Your general practitioner is not only the medical professional to visit if you are feeling sick or suspect something is wrong. The GP is also the professional to visit for a routine or extensive medical check-up, whether it is because you want to take out life insurance or want to ensure you are healthy and not let a serious underlying condition slip, simply because you do not experience any obvious symptoms.
A physical examination holds several benefits, such as getting reassurance of your current health status, giving you an opportunity to screen for conditions, such as Diabetes II and high blood pressure, check whether your weight is right, and get up to speed with flu shots or vaccinations.
Finding a general practitioner near you is as easy and convenient as using our online search and booking system. You can find an Intercare facility, as well as a specialist or general practitioner, and you can schedule an appointment from the convenience of your home or office.
What the convenience in mind, let us take a closer look at what the physical check-up at the GP entails as an important part of maintaining good health. Note that the exact physical examination procedures may differ from one general practitioner to another. The information shared below is thus for the average physical check-up.
Background on Your Health History
If you have completed a health history assessment form at the general practitioner quite some time ago, then many things might have changed. To this end, the doctor will ask a few questions to ensure any new developments have been noted, as such can affect your current and future health. The information is also placed on record for any diagnosis the doctor might have to make in future since your health history will also be viewed as part of the process to come to an accurate diagnosis.
Although it might seem as not relevant, changes in your job can also affect your health. For instance, in the past, you might have worked in an office but now work at a cleaning detergent facility, where you may be exposed to harmful chemicals on a daily basis. Or perhaps you have changed jobs and now have a position where you work longer hours and have more responsibilities. This might cause stress that can influence your diet, heart, blood pressure, sleep, and overall energy levels.
The same holds true for changes in relationships. Perhaps your partner passed away recently, affecting your emotional and mental state. This may have caused you to change your eating habits, which might have contributed to high blood pressure or weight gain.
You may have developed an allergy recently and this information is important as the physician must take it into consideration when prescribing medication.
As can be seen from the mentioned potential changes in your life, everything the general practitioner might ask will be related to your health and well-being.
Basic Checks
The general practitioner will measure your blood pressure, listen to your heart and note any irregularities, and check your ears, eyes, throat, and reflex responses. The physician will also assess your respiratory rate. It is imperative to at least have your vitals checked once a year as changes in these will be indicative of changes in your overall state of health.
Visual Assessment
The physician will perform a visual inspection of your body to identify any physical signs of underlying health problems. The visual assessment is focussed on your eyes, ears, head, chest, wrists, hands, abdomen, movement, and speech.
Physical Assessment
The general practitioner will perform a more intensive examination of your throat, nose, ears, and eyes, and will listen to your heartbeat, as well as lungs. This process includes putting slight pressure on your abdomen to feel if there are lumps or other kinds of abnormalities. It also entails an assessment of your nails, hair, and skin for abnormalities or signs of deficiencies. Your motor reflexes will also be assessed.
The general practitioner will measure your weight as well and ask questions about your diet, whether you smoke or consume alcohol, take any medications, and more. The GP will also ask specific questions regarding your health and any symptoms you might have experienced such as fatigue, restlessness, irritability, difficulty breathing, joint pains, and more.
Tests and Screenings
The final part of the physical check-up entails screenings and tests where relevant. If the doctor suspects issues, they might perform a test to determine your blood count, assess whether there are signs of excess protein in your urine, etc.
In some instances, the medical practitioner may perform a chemistry panel that tests the blood plasma. This is important to identify issues in the liver, immune system, and kidneys. The physician may also perform a thyroid functioning screening in addition to a diabetes screening, depending on the outcomes of the other steps in the physical assessment. The screening part can include a cholesterol assessment if the answers to the doctor’s questions and the outcomes of the assessment indicate a risk of heart attack, Diabetes, or another condition, such as a stroke.
As mentioned earlier, the physical examination can include all the above or only part of the procedures. However, depending on the outcomes, the doctor might request more tests.
For a female, this might include an osteoporosis screening to identify underlying bone-density issues, especially for small-built and older females showing signs of bone-density problems. Screenings can also include a pap smear, mammogram, and cholesterol testing if the female patient is over 45 or has weight issues.
For a male patient, additional screenings may range from cholesterol to testicle examination, prostrate screening for cancer, and aneurysm screening if the patient is over 65. For both male and female patients, additional screenings can include Hepatitis C if the patient was born in the period from 1945-65, diabetes, colon cancer after the age of 50, low-dose lung CT scan, depression screening, and HIV testing if the patient is at high risk. Other types of screenings can also be performed, depending on the patient’s risk profile, age, and gender.
If the GP suspects an issue in one part of your body, then they will perform screenings for issues related to such and will perform a more intensive physical examination, specifically focussed on that part of your body. In some instances, the test or screening results will only be available at a later stage as a lab runs the tests. If you have any questions regarding the tests, ask the doctor for clarification, also regarding the results.
Where to Find a General Practitioner to Perform a Complete Physical Check-Up
With Intercare facilities in several major centres in the country, we make it easier to find a GP near you. Make use of our booking system to schedule an appointment for a physical examination. Also have a look at our Health Hub for articles related to specific medical conditions and general well-being.