School and Sports Physicals in Kissimmee, Poinciana, Orlando, & St. Cloud, FL
As our children grow, they are closely monitored by their pediatrician to ensure they hit all their developmental and growth milestones. However, older children who begin playing sports for their schools require a fresh clean bill of health from their doctor. Learn about school physicals and why they are important with your child’s pediatrician at Pediatrics of Central Florida, PA.
What is a School Physical?
A physical will consist of your child’s pediatrician taking measurements of their height, weight and blood pressure. Additionally, your child’s pediatrician may also check their eyes, flexibility, heart and lungs, ears, nose and throat, and feel for abdominal abnormalities. Your pediatrician will also administer any necessary vaccinations required by the school during the physical. Family and medical history help your pediatrician gather more information to fully assess your child’s overall health.
Why is a School Physical necessary?
Some schools or sports teams require that your child undergo a routine physical examination by their pediatrician before admitting them. Children go through many physical and developmental changes in their early years, making properly monitoring these changes important to your child’s health. A routine school physical rules out any major health concerns and catches any problems early.
If your child’s school or sports team requires a school physical before admittance, Pediatrics of Central Florida can help you ensure your child meets all the requirements. Most physicals take only a few minutes and provide a clean bill of health for peace of mind in addition to school requirements. Physicals also help doctors ensure that your child has all their correct vaccinations to protect against various diseases. Vaccinations also keep others safe from diseases, making them an important part of your child’s and other children’s health.
What is the purpose of a Sports Physicals?
A sports physical, also referred to by some schools as a pre-participation physical examination (PPE), is a comprehensive health exam performed by our team of pediatricians to make sure that your child is healthy enough to play sports. Your child’s sports physical is separate from their annual examination and won’t take the place of their yearly wellness checkup.
What is involved in a Sports Physical?
When your child comes in will take your child’s blood pressure, weight and height and vitals. We will also perform a quick vision screening. From there, our pediatricians will take over, going through your medical history and asking any questions about past illnesses, hospitalizations, injuries or surgeries. Details about your child’s medical history can help us pinpoint possible issues early on so that we prevent complications in the future.
Once we’ve gone through your child’s medical history, we will perform a thorough physical examination, checking their heart, lungs, stomach and musculoskeletal system to check for any signs of asthma, a heart murmur or past injuries that could impact their ability to play sports.
Why are Sports Physicals so important for my child?
Detecting health problems through these physical examinations doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t play sports; however, it’s important to identify health issues early on in your child so that we can provide them with medication, lifestyle changes and even modifications to their current activities to prevent serious health complications.
For example, a child with asthma may be prescribed both a daily and a rescue inhaler to help control their symptoms throughout the day, even when playing sports. By providing your child with the medications and treatment they need now, we can prevent serious complications from happening.
Since your child’s health can change dramatically in just one year, it’s important that you bring your child into our office for their sports physical every year, approximately 4-6 weeks before the start of the school year.