Preventive medicine is the ultimate weapon in the battle against modern disease, and men do not use it nearly as much as women.
An annual physical exam is a thorough examination of your body done once a year to check for any underlying health conditions and to serve as a roadmap to healthy aging. The CDC estimates that 60% of men have at least one chronic disease. Men have a far greater risk of dying from heart disease and stroke, partly because diseases such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol don’t have any physical signs.
Generally, most health insurance plans have annual physical exams that are offered at no cost to the individual. A men’s annual physical exam near me is one of the most beneficial preventive health care choices you can make this year.
What is an Annual Physical Exam for Men?
Men’s annual physical exam, also known as a wellness visit, preventive exam, or annual checkup, is a complete health screening performed by a primary care provider once a year. An annual physical exam is different from a sick visit, when a doctor asks about a certain symptom or illness.
Your doctor monitors multiple factors of your health, such as your vital signs and mental health, sets baseline levels, and pinpoints risk factors that could potentially result in serious health conditions.
The aim is to set up a baseline for your biology. Your doctor will be able to easily detect minute changes from one year to the next if you have a baseline of your blood pressure, heart rate, hormones, and blood chemistry.
Who Performs a Men’s Annual Physical Exam?
An annual physical exam is done by a licensed primary care provider, physician, nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant who has a primary care specialty. Your primary care provider takes care of your general health, monitors your chronic conditions, schedules necessary screenings, and makes referrals to other specialists as appropriate.
One of the most clinically valuable things you can have is a consistent primary care provider who has known you over the years. Regular checkups provide complete health histories over time with regular checks. When monitored on a yearly basis, the slowly rising blood pressure, weight gain, or rising cholesterol levels can become evident.
Who Needs an Annual Checkup?
All men, regardless of how well they feel or how regularly they exercise, should have an annual checkup. Preventive care is not only for the elderly or the sick!
However, it is really essential if you are in certain high-risk groups, such as:
- If you are older than 40, you should get a comprehensive exam because your chances of developing heart disease and hormone decline increase at this age
- If you have extra weight in the belly (abdominal area), you must take a test. Visceral belly fat is a kind of poisonous organ that releases inflammatory chemicals into your blood.
- If you have a family history of heart disease, diabetes, or prostate cancer
- Regular symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, poor sleep, and low sexual desire
Looking for a male annual physical exam near me that specializes in functional medicine is the most effective way to discover a solution to your health issues that resolves your overall symptoms.
What Happens During a Men’s Annual Physical Exam?
A comprehensive physical examination is a step-by-step procedure. From the moment you step into the clinic, here’s what a quality men’s annual physical exam should cover:
1. Medical History Review
All annual physicals start with a medical history review. Your provider will review your:
- Current medications and supplements
Chronic conditions you may have - Family history of disease
- Symptoms you have experienced in the past
- Lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise routine, sleep habits, alcohol, and tobacco habits
- Changes since your last visit.
2. Vital Signs Check
A medical assistant will take a reading of your blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen level. They will record your height and weight and calculate your body mass index (BMI).
High blood pressure is known as the silent killer because it damages your arterial walls without causing pain. A healthy blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg. A blood pressure reading of 130/80 or above is a sign of high blood pressure that needs treatment.
Resting heart rate indicates your heart condition and nervous system function. The normal heart rate at rest ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. Athletes may be lower.
A pulse oximeter is a device that detects the amount of oxygen in your blood. The normal range is 95-100%. If it’s under 92, it means there’s still more to explore in the respiratory system.
3. Physical Examination
Following your vital signs, your provider conducts a hands-on examination of your body from head to toe, such as:
- Heart and lungs: Your physician will listen to your heart valves with a stethoscope for irregular heart rhythms or murmurs. They will use their stethoscope to check the lungs for proper airflow and for any indications of fluid accumulation.
- Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Throat: This looks at your eyes for any signs of high blood pressure and diabetes that can be seen in the blood vessels. An examination of the ear canals is carried out to ensure that they are not blocked or infected. The throat and lymph nodes of the neck are examined for swelling or abnormalities.
- Abdominal Exam: The doctor will press deep in the stomach to see how big your liver and spleen are. They search for abnormal swelling, enlarged organs, or pain that suggests inflammation or blockages.
- Skin and Neurological Check: The doctor will check your skin for any unusual moles or signs that there may be skin cancer. They will test your reflexes, balance, and nerve function to see if there are any early signs of neuropathy.
- Musculoskeletal Assessment: Your posture, gait, joint mobility, and muscle strength are also evaluated.
