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When you visit your health care provider, one of the services they offer is a physical exam. At offices in Hollywood, Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, and Davie, Florida, the Primary Medical Physicians, LLC team provides both preventive and diagnostic physical exams to help you avoid ill health and diagnose any problems that arise. Call the nearest Primary Medical Physicians, LLC office to learn more, or schedule a consultation online today.
Physical exams are essential to health care, playing a significant role in disease diagnosis and prevention.
Diagnostic physical exams are procedures you undergo when you visit Primary Medical Physicians, LLC to identify what’s causing unpleasant or painful symptoms.
Preventive physical exams
Preventing disease and identifying problems before they start causing symptoms is the best way to safeguard your health. A physical exam is a vital part of a wellness visit and other routine checkups.
The process your Primary Medical Physicians, LLC provider follows varies depending on the reason for your physical exam, but most begin with a medical history review. Your provider looks at your previous and current health problems and might ask about any family medical history that could increase your risk of developing the same disorders.
Next, they assess your vital signs and health indicators. This might include evaluating your:
These indicators identify abnormalities. For example, a raised temperature indicates a fever, while rattling or crackling lung sounds suggest bronchitis or pneumonia. Your provider can also detect problems with your heart and conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure) that don’t cause any symptoms.
Depending on what they find in their physical exam, your provider might take blood or other samples for lab testing or refer you for an X-ray or other diagnostic imaging procedure.
If you have a diagnostic exam, your provider focuses on the areas causing your symptoms. For instance, they might palpate (press on) your belly if you have abdominal pain, ask you to make specific movements to check musculoskeletal loss of function, or look into your ears if you have an earache.
With an annual physical exam, your provider goes over your entire body, looking for any abnormal bumps, swelling, skin lesions, rashes, and other signs of health problems. Men may require a genital and prostate exam, while women undergo an internal pelvic exam.
Your provider also evaluates your freedom of movement, balance, reflexes, and cognitive reactions to get an overall picture of your mental and physical health.
Call Primary Medical Physicians, LLC today to learn more about physical exams or book an appointment via the online scheduling tool.