When planning a visit to our family medicine office, we encourage patients to take time to think about some of the health questions that they have and any concerns that could be bothering them. A family physician is an incredible resource for health-related information. Even though most people visit us because they have a health problem that needs treatment, we do more than treat disease. We can also help to prevent it. By showing patients what steps they can take to improve their health, we can often reduce the likelihood that they will suffer from health problems in the future. As such, plan to have a conversation so that you can benefit from the knowledge we have on how to improve your health.
Here are a few things to ask about when visiting our family medicine office
Am I on the right medications?
Too often patients receive a prescription and continue to take and refill it without ever re-evaluating whether it is continuing to provide the best possible results. Naturally, if it was prescribed in the first place, it was for a particular reason and must be providing some level of results. However, medical innovation is bringing new drugs to the market on a regular basis so there may be something that could be more effective. Ask for a medication review to see if there is.
Could my symptoms be caused by allergies?
Many people are suffering from allergies without realizing it. This is especially true when it comes to food allergies. Some of the health problems that people have can be caused by these underlying allergies to things like dairy or even corn. For example, some people who suffer from asthma-like symptoms are actually suffering from inflammation as a result of an allergic reaction. Knowing this, it could be possible to then avoid that allergen and improve a person’s health. Because of this, we recommend that anyone who is struggling with health problems without a clearly identifiable cause schedule an allergy test. In this case, knowledge is power and once patients realize what they are allergic to, it becomes possible to avoid that allergen and improve health.
Do I need to make any dietary changes?
In our family medicine office, we regularly make dietary recommendations. This is because most of our patients’ diets do not contain the level of nutrition they need for maintaining good health. Things like a lack of fiber or protein can cause health problems. Simply increasing fiber intake can, for example, help to lower cholesterol, so making these subtle dietary changes is incredibly important for a person’s long-term health.
Am I at risk for heart disease?
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in America. Unfortunately, many people wait to find out if they are at risk for this problem. Waiting too long makes it more likely that a person will have a heart attack. Instead, get tested and find out if there are things that can be done today to prevent heart disease.
Schedule an appointment to ask questions
Now is an excellent time to take charge of your health by visiting our family medicine office to find out what you can do to improve your health today and in the future.
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