Annual Physical Exam Checklist For Female

What Exactly Is A Neurological Exam

Surprisingly, your neurological exam begins as soon as you begin speaking with your doctor. Your neurological evaluation includes your speech, walking ability, mental clarity, memory, and overall interactions. During a neurological exam, your doctor will also assess your nerves, muscle strength, reflexes, balance, and general mental state.

They may also use a bright light to examine your pupils to see how well they dilate and respond to stimuli.

Maintain Good Health By Staying Up

Tracey Grady, BSN, RNLead RN Care Coordinator, Arizona Care Network

Annual physical exams are essential to keep your body healthy and identify any signs of illness early on. The guidelines below will ensure you stay current on the recommended health screenings for your age group. Depending on factors such as your lifestyle, health history, and genetics, your doctor may recommend some of these screenings at different ages or frequency than the criteria listed below. The information below is not meant to replace advice from your doctor. If you have not yet established care with a doctor and need to find an in-network primary care provider, feel free to use our Find-A-Doc tool to find a care location near you.

Reproductive And Sexual Health

Cervical cancer screening: Women should have a Pap smear test in their 20s for cervical cancer screening. This screening should be done every three years. If you are between 30 and 65, you should get a Pap test and human papillomavirus test every five years, or a Pap test every three years.

Women between the ages of 65 and 70 can stop going for screenings after having had three or more Pap tests in 10 years without irregular results.

Sexually transmitted infections: Women between the ages of 13 and 64 should get HIV tests at least once as a part of their regular healthcare. Women who are prone to HIV exposure should go for tests once every year. Pregnant women should also get HIV tests at the early stages of pregnancy.

If you are under 25 and sexually active, you should go for gonorrhea and chlamydia screening until you reach 25. If you are above 25, discuss the need for this screening with your primary care doctor.

Recommended Reading: How Many Times Can You Take The Bar Exam

What Happens During A Wellness Visit

What happens during your wellness visit depends on a few things, like how old you are, your sexual history, and medical history.

Its a good idea to have your first wellness visit around age 13 to 15. It may just be a talk with your doctor plus a regular physical exam. Your doctor or nurse will check your height, weight and blood pressure.

You might talk about your period, especially if youre worried about it being heavy, painful, or irregular. If youre under 18, you may get some shots, like the HPV vaccine.

If youre sexually active , you may talk about birth control or STD testing.

There are some specific cancer-related tests and exams you should get during a wellness visit, depending on your age, medical history, and when you had your last test:

• Ages 21-24: You may choose to start getting Pap tests at this age if you want
• Ages 25-65:HPV test every 5 years
• Ages 25-39:clinical breast exam every 1-3 years
• Ages 40+:mammogram every 1-2 years.

As you get older, or if your health changes, your wellness visits will include other tests and exams.

One thing that stays the same, no matter how old you are, is building a good, honest relationship with your doctor or nurse. You can talk about healthy relationships and other parts of your emotional health during your wellness visit. The more honest you are, the better care youll get.

What Should A Patient Bring To The Appointment

Its always helpful when the patient brings a list of questions for me. Write down your concerns and any symptoms youre experiencing ahead of time. Otherwise you might be nervous and forget at the time of your visit.

Be sure to bring pen and paper to write down notes once the exam is over as well. During the appointment I will recommend screening exams and tests mammograms, colonoscopies, eye exams and skin cancer screenings, among others writing them down ensures that you wont forget them.

Don’t Miss: Highest Life Insurance Without Medical Exam

Is There A Yearly Physical Exam With Blood And Urine Tests

Blood and urine tests are frequently included in physical exams because they provide information about your overall health. A complete blood count and chemistry panel are the most common blood tests ordered at an annual physical. These tests provide a comprehensive clinical picture of your bodys internal workings.

Blood tests are another preventative measure used to detect potential problems early on.

What To Expect During This Visit

Your doctor and/or nurse will probably:

1. Check your childs weight and height, calculate body mass index , and plot the measurements on a growth chart.

2. Check your childs blood pressure, vision, and hearing using standard testing equipment.

3. Ask questions, address concerns, and offer advice about your childs:

Eating. Schedule 3 meals and 12 nutritious snacks a day. Serve your child a balanced diet that includes lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and low-fat dairy. Kids this age should get 3 cups of low-fat milk daily . Aim for 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Limit foods and drinks that are high is sugar, salt, and fat. Dont give than 8 ounces of 100% juice per day. Teach your child to pay attention to feelings of hunger and fullness.

Sleeping. Kids this age need about 912 hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep can make it hard to pay attention at school. Set a bedtime that allows for enough sleep and encourage your child to follow a relaxing bedtime routine. Keep TVs and electronic devices out of your childs bedroom.

