There are several reasons you or your loved ones may need to visit your doctor and while some are routine, others can help you catch things before anything starts or becomes serious.
If/When You Are Sick
When you are feeling under the weather, you may need to seek assistance from your Primary Care Physician (PCP) to get medications to help you feel better. Some illnesses are easy to prescribe medicine for while other types of illnesses could be more serious. When you have any symptoms that you believe could be serious, reach out to your doctor. You should always go to your PCP when you are not feeling well. This same logic should be applied to your mental health, too. If you are struggling to get mentally well, your doctor can refer you to someone who can help. This applies for children, too, because their immune systems are not like adults and can be weaker with different illnesses.
When You Are Taking Medicine
Follow-up appointments are typically set after starting a new prescription to see how the medication is affecting you and your body. Some side effects of prescribed medications can be serious, so you will want to make those visits a priority.
Wellness Visits
We all know that annual exams and routine blood work are important to keep an eye on the body’s health. The blood taken for testing is used to find any abnormalities in your body that you may not be aware of such as sexually transmitted diseases, any type of cancer and even pregnancies. Getting routine labs done is an important part to any wellness exam. The physical part of the annual exams focuses more on just that, physical health. Your doctor may check your breathing, heart rate, skin abnormalities, etc. to make sure your body is in great shape on the outside. During these visits, your primary care physician may also check for cholesterol, height and weight and blood pressure. All of this is routine and appears to be for no reason when you are in good health, but it serves a greater purpose for your health and wellness. This applies to children and adults; you cannot ignore these appointments.
Dental Exam
This is a visit that is important to do about every 6 months. At these visits, depending on why you are there, you can expect teeth cleaning, teeth whitening and some light scraping. If you notice that your teeth are becoming more sensitive, book an appointment with your dentist. Individuals who have braces, need to make sure that they stick to their routine and follow-up appointments as much as possible for many reasons as it relates to tightening your braces, for example.
All in all, remember to keep your annual exams, follow up appointments and always go to the doctor when you are not feeling well mentally or physically. Keep your health and wellness a priority for you and your loved ones.
