you may need:
- Td or TDap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis);
- Influenza;
- Shingles;
- Pneumovax and Prevnar 13;
- Hepatitis A & B;
- Meningococcal;
- Chicken Pox;
- MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella); and
- Travel vaccines – typhoid, yellow fever.
Staying Healthy
The goal of preventative medicine is to stop certain medical conditions from occurring, and to identify serious issues early on so that treating them can be more effective. The Personalized Annual Wellness Checkup and Physician Exam is a large part of this. Your doctor may discuss diet and exercise recommendations as part of your wellness plan. Visiting your doctor at least once a year is essential to staying healthy.
Your check-up with your doctor
We offer annual physical exam at Lifetime Primary Care Sugar Land and we look forward to discussing your concerns and helping you lead a healthy lifestyle. If you’re in search of someone to partner with you on your health journey and looking for annual wellness exam near me in Sugar Land. Please get in touch with us to make an appointment for the annual appointment for wellness. We’re looking forward to helping you.
tAnnual Physicals Q & A
Do I need a physical every year?
Yes! Annual physicals aren’t sick visits, these scheduled appointments are a time for you and your family physician to evaluate your overall health — from head to toe. Even if you have no complaints and continue to have normal exams and test results, you still require an annual check-up.
For instance, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for women and men in the United States and accounts for approximately one in four fatalities. This cardiac condition develops over time, not overnight, and can cause increased blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
What happens during an annual physical?
The team at LifeTime Primary Care tailors your annual physical to your overall health and other factors like age. If you have concerns, including bowel issues or chronic pain.
In most cases, annual physicals for you and your family include:
- Evaluations to determine body mass index (BMI)
- Blood pressure and pulse checks
- Lung function evaluations
- Laboratory blood or urine testing
- Head-to-toe physical evaluations
Annual physicals are also the best time to get caught up on essential vaccinations, including the flu shot. Or if your little one needs certain shots for school or sports, they can get these vaccines during their well-child physical.
How much does routine lab testing cost?
LifeTime Primary Care offers competitive and affordable pricing for annual physicals and essential laboratory testing. Here is a list of typical prices for some of the most common testing services. And most of the cases, it is covered by insurance.
Your insurance provider may cover some of the charges, and that could save you even more. The team makes sure you know about any additional costs involved in your comprehensive preventive care.
Schedule your annual physical at Lifetime, your Sugar Land Primary Care clinc by clicking on the online scheduler, or by calling the clinic. We are conveniently located at 16645 W Airport Blvd, Sugar Land, TX- 77498.
