Maryland’s Health Matters - BWMC - Spring 2016 - 9

Ace Your Checkup
These quick tests reveal a lot about your health

D

uring an annual physical or

EAR THERMOMETER:

checkup with your primary

This quickly and accu-

"If it's your first
time meeting with

care physician, you're sub-

rately measures your body temperature.

your primary care

ject to a variety of tests

Normal body temperature is around

provider, come

and assessments. These

98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. A higher tem-

prepared to discuss

are done to check your overall health

perature may indicate that your body is

other aspects of

and make sure you don't have medical

fighting an infection.

your well-being to

problems of which you are unaware.

help provide a big-

So what exactly is the physician

ger picture of your

looking for, and what do all those
numbers mean? Ace your checkup

SPHYGMOMANOMETER:

health, such as your

A device with an inflatable

current medica-

Ricardo
Osorno, MD

by knowing what the following instru-

rubber cuff, this is used to gauge your

tions, medical and surgical history, and

ments are investigating:

blood pressure (BP). Your provider will

a family history of certain diseases,"

tell you your top and bottom numbers.

says Ricardo Osorno, MD, internist with

A normal reading should be less than

the University of Maryland Community

SCALE: Your provider

"120 over 80." It's important to measure

Medical Group-Primary Care. 

records your weight to ensure

BP because over time, if high BP is left

you are in a healthy range, and to track

untreated, it can damage your arteries,

any significant year-to-year changes

heart and other organs.

that may be a sign of an underlying
health condition.

PULSE OXIMETER:
This tool is used to easily

STETHOSCOPE: Providers

measure the oxygen level of your blood,

use this to listen to your

revealing how well oxygen is being sent

heartbeat, breathing and internal organ

to parts of your body farthest from your

movements. This helps them detect

heart, such as the legs and arms. An

abnormalities that might need attention.

oxygen level of greater than 95 percent

SCHEDULE YOUR
CHECKUP TODAY!
To make an appointment
with a primary care provider
at the University of Maryland
Community Medical Group,
call 410-553-8090.

is generally considered to be normal.
This information can be used for many
reasons, including checking your ability
to handle increased levels of activity.

mybwmc.org | Spring 2016

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland’s Health Matters - BWMC - Spring 2016
