Annual Checkup
Annual checkups prevent disease, catch emerging conditions early, and generally help you maintain your wellness. Take care of yourself today by scheduling your annual physical exam with the professionals at Premier Family Medicine in Denver. Premier Family Medicine is friendly, affordable, and staffed by experienced, board-certified physicians. Book your appointment online or over the phone today.
What happens during my annual physical checkup?
To kick things off, your Premier Family Medicine team member talks to you about your lifestyle and your health history and asks you if you have any specific concerns you want to discuss.
If the checkup is for your young child, your team member talks to you together. During your appointment, they check your:
- Blood pressure
- Temperature
- Heart rate
- Breaths per minute
Typically, after this check of your vitals, your practice member runs a few different tests to make sure that your body is working as it should. These include:
- Lung exams
- During a lung exam, as you take deep, guided breaths, your physician listens to your lungs through a stethoscope. Their main goal is to make sure they don’t hear signs of respiratory illness, like wheezing, rattling, or crackling.
- Heart exams
- During your heart exam, your Premier Family Medicine doctor listens to your heart for murmurs and irregular beats.
- Head and neck exams
- During the head and neck exam, they examine your throat and tonsils, gums and teeth, ears, nose, sinuses, and eyes.
- Abdominal exams
- Next, your physician taps on your stomach, looking for any tenderness and checking your liver size and abdominal fluid. Depending on your age and health concerns, they can perform dermatological, extremity, or neurological exams.
How do you decide what happens during my checkup?
Your Premier Family Medicine doctor decides what questions to ask and tests to perform during your annual physical based on your age, sex, and health history.
For example, in addition to tests standard for both men and women, during their annual exam, women typically receive a breast exam and pelvic exam. Meanwhile, annual exams for men also include a:
- Testicular exam
- Penis exam
- Hernia exam
- Prostate exam
Likewise, if you suffer with a chronic illness like diabetes, or if you’re of a certain age, Premier Family Medicine adjusts your annual physical accordingly. For instance, if you’re at risk for heart disease, they may order a lipid panel to check your cholesterol.
If the annual checkup is for your child, the team also makes sure that they’re caught up on all their booster shots and immunizations.
Make healthcare a part of your routine. If you need to schedule an annual checkup for you or your child, book with the caring team at Premier Family Medicine. Get started by calling or using the online booking tool today.