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Physical examination

During a physical examination, a health care provider checks your body to determine if you do or do not have a physical problem.

A physical examination usually includes:

  • Inspection (looking at the body)
  • Palpation (feeling the body with fingers or hands)
  • Auscultation (listening to sounds, usually with a stethoscope)
  • Percussion (producing sounds, usually by tapping on specific areas of the body)

Video Transcript

Physical exam frequency - Animation

When you feel perfectly fine, the last thing you want to think about is seeing your health care provider. But that's exactly when you should be thinking about getting a checkup. Regular checkups, as well as certain health screenings and vaccinations, can be powerful ways to protect your health. Checkups are also called physical exams, annual wellness visits, and routine exams. Many conditions that threaten your health don't have any symptoms. For example, you might have no idea that you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, until they make you sick. How often you need checkups and what screening tests you get, depends on your age and sex. If you are age 18 to 64, you should see your provider once every 1 to 5 years depending on what health conditions you have. Starting at age 65, you'll want to visit your provider at least once a year. At each checkup, your height, weight, and blood pressure will be checked. Your provider will also talk with you about any health screenings and vaccinations you may need. All adults age 18 and older should have their blood pressure checked every year. Have it checked during a checkup, or look for blood pressure screenings at health fairs or drug stores in your area. If you have a history of high blood pressure readings, or you have risk factors for high blood pressure, such as diabetes or heart disease, you may need your blood pressure checked more often. Your health care provider may ask you about any symptoms of depression and anxiety, your diet and exercise habits, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, safety issues, such as using seat belts, smoke detectors, and intimate partner violence, your medicines and risk for interactions, and health screenings and vaccinations you may need. If you are age 35 and are overweight or have obesity, you should have your blood sugar tested for prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. After this, you should have this screening test every 3 years if you are overweight or have obesity. Starting at age 35 for men, and 45 for women, you should have a cholesterol test once every 5 years. People with certain health conditions may need to have their cholesterol checked more often. Starting at age 45, everyone should be screened for colon cancer. You have several options for the type of colon cancer screening you can have. Your options include, a colonoscopy every 10 years, a stool test, either a fecal occult blood test, FOBT, or a fecal immunochemical test, FIT, every year, a stool DNA FIT test every 1 to 3 years, a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or every 10 years with yearly stool testing, and a CT colonography every 5 years. You should have an annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography, LDCT, if you are age 50 to 80 years, AND you have a 20 pack-year smoking history, AND you currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years. Women need a Pap test to check for cervical cancer starting at age 21, and then every 3 years until age 65 if test results are normal. Women ages 30 to 65 can have either a Pap test every three years, or the HPV test every 5 years. Starting at age 40, women should have a mammogram to check for breast cancer every 1 to 2 years. Because bones can become brittle with age, women ages 65 and older should have a bone density scan. Younger women and men should talk to their provider about whether they need a bone density test based on their risks. If you are male, and age 55 through 69 years old, talk to your provider about the pros and cons of having a prostate specific antigen blood test. Ask your provider whether screening decreases your chance of dying from prostate cancer, whether there is any harm from prostate cancer screening, such as side effects from testing or overtreatment of cancer when discovered, and whether you have a higher risk of prostate cancer than others. One of the best ways to avoid unexpected visits to your provider, and protect your health, is to get the vaccines that are right for you. Vaccines aren't just for children. Everyone ages 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each fall or early winter to protect them for the whole season. You can also get a vaccine to protect against COVID-19 at the same time. Once every 10 years, get a T dap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis. Older adults also need to get vaccinated against pneumonia, (pneumococcal infection), and shingles. Ask your provider about other vaccines you may need. To keep your teeth strong and healthy, visit your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and exam. Eye exams are also important, especially if you have glaucoma or another vision problem. All adults age 65 and older should have a comprehensive eye exam every year. If you are under age 65, check with your provider for advice about eye exams. Seeing your provider for regular checkups and screenings, can help prevent and find potential problems before you have a chance to get sick. Being proactive is the best way to protect your health.

