What are the common medical examination misunderstandings?

Here are some common medical exam mistakes:

Ignoring family history:

Some people are reluctant to tell their doctors about their family medical history during physical examinations, thinking that they have no possibility of genetic diseases. However, some diseases are hereditary, and if you don't know your family medical history, you may miss the opportunity for early prevention and treatment.

Not paying attention to lifestyle:

Some people only focus on their physical health when they have a physical examination, but ignore the impact of their lifestyle. For example, bad habits such as staying up late, smoking, drinking, and unhealthy eating will have a negative impact on physical health and need to be corrected in time.

Just check the big picture, but ignore the eyes, ears and nose:

Many people tend to only focus on the examination of the internal organs during physical examinations, such as blood tests, urine tests, and CT scans, but ignore the ears, nose, eyes, etc., which results in minor diseases of these "small" organs becoming major diseases only after they show obvious symptoms. For example, nasopharyngeal cancer has no symptoms in the early stages, and many patients are discovered during physical examinations. Even the simplest height and weight are important, because BMI (body mass index) is also an important indicator for judging metabolic syndrome.

Fear of abnormal results:

For example, thyroid nodules are very common, but most of them are benign nodules. According to the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS), thyroid nodules of categories 1 to 3 are considered benign and require regular physical examinations. The risk of malignancy for nodules of category 4 and above gradually increases. If microcalcifications, aspect ratios greater than 1, irregular borders, and low echoes appear in the results of thyroid ultrasound examinations, vigilance should be increased. It is recommended to go to a specialist for further evaluation. Physical examination results show that liver and kidney cysts are relatively common, usually without symptoms, and do not affect liver and kidney function. Simple cysts are benign lesions. They can be single or multiple, mostly congenital, and generally do not become malignant.

As the cyst grows, there is a small chance of rupture or secondary infection.

If the diameter of liver cysts and kidney cysts exceeds 5cm, minimally invasive surgery may be considered. It is recommended to conduct regular color Doppler ultrasound examinations of the liver and kidneys. Abnormal tumor markers The sensitivity and specificity of tumor markers are not 100% and will be affected by many factors. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is generally believed to be related to liver cancer, but the index will also increase when tested in pregnant women. Normal tumor marker indicators cannot completely rule out malignant tumors. In short, the correct concept of physical examination should be comprehensive and scientific. It should not only pay attention to physical health, but also pay attention to the influence of lifestyle and family medical history. At the same time, it is also necessary to find a professional doctor to understand the necessity and significance of various examination items in order to make the right choice.