Preventive health care services include checkups, patient counseling and screenings to help prevent illness, disease and other underlying health issues that might otherwise go undetected. Preventive health care is meant to keep healthy people healthy.
Detecting health-related issues before they get out of hand gives you a better chance of a full recovery. While you may not think about going to the doctor unless you’re sick, consider yearly check-ups. Preventive measures like these will help you live a healthier, fuller life so you can keep doing the things you love most.
Our family medicine expert, Farhan Rehman, MD, is here to let you in on some of the many benefits of preventive health care and why it’s so important to stay on top of your health:
Increased Longevity
We all want to live a long, healthy life and preventive health care services can help make that a reachable goal. The more proactive you are, the better prepared you’ll be.
Dr. Rehman advises, “Make sure you’re scheduling important screening tests. These age-appropriate tests will give you a good sense of your health every step of the way. This is one of the best ways to prevent cancer, diabetes, mental illness and much more.”
Costs Less Over Time
By catching health problems early, you can save you money in the long run by lowering the long-term cost of disease management. If you wait on fixing a health issue, medical bills can skyrocket.
Preventative health care can also save you money through full insurance coverage. Most insurance will cover your preventative services. Take advantage of no deductibles, copay, coinsurance or other out-of-pocket expenses that may be included in your insurance plan. “Be sure to check what your plan covers first,” Dr. Rehman reminds us.
Immunizations Prevent Infections
Immunizations are an important part of preventing infectious diseases.
Aside from the common flu vaccine, vaccinations prevent infections like polio, measles, mumps, diphtheria and other harmful viruses like COVID-19.
Immunizations can be nerve-wracking for some, but research has shown that vaccines are safe for most people.
Live an Active Life
When you’re held back from activities, your health can suffer. According to Dr. Rehman, “Routine physical exams can help you understand your body and identify areas that need improvement. The body wants to heal itself in most cases of injury or illness, and remaining in good physical health is essential to allow this natural healing to take place.”
Remember to get the go-ahead from your doctor based on your current health status before starting a new exercise plan.
Provider Recommendations
When you’ve scheduled your appointment, your provider will give you a full scope of your potential health risks. These physician recommendations are a valuable tool and one of the benefits of preventative care.
Doctors can ask important questions about your family medical and social history. This can be a telltale sign of something you may need to check up on.
For patients with chronic conditions, your doctor can make recommendations to help prevent your disease from worsening and maximize your quality of life. Make sure to take your provider’s recommendations to heart and follow through with your part.
Get a Handle on Health Challenges
The running theme of preventive care is catching issues before they become big problems.
“If you have an underlying health issue, controlling the risk factors of different causes of premature death can’t happen without preventive care. This could mean things like not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and safe exercise routines,” says Dr. Rehman. All these elements can be developed and built upon after a preventive care visit.
Collective Benefits of Preventive Health Care
Improving the metrics and system of health care overall makes for better treatment for you and others. This means the more people who take advantage of preventive health care, the more effective these services become.
Dr. Rehman explains it best: “Proper health care plays a crucial role in the delivery of care. Without information, we can’t have causation. This means the more people willing to visit the doctor early before a situation gets worse will lead to better health care for all.”
We Take Your Whole Health Seriously
These are only some of the benefits of preventive health care. There are dozens of other reasons you should make your annual visit with your primary care provider a priority.
Since “life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans,” take the time to pay attention to your body, mind and spirit and what they need to keep the whole you thriving. We’ll support you every step of the way.
To find a primary care provider or schedule a visit with yours, visit us here. You deserve to feel whole.
