In this on-demand world, it’s sometimes easier to skip your scheduled checkups and only call your doctor or head to an urgent care center when you’re sick. But this can have long-lasting consequences on your overall health.
The Centers for Disease Control report that Americans use preventive services about half of the recommended rate. But it’s the relationship and the intimate knowledge shared between the patient and physician that enables high quality, patient-centered care. Physicians need to see you regularly to head off problems before they get out of control.
Preventive care allows your physician to monitor your weight and blood sugar levels which are indicators for diabetes and to track your blood pressure and cholesterol levels that can greatly impact your risk for heart disease and stroke.Vaccinations – like for meningitis and HPV that are recommended for both young males and females–are key to preventing major infections and some infections that could possibly lead to future cancers.
The best way to fight illness is to develop a relationship with your physician, and that means keeping a yearly medical checkup.The better we know you and the intricacies of your medical, personal and social history, the better we can identify changes that are harmful to your health and work with you to overcome them.
Do you have a primary care physician you trust? CHI Memorial Medical Group has primary care physicians who welcome new patients.