Physical activity. Kids this age should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Set limits on screen time, including TV, video games, smartphones, tablets, and computers.

Growth and development. By 10 years, its common for many kids to:

6. Order tests. Your doctor may check for anemia, high cholesterol, and tuberculosis and order tests, if needed.

You May Like: Hesi Rn Exit Exam Practice Questions Free

Recommended Reading: Michigan Builders License Exam Questions

Checklist For Women In Their 40s & 50s

• Primary care visit: At least once a year or as often as needed.
• Routine blood tests and lipid screening: Measures blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. At least once a year or as often as needed.
• Pap test and pelvic exam: Screen every three years for cervical cancer, every five years for HPV, or every five years when combining both tests.
• Screens for breast cancer: Once a year, starting at age 45. Women ages 4044 have the choice of starting annual mammograms if they wish women 55 and older can switch to every two years if they choose.
• Colonoscopy: The American Cancer Society recommends starting screening at age 45 earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer. For those without a history of colon cancer, its generally recommended to get a colonoscopy every 10 years after the initial screening.
• Lung cancer screening: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends adults 55 and older should be screened if they have smoked for 30 years and currently smoke or if theyve quit within the last 15 years.

Experts Take: African American women are more severely hit by many conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and colon cancer, says Dr. Rosser. In fact, more than 85% of African American men and women are likely to develop hypertension in their lifetimes. I make a point to tell African American patients this not to alarm them but rather to arm them with information, so they are more aware and empowered about their health.

What Is In A Respiratory Assessment

A respiratory assessment is part of the heart and lungs portion of a physical exam. Respiratory assessment refers to reviewing the function of your lungs.

Using a stethoscope, your doctor will listen for crackles, wheezes, and decreased breath sounds. These sounds are clues to the presence of heart or lung diseases. Your oxygen level is measured to detect the amount of oxygen circulating in your blood, which should be above 94% in healthy adults.

Recommended Reading: Medical Billing And Coding Exam

Checklist For Girls In Their Teens

Experts Take: These health visits are also an opportunity to talk about alcohol, drug use, and tobacco use as well as topics such as anxiety and depression, adds Dr. Rosser.

What Other Information Do You Need For Your Annual Physical

Allergies, including any side effects to medications, are important for me to know, so I dont inadvertently prescribe them. I also need to know the type of reaction that they had, such as a rash or anaphylaxis.

I also want to know the patients vaccination history. Adult vaccines need to be maintained, updated or even delivered for the first time. Some patients dont know what theyve received in the past, so its ambiguous whether they will need it now. Patients in their 60s should receive pneumonia vaccines, but older patients often dont remember whether theyve received it or not. Tetanus shots should be given every 10 years, so if youre cut by a nail in adulthood, we wont know whether to administer another shot or not if the immunization records arent up to date.

Read Also: Asbestos Open Book Exam Answers

How Do You Answer

For weight loss, I have an extensive conversation assessing food intake meal by meal, and I make recommendations for dietary changes. I also assess exercise habits and give tips.

For fatigue, I do an extensive review of the patients medical history and associated symptoms, and then do an exam and order blood work to rule out possible causes.

For routine blood tests, I do a blood count, lipid panel, metabolic panel, diabetes screening and urinalysis. Depending on the patients age and sex, I will also order tests for PSA to screen for prostate cancer and TSH to check for thyroid gland problems.

Annual Physical Exam Checklist

For the most part, there is a universal baseline checklist that is followed for all annual physical exams. Depending on family history, recent medical developments or certain ages, there is a set of routine tests and checks that your doctor will perform.

For the womens annual exam, there are some additional components that are sex-specific that would be different from the mens annual physical exam checklist.

The major components of a routine physical for women include:

While these are the common components to a routine physical, each patients exact exam will be different depending on their individual medical needs.

Also Check: What Does Exama Look Like

Reflex And Coordination Exams

Shoulder, biceps, triceps, hips, knees and feet will be examined for muscle tone, strength, flexion, extension, and sensation. The biceps, triceps, brachiordialis, patellar, Achilles, and Babinski reflexes are tested. Rapid alternating movements , repeating movements , and point to point movements are checked. You will be asked to stand and walk so the doctor can observe your gait and heel-to-toe walking.

• Shoulder, biceps, triceps, hips, knees and feet will be examined for muscle tone, strength, flexion, extension, and sensation.

Getting Back To Health: Your Checklist For 2022

• 7. Take baby steps

Every May is National Womens Health Month and for many its a time to resolve to make positive changes towards our health and well-being.

