Does an Annual Physical Catch Everything?

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I am a regular and consistent "annual physical" person myself and it's the best gift we can give ourselves as adults. Out health is everything. My Internist is nicknamed "Inspector Gadget". If there is something to find, he will look for it and find it. I trust him implicitly because there has been stuff that I did not know was going on and he found it...not me. It depends on how thorough your physician really is and how much history you give to your doctor. Family history of diseases is very important as genetics play a huge role in certain cancers, heart disease, immune diseases, and all types of things we wish to avoid. I communicate these issues to my Internist and he makes a point to screen me for all of them. My doctor is a blood-test hound and he leaves no stone unturned. He is also a fan of basline tests to be able to compare a "normal" test of mine to one that comes back out of whack. Getting an annual physical involves two things...consistency and communication from you to your doctor and a doctor who is thorough and investigative on what you tell him. Every physical should invlove routine blood tests and baseline specialized scans or tests for things that either concern you because of age or are a family history issue.....mammograms, colonoscopy, cardiac stress tests, glucose screening, BRAC-analysis, blood counts, liver enzymes, thyroid function....the list can go on and on depending on who you are and the issues you need to watch for. No single physician can diagnose hidden things that have yet to develop or are currently asymptomatic but a throrough and investiagtive one has more likelihood of catching a serious disease early on than one that is negligent or runs a drive-thru practice without care and concern. You also have to take your own health by the horns and be an advocate for yourself. If you have concerns or worries...speak up. Ask for tests or share family history and express your fears or worries. Just the fact that you are diligent about getting a physical is a wonderful thing. Just make sure that both you and your doctor are communicating 100% and that no stone is left unturned. There's no guarantees...but that's a huge proactive move on your part to being as healthy as you can be!

Physicals don't catch everything. A good check up will compare visits from year to year as in weight, allergies, getting a mammogram and ordering a PAP smear. Blood work will tell some things that change such as glucose, cholestral, blood pressure. Sometimes additional blood work will be needed to rule out other possible issues like anemia or thyroid problems.

You should know how your body works, bumps, lumps, warts and such. Is there any unusual feelings or lumps that weren't there since your last visit? Do you have any unusual sensations in your breasts that you didn't have? Do you have a let down feeling but not breastfeeding? Have your periods become heavier or have more cramping than last year or in the last six months? Have you noticed a mole that has changed color or size? Is there a growth of skin that was not there before? Do you have the same amount of energy or are you fatigued? These are questions that only you can answer honestly. If you do notice changed bring them up at the appointment. Do write down everything you want to say to your doctor so that you don't forget and that he can answer in the amount of time he alloted to visit with you.

I noticed many years back a soreness in a breast and made an appointment. During the time of my noticing the soresness to the appointment time the skin became very hard and numb. To make a long story short I found my cancer before it went anywhere and was treated and cured.

So all I want to say is be proactive in your health. Know how your body works from periods to sexuality (horney), to ovulation. Then you will know when something is a miss. A good check up can catch things in early stages.

Stop worrying and just go have a good annual physical.

The other S.

Unfortunately, you can be surprised. Check with your doctor to see what he/she checks for... anything not on that list can be a surpirse... make sure your doctor is aware of ALL of your family history so he performs additonal tests as necessary.

You know your body best so make sure taht you let your doctor know anythign that is going on that may be outside the norm so they can check it out...

I hope your question is out of curiosity, but I will say a prayer you and your family that all are well.

Good luck!

Physical exams don't catch everything. It's really your responsibility to notice things that are different and odd to you. Medical doctors are simple human beings that have been trained to look for certain things. They have no idea what is normal for you. If you get an exam tell them everything that is different to you and make them act on it. There is no need to be a hypochondriac :) if you take care of yourself. There are easy ways to build your immune system. Good nutrition, the abundance of antioxidants, exercise and chiropractic care will keep most things at bay. Family history can be overcome with the right information.

MY two cents....

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

Annual physicals do not catch everything, nor are they meant to. They are simply check ups on the most common ailments that are easily preventable (for example heart disease and very limited certain types of cancer). Anything exotic or rare would not show up during an annual.

You can increase your chances of cathcing something more unusual during your annual by choosing a doctor who is skilled and has the time to listen to you. The better you communicate with your doctor the higher are the chances of detecting and illnes that would have otherwise been missed.
Good luck!

No they cannot, unless you push for further checking. Most of the time, my physical only includes blood testing every so many years. A friend went to her physical and though they did the breast exam and such, they did not catch a small lump she felt 2 months later. It turned out to be calcium cyst but not caught at the exam. For me I am tested for diabetes every 2 or 3 yrs since I don't have much history in the family(can't remember exactly) and cholesterol every 3 so unless you think there might be something to worry about and bring it up to the doctor's attn, no.

I think it depends on your PCP. If they are doing the required screenings for your age, health level, etc. most things should be recognized. But, as you know, they need your help, too.
If you are experiencing changes in your health or different "symptoms" they rely on you to tell them so they can run the appropriate tests.
Also, some of what they screen for is contingent on your family history (for example, my family has NO Cardiovascular issues, but we do have skin cancer, so I have been screened more agressively for cancers and my physician is more dilligent about keeping on me about sun exposure, etc.)
Basic blood work and tests should be done and will alert the physician to key health issues.

of course not. medicine is not an exact science. but there's a much better chance you'll catch it early if you get the physical than if you don't.
khairete
S.

If I only relied on an annual physical, I'd be dead by now from colon cancer. Just as Mimi/Suzanne said, if there is something different, go to the doctor and get it checked out.

In my case, a 21 yo woman does not get colon cancer, it doesn't happen. Until me. (and yes, he wrote about it in a medical journal, thats how unusual it was) There was something different, I was referred to a GI doctor who found the early stages, quite by accident. It's almost 20 years later and I'm still here. I get a physical, but I see it as a minor preventative, not major.