Review Date: 1/1/2025

Reviewed By

Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

References

Swartz MH, Swartz TH. The physical examination. In: Swartz MH, ed. Textbook of Physical Diagnosis: History and Examination. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 6.

Disclaimer

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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Physical exam frequency

Physical exam frequency

Animation

Auscultation - Illustration Thumbnail

Auscultation

Auscultation is a method used to listen to the sounds of the body during a physical examination by using a stethoscope. A patient's lungs, heart, and intestines are the most common organs heard during auscultation.

Illustration

 
Physical exam frequency

Physical exam frequency

Animation

 
Auscultation - Illustration Thumbnail

Auscultation

Auscultation is a method used to listen to the sounds of the body during a physical examination by using a stethoscope. A patient's lungs, heart, and intestines are the most common organs heard during auscultation.

Illustration

 
 
 

Physical exam frequency - Animation

When you feel perfectly fine, the last thing you want to think about is seeing your health care provider. But that's exactly when you should be thinking about getting a checkup. Regular checkups, as well as certain health screenings and vaccinations, can be powerful ways to protect your health. Checkups are also called physical exams, annual wellness visits, and routine exams.

Many conditions that threaten your health don't have any symptoms. For example, you might have no idea that you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, until they make you sick.

How often you need checkups and what screening tests you get, depends on your age and sex. If you are age 18 to 64, you should see your provider once every 1 to 5 years depending on what health conditions you have. Starting at age 65, you'll want to visit your provider at least once a year.

At each checkup, your height, weight, and blood pressure will be checked. Your provider will also talk with you about any health screenings and vaccinations you may need.

All adults age 18 and older should have their blood pressure checked every year. Have it checked during a checkup, or look for blood pressure screenings at health fairs or drug stores in your area. If you have a history of high blood pressure readings, or you have risk factors for high blood pressure, such as diabetes or heart disease, you may need your blood pressure checked more often.

Your health care provider may ask you about any symptoms of depression and anxiety, your diet and exercise habits, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, safety issues, such as using seat belts, smoke detectors, and intimate partner violence, your medicines and risk for interactions, and health screenings and vaccinations you may need.

If you are age 35 and are overweight or have obesity, you should have your blood sugar tested for prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. After this, you should have this screening test every 3 years if you are overweight or have obesity. Starting at age 35 for men, and 45 for women, you should have a cholesterol test once every 5 years. People with certain health conditions may need to have their cholesterol checked more often.

Starting at age 45, everyone should be screened for colon cancer. You have several options for the type of colon cancer screening you can have. Your options include, a colonoscopy every 10 years, a stool test, either a fecal occult blood test, FOBT, or a fecal immunochemical test, FIT, every year, a stool DNA FIT test every 1 to 3 years, a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or every 10 years with yearly stool testing, and a CT colonography every 5 years.

You should have an annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography, LDCT, if you are age 50 to 80 years, AND you have a 20 pack-year smoking history, AND you currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.

Women need a Pap test to check for cervical cancer starting at age 21, and then every 3 years until age 65 if test results are normal. Women ages 30 to 65 can have either a Pap test every three years, or the HPV test every 5 years. Starting at age 40, women should have a mammogram to check for breast cancer every 1 to 2 years. Because bones can become brittle with age, women ages 65 and older should have a bone density scan. Younger women and men should talk to their provider about whether they need a bone density test based on their risks.

If you are male, and age 55 through 69 years old, talk to your provider about the pros and cons of having a prostate specific antigen blood test.

Ask your provider whether screening decreases your chance of dying from prostate cancer, whether there is any harm from prostate cancer screening, such as side effects from testing or overtreatment of cancer when discovered, and whether you have a higher risk of prostate cancer than others.

One of the best ways to avoid unexpected visits to your provider, and protect your health, is to get the vaccines that are right for you. Vaccines aren't just for children.

Everyone ages 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each fall or early winter to protect them for the whole season. You can also get a vaccine to protect against COVID-19 at the same time. Once every 10 years, get a T dap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis. Older adults also need to get vaccinated against pneumonia, (pneumococcal infection), and shingles. Ask your provider about other vaccines you may need.

