Importance of Preventive Care
Preventive Care is crucial key element to your overall health. As stated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 7 out of 10 Americans die every year from chronic diseases most of which are actually preventable. Preventive care allows for diseases and illnesses to be caught early on, which can help individuals better control or even avoid their health issues all together.
Preventive healthcare includes but is not limited to; tests, exams and staying up to date on immunizations. Getting these test and exams done can help to detect and issues early on and possibly keep them from becoming chronic or deadly conditions.
Preventive care will not only allow you to be healthier and catch problems early on, which can allow you to live longer, but it will also allow you to pay less for medical expenses. Preventive care can save you money in a few different ways.
- Preventative services are covered in full due to the Affordable Care Act or ACA, this means they are free so long as you have health insurance and see an in-network provider.
- Preventive care will help to lower any long-term costs of managing a disease by catching issues in an earlier stage when many diseases are more able to be treated.
Here are a few specific examples of preventive care:
Obesity Screening and Counseling: The physicians of Suntree Internal Medicine want to help you achieve a healthy weight by going over what your options are as far as the best approach to getting healthy. Get your body mass index (BMI) reviewed and identify other possible health risks.
Immunization Vaccines: Some adults are surprised to find out that there is a vaccine schedule advised by the CDC for “adults” (not just children). Several immunizations are included such as whooping cough, the flu, diphtheria, tetanus and more. Come in and speak with one of our physicians today about your recommended vaccine schedule.
Wellness Visits: A wellness visit or annual exam, as it is more commonly referred to; is a great tool for preventive care. At this type of visit a caring professional and your physician at Suntree Internal Medicine will check your weight, height, heart rate and blood pressure. You may also get a fasting blood draw, this can check your glucose levels and cholesterol.
Breast Cancer Screening: Receiving mammograms on the recommended schedule is important for women. Often times, women can survive breast cancer if it can be found and treated in early stages. Women should bring up mammograms to their doctor when they are approaching the age of 40, even earlier if you have had a family member who had breast cancer or lumps/masses found in the breasts. It is advised by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) that women who are between the ages of 50-74 receive a mammogram every 2 years.
Type Two Diabetes Screening: When someone has diabetes, it can only be managed, not cured. If you do not take the necessary precautions to manage your diabetes, it could lead to other health problems. There is good news though: it is preventable! To find out about your risk for type two diabetes, call our office and schedule an appointment to discuss with your provider at our Melbourne office today. You will be well on your way to preventing this with a healthy diet and of course regular exercise.
If you haven’t been following through with preventive healthcare, now is a great time to start. Call our Internal Medicine office today located on Wickham Road in Melbourne to schedule an appointment. We are just a short drive from Viera and Merritt Island.
