Preventative Health Care

We all know that staying healthy is the way to a long and happy life.  Eating the right foods, exercising, getting enough sleep and maintaining a positive outlook can really keep you on the right healthy track.  But there’s another thing that is equally as important: preventative health care.  Talking with your doctor about issues when they arise is good, but preventing those issues from forming in the first place can be even more beneficial to you.

For both men and women, routine yearly check ups that include testing and screenings can help prevent medical problems later on.  Some recommended screenings are:

• BMI measurements
• Blood pressure check
• Glucose screening
• Cholesterol test
• Tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse screenings
• Skin exam
• Women are encouraged to have yearly Pap tests and pelvic exams
•  Men and women both are recommended to have further yearly testing or screening depending on age.  Some of those tests include:
  • Mammograms
  • Osteoporosis screenings
  • Colorectal cancer screenings
  • Prostate exam
  • Immunizations for the flu and/or other preventable illnesses such as pneumonia or shingles

Discussing your health with your doctor when you are well is a great resource for both you and your doctor.  It helps give your doctor a good baseline to help determine what is wrong with you if your health does take a turn for the worse.

If you would like to discuss how your health insurance will pay for preventative health care, be sure to call us.  We can review your policy to see what is covered and what is not.  Most preventative checkup visits with your doctor will be covered, but some tests and screening may not be.  Staying on top of your health, along with maintaining a steady diet of healthy food and exercise is a great thing.

*