|
Physical exam
Physical exam: This exam always begins with you telling the doctor in your own words how you are feeling, what is bothering you, and what symptoms you are experiencing. The results of the exam will help your doctor make decisions about additional tests and treatment options.
What to bring to your doctor visit:
- Current medication and allergy list
- Prior test and lab results
- Any measurements your doctor has asked you to keep track of (such as blood pressure, blood sugar, or daily weight readings)
- Records from all doctor or emergency room visits
- List of symptoms
When you describe your symptoms, it is important for you to include:
- Whether you feel unusual discomfort
- Where it is located
- What the discomfort feels like—dull, achy, sharp?
- How long it lasts
- Whether there is anything you notice that seems to prompt the discomfort—a meal? Exercise?
- What relieves the discomfort—rest, medications, a change in position?
The doctor will look at your skin for good color, which shows that your body is getting an adequate supply of oxygen-rich blood. Your doctor will also feel your skin for warmth and feel your pulse to check your heart's rate, rhythm, and regularity. Each pulse matches up with a heartbeat that pumps blood into the arteries. The force of the pulse also helps evaluate the amount (strength) of blood flow to different areas of your body. Your doctor will check for swelling, which is a sign that your heart is not pumping efficiently.
Your doctor will use a stethoscope to listen closely to the sounds the heart makes with each heartbeat. The doctor can evaluate your heart and valve function and hear your heart's rate and rhythm by listening to your heart sounds.
Abnormal sounds include: Murmur, an abnormal whooshing sound made by blood flowing abnormally through the heart. This may indicate a leaky heart valve.
Click, an abnormal sound made by a valve that is stiff or stenotic.
Your doctor will also measure your blood pressure. This is the force or pressure exerted in the arteries by the blood as it is pumped around the body by the heart. It is recorded as two measurements: systolic pressure in the arteries during the period of the heart's contraction (the higher number), and diastolic pressure in the arteries when the heart is relaxed between heartbeats (the lower number). Normal blood pressure for an adult, relaxed and at rest, is less than 140/90.
Your age, the condition of your heart, your emotions, medications, and whether you are active or at rest all can affect your blood pressure. One high reading does not mean you have high blood pressure. It may be necessary to measure your BP at several different times to find out your typical value.
|
