Regular Medical Checkups

People make appointment to see their doctor for many different reasons. Some only go to the doctor when they are experiencing a new problem and are looking for an immediate diagnosis or treatment. Others see their doctor at more regular intervals for maintenance checkups. For many people, however, the frequency of doctor’s office visits is not clear. Some people expect to have a yearly checkup, and others feel that a routine examination once every 2 or 3 years is sufficient.

The purposes of the periodic health examination are to find problems before they start, when your chances for treatment and cure are better; to identify risk factors for common chronic diseases; to detect disease that has no apparent symptoms; to promote healthy behaviour; to update clinical data since the last checkup.

Which exams and screenings you need depend on your age, health and family history, lifestyle choices such as what you eat, how active you are, and if you smoke. Your health care provider may refer you to a specialist physician for your examination. A procedure of medical checkup for both men and women is mostly typical.

First of all, the doctor will look through your medical history. Then your vital signs (height, weight, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate) will be recorded. Usually, blood and urine tests are ordered to check for things like cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Your clinician will also examine your skin for suspicious moles or growths, as skin cancer is very common nowadays. Its early detecting is a key to a successful treatment.

Eye examination to check vision, exposed blood vessels and the condition of the retina is inevitable part of the medical checkup as well. With the age our vision tends to get worse, helpful doctor’s advice may ease the situation.

The doctor will examine your ears for possible infections and wax build-up. They affect hearing causing much trouble.

Heart examination is a must of a maintenance checkup. Ordering an ECG (electrocardiogramme) and listening to your heart rate doctor may detect some heart defects and prescribe an appropriate treatment.

Palpation of the abdomen will help to identify any problems with, liver, bowels or spleen. Doctor will refer you to a surgeon or to a gastroenterologist if he suspects any problem.

Lymph node checking for abnormal swelling and tenderness helps to find out any hidden infections of respiratory system or even cancer.

Breathing test checks lung capacity which can be affected by smoking, asthma or other conditions, possibly chest X-ray may be performed, depending upon circumstances (for example, smoking or history of heart or lung diseases).

Scheduling medical appointments when you feel fine may seem like a waste of your time. But the old saying “prevention is better than cure” is very true. Regular medical checkups will pick up any potential problems, allowing you to take steps in either preventing them or beginning an early treatment. The vast majority of patients are usually completely satisfied with their medical care and are grateful to their doctor.

1. Why do many people make appointment to see their doctor?

2. How often do people visit a doctor for medical checkups?

3. What are the purposes of the periodic health examination ?

4. What does the patient’s list of necessary exams and screenings depend on?

5. Is a typical physical examination the same for both men and women?

6. What does the skin examination help to detect?

7. Why is eye examination an inevitable part of the medical checkup?

8. What specialist may the doctor refer you if he suspects any problems on abdomen palpating?

9. Does breathing test check lung capacity?

10. Why are regular medical checkups really necessary?

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Date: 2015-12-17; view: 1288