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What happens during an annual physical exam?

Your annual physical exam may take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour to complete. It will follow a fairly routine procedure.

  1. Nursing staff will ask you questions about your current health status, or any changes to your lifestyle, such as increased alcohol consumption or stressful life changes (moving, marriage, etc.). They’ll also make sure your medical records are up-to-date with your current medications, discovered allergies, and recent surgeries.
  2. The nurse will also perform basic vitals tests, such as checking your blood oxygen levels, blood pressure, and heart rate.
  3. Then your provider will conduct a visual exam. Your practitioner will look in your eyes, ears, mouth, and nose to see if they detect any issues.
  4. Then comes the physical exam. The provider will apply gentle pressure (called palpating) to your abdomen, neck, arms, and legs to check for problems. They may also test your motor functions and reflexes.

There may be more detailed tests involved if your family has a history of certain diseases, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, or heart disease.

What is the purpose of an annual wellness exam?

What blood tests are done for an annual physical?

Is a comprehensive wellness visit the same as an annual physical exam?

Do you need to get a comprehensive physical exam every year?

At what age should you start getting your annual physical?



