Routine school physicals are essential because they help students, parents, and educational institutions avoid numerous problems. The following are seven problems students, parents, and schools can avoid with routine school physicals.  

Development of unhealthy habits in students

During a physical, a school nurse can become aware of any unhealthy habits that a student is developing and advise them to make pertinent changes regarding issues like diet and exercise.

When students establish healthy habits at a young age, this tends to benefit them enormously later in life. School physicals give students a great opportunity to learn how they can best take care of themselves by kicking unhealthy habits.

Increased likelihood of sports injuries

One of the most important reasons why school physicals are required is to gauge a student's physical suitability for athletic activity.

Being involved in school athletics can put certain demands on a growing child's body. It's important to perform a physical exam of a student to make sure that he or she isn't particularly susceptible to dangerous sports injuries before being enrolled in school sports. 

Challenges regarding academic performance

Certain mental and physical health problems that can be detected in a school physical can hold a child back academically. 

For example, conditions such as ADHD may detract from a student's ability to concentrate in class. When it comes to physical health problems, vision and hearing challenges can make school more challenging. 

It's important to detect conditions that create academic challenges and treat them promptly so that a student can achieve his or her full potential academically. 

Neglect of needed medical treatments

Without school physicals, it's possible that a student could be unknowingly suffering from a health condition that can get worse over time. This can make it so that a student suffers unnecessarily and experiences deteriorating health from a treatable health condition. 

Tendencies to avoid bringing up health concerns

A lot of young students are shy about discussing their bodies and their physical health. During a school physical, many students are more comfortable discussing their bodies so that they get the knowledge and treatments they need to achieve optimum health. 

Problems with controlling weight

One of the biggest health problems among young children in the United States is weight control. Students can suffer from health issues due to weight issues such as obesity and anorexia. It's important for students to get the resources they need to maintain a healthy weight through routine school physicals. 

Spread of contagious illnesses at educational institutions

Contagious illnesses can rapidly spread through educational institutions if they are not detected and addressed promptly.

During routine school physicals, health care personnel at schools can discover contagious illnesses such as strep throat, head lice, or pink eye and have affected students promptly treated. 

Share