Driver’s Physical Exam—What, When, Where?

It’s been over a century since the first cars hit the streets across the Europe and the United States, and technology has undeniably come a long way from those first automobiles.  Now cars, trucks and buses are an integral part of our transportation system and economy, delivering people and goods across continents with greater comfort and speed than ever before. Still, with such great volume comes danger; in 2010, 32,885 people died in traffic crashes in the United States. It is obvious then, that the Department of Transportation would want to prevent as many accidents as possible, and one of the best ways to do it is to make sure that drivers, particularly of large vehicles, are in tip-top shape before hitting the road.  Enter the DOT physical exam, a prerequisite for certification of commercial drivers. Here’s what’s required:

A Department of Transportation (DOT) physical examination is required to obtain certain types of commercial driver’s licenses.  People who operate a commercial vehicle with a combination weight rating over 10,000 pounds, drivers operating a vehicle transporting sixteen or more passengers, and drivers operating vehicles for the transportation of hazardous materials all need to have a physical as a component of their DOT certification.

The Department of Transportation uses standardized forms to be filled out by a physician as proof of a physical exam, so it’s important that you print out the paperwork and bring it with you to your exam appointment. Additionally, the DOT form has a medical history section to be filled out by the patient prior to examination.  The medical history questionnaire addresses health issues like past injuries and diseases, psychological disorders, hearing or vision problems, and other undiagnosed symptoms like dizziness or lower back pain, that could affect your ability to operate a vehicle safely. Be prepared to discuss the information with your walk in clinic doctor in NYC during the exam.

After you discuss your medical history with the doctor, he or she will perform vision and hearing tests. If you wear glasses or hearing aids you should use them during the tests. You must still be able to fulfill the requirements of the examination with your aids, though, so don’t forget to bring your glasses to your appointment! For the vision exam, a driver must have vision in both eyes, must be able to read traffic signs, and must not be colorblind.  For the hearing test, a driver must be able to hear a forced whisper at a distance of five feet or greater. If you pass the vision and hearing tests, the doctor will continue the examination with a routine physical, listening to the heart and lungs, and checking your blood pressure.  The results of your blood pressure test can directly affect the length of your certification, as blood pressure is an important indicator of heart and vascular health.  Patients with a blood pressure level over 140 mmHg can only be certified for one year; those with a pressure level greater than 160 can only be issued a three or six-month certification.  A urine test to check for illicit substances and kidney health is also a routine part of the DOT physical examination.

Assuming everything goes well, a DOT physical examination certification lasts for two years before it must be renewed. But the doctor can also issue a shorter certification with reservations.  The doctor can determine how long the certification is good for (usually three months, six months, or a year) before the driver must return to be evaluated due to a medical condition that must be monitored; the doctor must specify the specific condition on the certification form.

If you’re in New York City and need to get DOT physical exam in NYC, you can get same-day certification at the Physical Exam Center of New York.  At Physical Exam Center NYC, you can get your driver’s physical exam at an appointment time convenient for you, right in midtown Manhattan, with affordable rates, even if you don’t have insurance. Get cleared for safety, log onto Urgent Care New York and get in the driver’s seat by calling (212) 686-5900 today! 

Wondering When to See a Doctor for UTI?

UTIs, also known as lower urinary tract infections (UTIs) are unfortunately a common medical issue.  In fact, more than half of women will have a UTI in their lifetime, and UTIs are prone to recurrence.  Symptoms can range from mild to severe depending on the person, so people experiencing milder symptom sets often wonder whether they should wait to see if the infection clears up before going to a doctor.  But while an infection generally isn’t serious and is easily treatable, it could lead to more serious complications, so it’s important to stay informed before deciding whether to wait or seek medical attention.

A bladder infection is caused when bacteria enter the bladder—usually through the urethra, but also rarely through the bloodstream—causing inflammation.  The main bacteria that cause infections are E. coli, but some other types of bacteria, including the causal bacteria of chlamydia, have been known to cause them as well.  Symptoms include burning or pain during urination, the frequent urge to urinate, and lower back or pubic bone pain. 

Deciding how serious symptoms of a UTI are may depend on your gender.  While women are prone to infections due to the female anatomy and the urethra’s proximity to the vagina and anus, UTIs in men are rare. Sometimes, a bladder infection for a man could be indicative of a more serious medical problem, like an obstruction of the urinary tract, so men should take these symptoms seriously and contact a doctor.  But, since they experience them more often, women sometimes attempt to treat bladder infection themselves with natural or over-the-counter remedies.  Being checked out by a doctor is the safest and fastest way to curing a bladder infection, but if the symptoms begin appearing at night or on the weekend—times when most traditional doctors’ offices don’t keep hours—there are some available treatment options for use until you can be seen by a professional in a medical office in NYC. 

Drinking a large amount of water is advisable, as it may flush some of the bacteria out of the bladder. Cranberry juice and cranberry extract is known to fight E. coli bacteria, and if taken early on, may prevent the E. coli from adhering to the bladder walls, therefore preventing the infection from taking hold.  Over-the-counter remedies, the most popular probably being AZO tablets, don’t cure UTIs, but they can ease the pain and frequent urge to urinate. (They also turn your urine bright orange, so don’t be alarmed!) You can also buy over-the-counter home test kits, which measure for the presence of white blood cells and E. coli in the urine, two signs of an infection that internist NYC test for.

However, leaving a bladder infection untreated can lead to serious health problems like kidney infections, which could cause permanent kidney damage or a blood infection.  Symptoms of a kidney infection, in addition to painful and frequent urination, also include fever, nausea, vomiting and bloody urine.  A kidney infection could require hospitalization, so to avoid these potential complications, doctors suggest seeking medical care as soon as possible after you experience symptoms of a UTI, rather than waiting to see if it clears by itself.  UTIs are generally treated with a simple course of oral antibiotics, and usually clear up in about six days.

If you’re experiencing the symptoms of a UTI, the sooner you can begin UTI treatment NYC, the better, so if you’re in the New York City area, you should consider the Walk-in Clinic of NYC.  At urgent care New York, you can get a same day appointment with a board certified doctor; the clinic also offers evening and weekend appointment hours, so you can get on your way to feeling better as soon as possible, with affordable care even if you don’t have health insurance.  Call Walk-in Clinic NYC for an appointment today at (212) 696-5900.