Even if you eat a nutritious diet and work out consistently, you still need to take care of your health in other ways, like going to the doctor for a routine physical.
During a physical exam, doctors get more insight into how your body’s working, and they can check for certain health risks. These regular checkups are a great preventive tool, and they’re important for your well-being.
But some things that you do before your physical can affect your experience. For example, having certain foods and drinks can temporarily alter your blood work, possibly leading your doctor to assume you have a health issue when you don’t.
To avoid any potential misunderstanding, take a closer look at what not to do before a physical exam, according to doctors.
What Not to Do Before a Physical
It’s a good idea to prepare a list of symptoms and questions for your doctor before a physical. But there are some things not to do before an exam. It’s important to avoid doing the following:
1. Eat a Meal High in Sugar, Salt, or Fat
If you’re going to have your blood taken at your exam, you’ll want to watch what you eat beforehand. (If you’re not sure whether your physical will include blood work, call your doctor’s office and ask.)
What you eat before a blood test can affect your blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, according to University Hospitals.
“A high-sugar, high-salt, or high-fat meal before a physical can cause a patient’s blood pressure, blood sugar, or blood lipid tests to be temporarily abnormal,” says Sujay Pathak, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. “This might make it look like the patient has diseases that they don’t really have.”
For this reason, most doctors recommend that you start fasting the night before your physical.
“It’s best to avoid eating for 8 to 12 hours prior to getting blood work to ensure an accurate result,” Dr. Pathak says. This will give your body enough time to fully absorb and digest food.
Ideally, you’d schedule your physical and blood work for early in the morning — say, 8 a.m. — so you can simply stop eating after dinner and delay breakfast until after your appointment.
Use of prescription medications, vitamins, and supplements may also affect the accuracy of your blood tests, according to University Hospitals. So, make sure your doctor knows if you’re taking any of these — and don’t stop taking any prescription meds unless your doctor advises it.
2. Drink Too Little or Too Much Water
Being dehydrated may influence your blood test results.
“When patients get blood work in a dehydrated state, it can falsely raise concerns about their kidney function,” Pathak says. “But drinking too much water can also cause electrolyte problems.”
For good health, and an accurate blood test, Pathak recommends drinking between six to eight glasses of water per day.
Staying hydrated may also make it easier to take your blood. Water keeps your veins hydrated. (It “plumps” them up.) So, drinking H2O can help the nurse or technician locate them faster, according to Cleveland Clinic.
3. Drink Alcohol
“Alcohol on the night or day before a physical can elevate blood pressure or blood sugar, again raising concerns for conditions you may not really have,” Pathak says.
Alcohol might also affect your test results by altering your liver enzymes, according to University Hospitals.
Plus, if you have a horrible hangover or you’re under the influence, you’re less likely to provide accurate information about your health, says William Li, MD, author of Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer. And if you’re not thinking clearly, you may have a hard time understanding your doctor, or you may miss important details about your care.
4. Drink Caffeine
Turns out, the caffeine in your morning cup of joe could cause a brief jump in your blood pressure.
While the connection between caffeine and raised blood pressure isn’t fully understood, there are two possible theories: Caffeine may hinder a hormone that helps widen your arteries, or it may signal your adrenal glands to emit more adrenaline, according to Mayo Clinic.
Still, every person is different, and the effects of caffeine on blood pressure can vary from person to person. For example, most habitual coffee drinkers are accustomed to caffeine, so they may have only a slight increase in their blood pressure (such as by one or two points), according to Harvard Health Publishing.
If you think your coffee might be spiking your blood pressure, take a baseline blood pressure reading before you drink a cup of coffee and then another one-and-a-half to two hours later. If your reading rises by 5 to 10 points, you may be sensitive to the side effects of caffeine, according to Mayo Clinic.
To reduce the risk of an inaccurate blood pressure reading at your physical, include caffeine in your fast before your exam.
While your coffee may affect your blood pressure, it likely won’t affect your blood tests — that is, unless you drink coffee with creamers or sweetener. Those ingredients “can throw off your blood work just like a high-sugar or high-fat meal would,” Pathak says.