To keep your teeth strong and healthy, visit your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and exam.

Eye exams are also important, especially if you have glaucoma or another vision problem. All adults age 65 and older should have a comprehensive eye exam every year. If you are under age 65, check with your provider for advice about eye exams.

Seeing your provider for regular checkups and screenings, can help prevent and find potential problems before you have a chance to get sick. Being proactive is the best way to protect your health.

 

Physical exam frequency - Animation

When you feel perfectly fine, the last thing you want to think about is seeing your health care provider. But that's exactly when you should be thinking about getting a checkup. Regular checkups, as well as certain health screenings and vaccinations, can be powerful ways to protect your health. Checkups are also called physical exams, annual wellness visits, and routine exams.

Many conditions that threaten your health don't have any symptoms. For example, you might have no idea that you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, until they make you sick.

How often you need checkups and what screening tests you get, depends on your age and sex. If you are age 18 to 64, you should see your provider once every 1 to 5 years depending on what health conditions you have. Starting at age 65, you'll want to visit your provider at least once a year.

At each checkup, your height, weight, and blood pressure will be checked. Your provider will also talk with you about any health screenings and vaccinations you may need.

All adults age 18 and older should have their blood pressure checked every year. Have it checked during a checkup, or look for blood pressure screenings at health fairs or drug stores in your area. If you have a history of high blood pressure readings, or you have risk factors for high blood pressure, such as diabetes or heart disease, you may need your blood pressure checked more often.

Your health care provider may ask you about any symptoms of depression and anxiety, your diet and exercise habits, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, safety issues, such as using seat belts, smoke detectors, and intimate partner violence, your medicines and risk for interactions, and health screenings and vaccinations you may need.

If you are age 35 and are overweight or have obesity, you should have your blood sugar tested for prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. After this, you should have this screening test every 3 years if you are overweight or have obesity. Starting at age 35 for men, and 45 for women, you should have a cholesterol test once every 5 years. People with certain health conditions may need to have their cholesterol checked more often.

Starting at age 45, everyone should be screened for colon cancer. You have several options for the type of colon cancer screening you can have. Your options include, a colonoscopy every 10 years, a stool test, either a fecal occult blood test, FOBT, or a fecal immunochemical test, FIT, every year, a stool DNA FIT test every 1 to 3 years, a flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, or every 10 years with yearly stool testing, and a CT colonography every 5 years.

You should have an annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography, LDCT, if you are age 50 to 80 years, AND you have a 20 pack-year smoking history, AND you currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.

Women need a Pap test to check for cervical cancer starting at age 21, and then every 3 years until age 65 if test results are normal. Women ages 30 to 65 can have either a Pap test every three years, or the HPV test every 5 years. Starting at age 40, women should have a mammogram to check for breast cancer every 1 to 2 years. Because bones can become brittle with age, women ages 65 and older should have a bone density scan. Younger women and men should talk to their provider about whether they need a bone density test based on their risks.

If you are male, and age 55 through 69 years old, talk to your provider about the pros and cons of having a prostate specific antigen blood test.

Ask your provider whether screening decreases your chance of dying from prostate cancer, whether there is any harm from prostate cancer screening, such as side effects from testing or overtreatment of cancer when discovered, and whether you have a higher risk of prostate cancer than others.

One of the best ways to avoid unexpected visits to your provider, and protect your health, is to get the vaccines that are right for you. Vaccines aren't just for children.

Everyone ages 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each fall or early winter to protect them for the whole season. You can also get a vaccine to protect against COVID-19 at the same time. Once every 10 years, get a T dap vaccine, which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis. Older adults also need to get vaccinated against pneumonia, (pneumococcal infection), and shingles. Ask your provider about other vaccines you may need.

To keep your teeth strong and healthy, visit your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and exam.

Eye exams are also important, especially if you have glaucoma or another vision problem. All adults age 65 and older should have a comprehensive eye exam every year. If you are under age 65, check with your provider for advice about eye exams.

Seeing your provider for regular checkups and screenings, can help prevent and find potential problems before you have a chance to get sick. Being proactive is the best way to protect your health.

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
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