Men-Specific Examinations
A man’s annual physical exam includes examinations specific to male anatomy and health concerns such as:
1. Testicular Examination
Your provider checks the testes for any lumps, masses, or asymmetry that may be signs of testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men in the 15-35 age group, and when diagnosed early, it is very treatable. Monthly self-examination is also taught and encouraged during this visit.
2. Hernia Check
An inguinal hernia develops when the tissue bulges through a weak area of the abdominal wall into the groin. Inguinal hernias are much more common in men than in women. This is also screened during physical examination by your provider.
3. Prostate Screening Discussion
The health of your prostate is extremely important at the age of 40-50, depending on your risk factors. Men who have a family history of prostate cancer or who are black should start having prostate cancer screenings at a younger age, usually 40.
PSA blood test is done to check for a protein in the blood that increases when the prostate is inflamed, enlarged, or cancerous. The decision to test depends on your age, family history, and talking with your provider about the risks and benefits.
A digital rectal examination DRE may also be done to examine the prostate directly for size, texture, and irregularities.
The Best Blood Tests to Ask For
Blood tests are an essential part of a man’s annual physical exam. Here are some typically ordered tests and what each test is looking for
Advanced Lipid Panel: A standard cholesterol test is outdated. A lipid panel is used to check the levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. These numbers altogether measure your cardiovascular risk
Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP): This checks your kidney function, liver enzymes, and fasting blood sugar.
Hemoglobin A1c & Fasting Insulin: A1c gives a 90-day average of your blood sugar. Fasting insulin checks how hard your pancreas is working to keep your sugar low. This is the most effective way to pick up on pre-diabetes before it appears on a typical test.
Full Thyroid Panel: Your metabolism is regulated by your thyroid. TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 should be measured. In men, unexplained tiredness, weight gain, and hair loss are all due to low thyroid function.
Hormone Panel: This includes total and Free Testosterone, DHEA-S, and Estradiol. Men lose testosterone as they age, but it should not drop so low that you lose your drive, muscle mass, and mental sharpness.
Inflammatory Markers: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) indicates inflammation in your blood vessels, which is a major cause of heart attacks.
Nutrient deficiencies: Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and Iron/Ferritin levels are not routinely assessed in conventional medicine. Low levels of any of these directly result in weakness and tiredness of the muscles.
STI Screening: Sexually transmitted infection screening, which includes HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and hepatitis B and C, is recommended for sexually active men based on risk factors and age.
Urine tests: These tests check for blood, protein, glucose, and infection in the urine. The presence of protein in the urine can be a sign of early kidney disease.
How to Prepare for Your Annual Physical Visit?
To get the most accurate results from your annual checkup, you need to prepare properly:
Fast for 12 hours: Refrain from eating anything after midnight on the night prior. You can drink black coffee or plain water. This guarantees that your blood sugar and cholesterol panel is spot on.
Write down your questions: Once you are in the exam room, it is easy to forget what you wanted to ask. Make a list of your three most important health issues.
Hydrate well: Drink plenty of water the day before and the morning of your visit. This makes it much easier for the phlebotomist to draw your blood and keeps your veins plump.
Take a supplement list: Take a physical list of all vitamins, protein powders, or over-the-counter medications that you take. Certain supplements will give you false test results.
Things Worth Discussing With Your Provider
An annual exam for men should be a completely open discussion on subjects that men tend to avoid or hesitate to discuss:
Erectile Dysfunction and Libido: Do not ignore this! Erectile dysfunction is not a bedroom problem but is actually a major sign of heart disease. Arteries in your penis are smaller than those around your heart. If the small arteries are clogging and causing dysfunction, the arteries around your heart are likely clogging too.
Sleep Quality: Do you snore and get tired after 8 hours of sleep, or experience other sleep difficulties? This is a typical symptom of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing pauses while you sleep. It deprives your brain of oxygen, raises your blood pressure to the max, and kills your testosterone.
Mental Health and Stress: High stress increases cortisol levels. High levels of cortisol cause your body to reduce the amount of testosterone it produces and to begin to accumulate fat around the belly. Don’t hesitate to tell your doctor you are feeling anxious, burnt out, depressed, or overwhelmed.
Bowel Movements: Any changes in your stool, persistent stomach pain, or blood in your stool need to be evaluated immediately to rule out any other inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer.
Schedule Your Men’s Annual Physical Exam Today
If you live in Sugar Land or anywhere in the greater Houston area and are looking for men’s physical exam near you, Kairos Integrative Care is here to offer you comprehensive primary care services for men of all ages.
Lola, one of our integrative primary care nurse practitioners, provides evidence-based chronic disease management, screenings, and personalized treatment plans to help you improve long-term health outcomes.