So, if you’re planning to get blood work, “try not to add sugar or dairy to your brew,” Dr. Li says.
5. Work Out Right Before Your Appointment
Regular exercise is good for your overall health, but hitting the gym too hard right before your physical isn’t a good idea.
“Many of my patients have had their blood work raise concerns of liver problems when the real culprit was heavy weightlifting or very high–intensity cardio in the days prior to their appointments,” Pathak says.
“The enzymes that leak from muscles after a strenuous workout are the same enzymes that leak from damaged livers, but a patient’s blood work can’t tell the difference,” he adds.
What’s more, a sweat session right before a fasting blood test may also alter your cholesterol and blood sugar test results, according to University Hospitals.
In other words, save the HIIT workout or heavy lifting for after your appointment.
6. Come Unprepared to Talk About Your Medical History
Sharing info about any hospitalizations or medical issues that you’ve dealt with in the past (or since your last visit, especially) can give your doctor a better idea of your current health risks.
“The more information you have about your personal and family history, the better,” Pathak says.
Also, come prepared to discuss the basic health histories of your parents, siblings, grandparents, and children, he says. This includes anything that’s cropped up since your last appointment.
“But don’t stress about this,” Li says. Your doctor will appreciate any information you have. If you tend to get a little nervous at the doctor’s office (which is very common), try writing down your health history beforehand. This will make you less likely to forget anything important.
According to the National Institute on Aging, it’s a good idea to include the following info when you make a list:
- Past illnesses, operations, and medical conditions
- A list of other doctors you see now or have seen in the past
- A list of all your prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, herbal remedies, or supplements and the doses you take
You can also ask to have the medical history form sent to you before your appointment, so you can fill it out without feeling rushed.
7. Skimp on Sleep the Night Before
“A sleepless night could affect your blood pressure, and possibly more importantly, your ability to properly relay your medical history,” Pathak says.
But don’t worry if you were tossing and turning the night before. While restful sleep is ideal for a physical, it’s not absolutely necessary, he says.
“Do your best to get a good night’s sleep before you come in, but definitely don’t cancel the appointment if you can’t sleep for some reason,” Pathak says.
Just let your doctor know so they can make a note of it. Or they can help you sleep better if you haven’t been getting quality shut-eye well for a while.
What Happens at a Physical?
Every doctor does physical exams a little differently, but there are some common things you can expect to happen during any physical, Pathak says.
You can expect to:
- Answer general questions about your personal and family health history. Your answers are often collected in a pre-visit form.
- Discuss your habits and self-care. For instance, your doctor might ask you how much exercise and sleep you get, or what you eat on a regular basis.
- Answer questions about your specific health risks. Your doctor might ask you if you use alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. They also might ask about your sexual history.
- Receive a physical exam. “The ‘physical’ part of the physical exam typically follows a strict pattern,” Li says. “Doctors first check your head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat,” he says, “then, your lungs, heart, and abdomen, [followed by] your muscles, reflexes, nervous system, and skin.” Sometimes, the doctor will do a prostate or cervical exam as well.
- Get basic blood tests. These check your cholesterol, electrolytes, and liver and kidney functions. They also check for any sexually transmitted diseases. You might have your blood taken at the appointment, or your doctor may order these tests to be done at another time, sometimes at an off-site lab.
- Get shots and screenings (sometimes). “Depending on a patient’s age, cancer screenings or vaccines may be suggested, too,” Pathak says.
If you come to your exam with any specific concerns or signs of a certain medical issue, you may need a more-detailed exam focused on those things, Li says.
Also, certain factors like time constraints and insurance issues may also cause your doctor to set a follow-up appointment, Pathak says.
How Often Should You Get a Physical?
An annual physical is standard for many people, but you might need less-frequent exams if you’re in good health.
“Talk to your doctor about how often you need to be seen for checkups,” Pathak says. “If you’re a young, healthy patient, your doctor might say a visit every two to three years is perfectly adequate.”
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