Preventive care protects your health before you feel sick

Seeing your doctor for preventive care, especially when you already feel healthy, is the best way to take control of your health. It lets you and your doctor work together to stay ahead of illness by catching small issues before they turn into major problems.

People who get preventive care have a lower chance of needing expensive emergency room visits or hospital stays. Visiting your doctor regularly even when you don’t feel sick lets you make early changes to manage issues like high blood pressure that helps avoid more serious problems, such as a heart attack.

What is preventive care?

Preventive care is health care you get before you have a health problem. It often includes:

• Checking blood pressure, weight and height
• Talking to your doctor about habits like exercise, nutrition and drinking
• Screening for cancers
• Getting vaccines
• Testing bone density

When I see a patient for preventive care, I also offer screenings and tests based on who they are and where they are in life, tailored to their age, family health history and other personal details.

Catching small signs before they turn into big problems

One of the most important parts of my job as a family physician is helping patients understand their personal health risks. During a routine annual checkup, your doctor will look at things like your blood pressure, lab results, family history and lifestyle.

From there, we can estimate your risk for health problems like heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Then you’ll make a plan together to avoid those conditions so you can keep doing the activities you enjoy as long as possible.

‘I feel fine. Do I really need a checkup?’

I’ve had new patients whose first words to me are, “I haven’t seen a doctor in 10 years, by the way.” Sometimes it’s because they didn’t understand why they should see a doctor when they felt healthy. Other times it’s because they didn’t have health insurance or they didn’t know that most insurance plans cover annual wellness visits for no extra cost.

If that’s your situation, don’t worry. No doctor I know has ever turned away a patient for missing out on preventive care earlier. We’ll welcome you through our doors. We want to meet you where you’re at, help you understand your health and show you how to reach your personal health goals.

Don’t stay away just because you haven’t noticed any health problems. Many serious conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers, start quietly without making you feel sick at first.

Regular doctor visits when you’re healthy can make all the difference. Researchers found that up to 100,000 lives could be saved every year if everyone in the United States got the preventive care that experts recommend.

Schedule a preventive care visit today

Getting regular preventive care is the easiest, most effective way to protect your health.

Don’t wait until you feel sick. If you haven’t had a checkup in a while, find a doctor and make an appointment today so you can start working together on a personalized plan to stay healthy.