Teaching Elementary School Health Education/Personal Health and Physical Activity/Physical Examinations
A physical examination is a series of tests that measure health status.
Main Points
Physical examinations may be performed by a physician with assistance from other health care professionals.
A person should have a physical examination at least every two years. -Ideally school-age children should have a physical exam each year.
Physical exams are important because they give parents an opportunity to determine their child's growth and development.
A physician should be contacted when a person has any of the following symptoms:
- Shortness of breathe
- Loss of appetite for no obvious reason
- Blood in urine
- Blood in mucus or saliva
- A constant cough
- Swelling, stiffness, or aching in the joints
- Severe pain in any body part
- Frequent or painful urination
- Sudden weight gain/loss
- Dizziness
- Any warning signs of cancer
- Any warning signs of heart attach or stroke