Need back to school physicals? Back to school is filled with many things you have to attend to no matter what grade your child is in. Of all the things, it is important to include a visit to your family medicine physician for your child’s annual physicals. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children, in their early childhood, pre-teen or teenage years, get the required health care, monitoring and examination by a pediatrician or family medicine physician.
Star City Medical in Salem, VA, knows that annual physicals are an important part of maintaining your child’s health and well-being for strong development and growth.
Why Schedule Physicals For Your Child?
Annual physicals enable the physician and parents to monitor the child’s growth, development and overall health. Consistently physical exams allow their doctor to keep track of health trends and identify any concerning changes.
Annual physicals can also help safeguard your child against further injuries by determining whether he or she is fit enough to play a particular sport. Although they are different from sports-specific physicals, annual back-to-school physicals compliment the former in ensuring that your child is healthy to play.
What Does A Doctor Look For During Physicals?
Basic back to school annual physicals, depending on your child’s age and the primary care practice, looks for:
- Routine physicals check for height, weight, blood pressure, heartbeat rate, sugar levels and general physical maturity. The doctor will also examine the heart, lungs, nose, teeth, ears, nose, abdomen and skin.
- Behavioral and intellectual nurturing are other things that doctors concentrate on during back-to-school physicals. The doctor might ask the child some questions, assess his motor and language skills, and scan for depression, sexual activity and drug abuse if your child is a teenager or an adolescent.
- Medical history to establish any cases of chronic and genetic illnesses and conditions like allergies, asthma, cancer or diabetes.
- Preventative screening during physicals for chronic diseases and providing the right treatment while it’s still early enough. Blood and skin tests might be ordered.
As with all things related to your child’s health and growth, a parent’s input and observations are important to ensure that all of the relevant information about your child’s activities and development is being provided to the physician.
At Star City Medical, our goal is to ensure the health of your child through all the stages of their life. Contact us today to schedule your child’s annual physicals!