Is it okay to do routine physical examination during menstruation?

Routine physical examinations are not completely impossible to do when menstruation occurs, but if it is convenient to schedule an appointment, it is recommended to stagger the menstrual period. If you really can't make up the time, you can go as normal. You just need to inform the medical care in advance and avoid items that will be interfered by menstruation.

I used to do a half-year check-up at a private physical examination center, and I met many girls who were extremely anxious when they arrived at the front desk, saying that they had not counted on the good times and missed the period, thinking that today's trip was in vain. In fact, there is really no need. Basic items such as height, weight, blood pressure, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, abdominal liver, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen ultrasound, venous blood test, liver and kidney function, blood lipids, blood sugar, and thyroid function are not affected by menstruation at all, and the results are no different from those done during non-menstrual periods. Last month, there was a girl who was rushing to meet the deadline for the physical examination for the provincial civil service examination. She happened to come to visit her aunt. After explaining the situation to the staff on site, in addition to applying for postponement of urine routine and gynecological examination, all other items were completed on the same day and came to a satisfactory conclusion, so there was no delay in employment.

The reason why people have concerns about "not being able to have physical examinations during menstruation" is mainly because there are indeed a small number of items that are affected by menstruation, and may lead to misleading results. The most common one is urine routine. Even if only a little menstrual blood is mixed in when urinating, the test results will show that the red blood cells exceed the standard. It is easy to be misjudged as an abnormality of the urinary system. It requires an extra trip for a re-examination, which is just a hassle. There are also special gynecological examinations, such as routine leucorrhea, TCT, HPV screening, vaginal ultrasound, etc. The cervix is ​​slightly open during menstruation, so invasive procedures will increase the risk of infection. In addition, the true status of the cervix and vagina cannot be seen clearly when covered with menstrual blood, so it is a waste of money.

Of course, some gynecologists hold different opinions. If you have problems with abnormal menstrual bleeding or severe dysmenorrhea, and you happen to have a routine physical examination during your period, you can explain the situation to the doctor on the spot and conduct targeted examinations. On the contrary, it will be easier to find problems that cannot be detected during non-menstrual periods. However, this is a targeted disease screening and does not fall within the scope of routine health examinations. When we ordinary people do general screening, we should give priority to accurate results and less trouble. It is best to stagger the results.

It’s not a big problem if you can’t change the time. When you go to the physical examination center, tell the examination desk that you are on your period, or apply to postpone the affected items for 1 to 2 weeks. Most physical examination centers allow this operation.； If it is really inconvenient to make up for it, tell the doctor at the test window in advance when doing urine routine. They will mark on the report that you are in your menstrual period. The doctor who finally interprets the report will also take the initiative to eliminate the interference of menstrual blood and will not casually draw abnormal conclusions for you. Don't be too anxious.