What is Preventative Medicine?
In some ways, think of your body like it’s your car. You regularly wash and clean it inside and out. You don’t leave it parked for prolonged periods. You check tire treads/pressures and fluid levels before a road trip. You put in the right kind of gas and follow a recommended schedule of maintenance with a mechanic to keep it running at its best performance.
Keeping the car exterior clean– Dental care and personal cleanliness and sun protection to maintain skin integrity, among other practices are not just for appearance.
Not leaving it parked– Good sleep is important as well as regular daily physical activities, formal exercise routines/weight training, stretching and balancing are beneficial if done correctly to improve strength and reduce falls. Address ergonomic issues at home and in the workplace.
Putting in the right kind of gas– Highly processed foods have too much salt, sugar, non-beneficial oils, added chemicals and preservatives, and/or toxins. Smoking, excess alcohol intake, some alternative supplements, and illegal drugs should be avoided. Overfilling the tank causes excess weight gain. All these will make the body run inefficiently and can cause permanent damage.
- https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/eat-healthy/dietary-guidelines-for-americans/index.html
- https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/index.htm
- https://health.gov/our-work/food-nutrition/2015-2020-dietary-guidelines/guidelines/appendix-9/
Scheduled maintenance– With your initial visit, we will obtain a detailed history, provide an appropriate exam and possibly obtain testing to determine your specific needs and tailor your scheduled maintenance.
There are always opportunities to improve your overall health and well-being. Some infections, chronic medical diseases, and cancers that can be prevented, treated and reversed successfully, slow down the progression, or lessen the severity to negatively impact your life if addressed or found early.
There are immunizations available based on your age, occupations/exposures, sexual activities and health status that may lower your risk for several severe infections, chronic nerve or organ damage, or some cancers. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/adult.html
Smoking cessation, diet and weight management, control of blood pressure, high cholesterol, above normal blood glucose can lower your risk for strokes, arterial blockages, heart and/or lung diseases, liver and/or kidney failure, nerve damage as a partial list. Get regular eye exams as recommended by your eye care specialist. You may need to be screened for sleep apnea, osteoporosis, memory impairment if indicated.
Major impact cancer screenings include regular skin exams, mammograms and pap smears for women, lung cancer screening for select men and women at higher risk, colon cancer screening for men and women.
- https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/prevention/screening.htm
- https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/understanding-tests-that-screen-for-colon-cancer.html
Lastly, what your car does not need, but YOU DO, is overall good mental health and healthy relationships. Be open and discuss any concerns with us.