School physicals are key

The end of the summer is fast approaching and that means a return to school can’t be far behind. Get your child ready to start a healthy and successful school year by scheduling their annual school physical.

These annual exams are a good way to track your child’s growth, update immunizations and catch any developing health concerns early.

Routine school physicals may include:

• Height and weight measurement: Helps track changes from the previous year.
• Pulse and blood pressure: Helps diagnose high blood pressure or determine risk of heart disease.
• Eye examination/vision test: Helps diagnose eye infections and test eye reflexes.
• Ear examination/hearing test: Checks for ear infections and hearing sensitivity.
• Neck examination: Checks for abnormal enlargement or bumps in your lymph nodes and thyroid.
• Breathing examination: Checks for infection, wheezing or fluid in the lungs.
• Oral health examination: Checks for strep throat and viral infections in the throat. They also look at the tongue for signs of dehydration.
• Abdomen examination: Checks for gastrointestinal problems.

These simple examinations give your child’s doctor a good understanding of your child’s overall health and can help them intervene in the early stages of common issues.

During a school physical, your doctor can also make sure they are up to date on their immunizations. Vaccinations are a good way to protect children from commonly spread disease.

Overall, school physicals are an important way to get both a well-rounded check-in on your child’s health and to gain certain protections, through vaccines, against common illnesses spread during the school year.