Physicals in Grayslake, IL
When it’s time for your child to start school, most schools require a physical before the beginning of the year. This helps make sure that your child is up to date on vaccinations and that they are healthy and can endure activities throughout the school year. It’s important to consider school physicals for every age and make sure that your child is ready for what may come their way. School physicals also help your doctor spot any issues that your child may be dealing with that needs treatment.
Getting a School Physical for Your Child
As your child gets ready to start school, it’s important that they’re getting their annual school physical to make sure that they stay healthy and that issues are caught at an early stage. Each grade has different requirements for physicals and it’s important to understand what that might be. If your child is going into preschool, daycare, or regular school, there are different forms that they may need. You should understand what the requirements might be or know to ask your pediatrician ahead of time.
During a school physical, your child’s pediatrician will check their height and weight. This helps them understand what your child’s body might be like and if there are any adjustments that need to be made to their lifestyle. You can ask any questions that you might have and voice any concerns about your child’s health. They will also have every area of their body checked. This is to make sure that they aren’t dealing with any unnoticed issues. This could be vision issues or asthma. Once a problem is diagnosed, your child’s pediatrician will be able to start treatment as soon as possible.
Types of Physicals
Mundelein Pediatrics in Grayslake, IL explain that your child may require a few different types of physicals, so we will define each.
Sports or Camp Physical: This physical is required if your child wants to go to camp and screen your child for pre-existing medical conditions to keep them safe. These physicals are good for one year. Bathe and shampoo the night before and wear comfortable clothing.
Sports Physical: This physical exam ensures your child can play school sports safely and prevent injuries. A sports physical is more in-depth than a school physical. The doctor will,
- Examine your child
- Talk about their health and medical history
- Screens for high-risk conditions for injury/illness/health problems
- Enhances safety
Physical Exam: This examination, known as a well-check is done yearly and evaluates the child's general health.
There are benefits to having a sport physical, such as enhancing muscles/bone strength/controlling weight/improving circulation/reducing blood pressure/improving immunity/reducing bad cholesterol.
Your child should have a bath and shampoo the night before and wear comfortable clothing. Encourage your child to answer health questions.
During your physical, the doctor can ask many questions about your medical history and do a physical exam from head to toe. The doctor will screen for the following:
- Alcohol/tobacco/drug use
- Allergies/asthma
- Fitness level
- Fainting history
- Eating habits/weight
- Immunizations
- Medications taken
- Menstruation history
- Mental health history
- Surgeries/fractures/concussions
- Access vision/hearing/nose/throat
- Access muscular/skeletal systems
- Access abdomen
- Listen to heart/lungs
- Document height/weight
- Blood pressure/heart rate