At the same time, making changes to our lives no matter how small can feel daunting! Weve lived through a global pandemic for nearly three years. COVID-19 and its many cascading challenges have pushed our usual healthcare practices, routines and priorities to the backburner . In addition to the immediate threat of the virus itself, the pandemic also worsened health conditions for many groups including women, who often shoulder a greater share of family caregiving responsibilities, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families.

• 7. Take baby steps

Every May is National Womens Health Month and for many its a time to resolve to make positive changes towards our health and well-being.

At the same time, making changes to our lives no matter how small can feel daunting! Weve lived through a global pandemic for nearly three years. COVID-19 and its many cascading challenges have pushed our usual healthcare practices, routines and priorities to the backburner . In addition to the immediate threat of the virus itself, the pandemic also worsened health conditions for many groups including women, who often shoulder a greater share of family caregiving responsibilities, according to the National Partnership for Women and Families.

You May Like: Women’s Wellness Exam Cost

Assessing Your Overall Health

Depending on your risk factors, age, lifestyle, and family history, your PCP may order a variety of blood tests and other screenings during your annual physical exam, including:

• Blood pressure screening, which measures the force of your blood against your arteries. A reading that is lower than 120/80 is considered normal.
• Cholesterol screening, which measures the amount of cholesterol in your blood. In healthy patients with no risk factors, a total cholesterol reading of lower than 200 mg/dL is considered normal. An LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, reading of less than 130 mg/dL, and an HDL, or “good” cholesterol, reading of more than 60 mg/dL is considered normal.
• Blood glucose screening, which measures the amount of sugar in your blood. An A1C reading of less than 5.7 percent is considered normal.
• Osteoporosis screening, which uses an imaging test called a DEXA scan to check for osteoporosis or osteopenia. This screening is typically recommended for women starting at age 65 unless they have other risk factors that warrant earlier testing and for men starting at age 70.
• Body mass index calculation, which uses your height and weight to determine if you’re at a healthy weight. A BMI of 18.6 to 24.9 is considered normal.

What Should You Bring To Your Doctor’s Visit

Patients often ask what they should bring to their doctor’s visit. This is an important question because bringing the right things helps your physician have as much information as possible when making a diagnosis and creating a treatment plan.

Please bring the following with you to the appointment:

• Current medication and allergy list .
• List of symptoms what they are, when they occur, how long they last and what relieves them.
• Results from prior tests and lab work .
• Any measurements your doctor has asked you to keep track of, such as blood pressure, blood sugar or daily weight readings.
• Medical and surgical history .
• Questions you would like answered.
• A list of your current doctors, including their names, addresses, phone numbers and fax numbers. Please let us know if you would like reports sent to those physicians.

Don’t Miss: Questions Asked On Medicare Wellness Exam

Time For Your Annual Physical What Women Should Know

Annual physical exams are important to your overall health and well-being. These yearly exams are particularly essential for women. While some patients view their annual physicals as a way to get a clean bill of health for the year, others view them with anxiety and fear. Knowing what to expect during your routine physical exam can make the entire experience easier and more comfortable.

Annual exams typically check the following things, regardless of your gender:

The above list of standard items checked during a routine physical tend to be painless and cause minimal discomfort to the patient. These items also provide a nearly instant picture of your health and if any irregularities are noted by your doctor, they will follow up on them right then and there or may refer you to specialists.

Women have another set of reproductive health exams that are part of annual preventative exams. Some women may see their primary care physicians for these exams, while others may visit specialists in womens health. Either way, they are critical tests to ensure your optimal health and wellbeing.

Reasons Why Annual Physical Exams Are Important

By Sangita Doshi, MD, Virtua Women’s Primary Care

No matter your age or stage of life, annual physical exams are essential to your ongoing health. Visiting your primary care provider for regular preventive care is one of the best ways to identify and treat health issues before they worsen. These visits also help you track your progress toward your health goals. Here are five reasons why annual physical exams are important, as well as screening and immunization resources to help you learn how you can stay healthy.

Don’t Miss: Safe Scrum Master Exam Questions

What Is In A Cardiovascular Exam

A cardiovascular exam is a part of your physical exam that measures and monitors heart function. Your doctor will listen for irregular heartbeats, heart murmurs, and other clues to heart disease using a stethoscope. The doctor will also check your pulse to determine your heart rate.

The doctor may also look at the veins in your neck that could give clues to underlying heart disease. Swelling in the extremities, such as your feet and ankles, may also help diagnose any potential heart or kidney problems. The doctor can determine swelling by pressing a thumb into your foot or ankle to see if the thumb indention remains after it is lifted from the foot.