Doctor Patient's Patient Standard Blood Medical Physicals Person

Doctors check many things during an annual physical, depending on a patient's "health history" (records of what kinds of medical problems a person has had in the past). But all "standard" (typical; common) physicals begin with a conversation where the doctor asks the patient how he or she feels and whether the patient is aware of any problems.

A standard physical for an adult includes "weighing" (determining how heavy something is) the patient. If the weight has increased or decreased "significantly" (in an important way), the doctor usually discusses "eating habits" (the type and quantity of food one normally eats) and exercise with the patient. The doctor will also determine whether the person is "underweight" (not weighing enough, considering one's height), "overweight" (weighing too much), or "obese" (weighing far too much).

The doctor will also ask questions about the patient's "behavior" (actions), including whether the patient smokes, "drinks" (drinks alcohol), takes drugs, exercises, or has "unsafe sex" (sex without protection from diseases).

The doctor usually looks into the patient's ears, nose, and throat, looking for anything unusual. The doctor uses a "stethoscope" (a device that magnifies the sound of heart beating, with one end touching the patient's chest and the other two ends in the doctor's ears) to listen to the patient's heart and "lungs" (the part of the body that takes oxygen from the air). The doctor also "takes the patient's temperature" (uses a tool to see how hot a person's body is) and uses a "blood pressure cuff" (a device that puts pressure around the upper arm) to measure the patient's blood pressure.

Finally, the doctor may ask the patient to leave blood and "urine" (pee; liquid waste) "samples" (a small amount of something) for testing for infections, blood sugar levels, and other health "indicators" (things that show or reveal something).