You Only Have Your Health

Preventative Medicine To Consider At Your Next Doctor Office Visit

Everyone has been to the doctor when they aren't feeling well, but it's also important to see your doctor to prevent future issues. Preventative medicine does a lot to prevent and catch issues before they turn into life-threatening or life-changing conditions. If you would like to learn more, keep reading.

Vaccinations

One of the best ways to protect yourself from getting sick is with vaccinations. You've probably gotten most of your vaccinations as a child, but even as an adult, there may be some extra vaccinations to consider. First, consider getting the seasonal flu shot to help reduce your risk of getting sick.

However, there are many more types of vaccines to consider as an adult, including tetanus, human papillomavirus, pneumococcal conjugate, hepatitis A and B, and much more. Keep in mind that some vaccines require multiple doses, and you won't be fully vaccinated until you've received all doses.

Regular Blood Tests

As you get older, your doctor may also recommend regular blood tests to see what's going on inside your body. One of the most common areas to test is your cholesterol and triglycerides. Ideally, you want low bad cholesterol and triglycerides and high good cholesterol. However, if your bad cholesterol is high, your doctor can use these tests to suggest diet changes or prescribe medication before you suffer a stroke, heart attack, etc.

Other regular blood tests include complete blood count, metabolic panel, thyroid panel, enzyme markers, and STD tests. All these tests can be used to spot potentially major issues fast, and the sooner treatment starts, the better the outlook.

Annual Full Exams

Nobody loves going in for their annual full exam, but it is important for many reasons. Naturally, regardless of gender, the doctor will check pulse, blood pressure, and oxygen levels. They will also listen to your lungs to listen for signs of damage or illness.

Of course, annual exams also include more invasive tests like prostate exams for men and breast/pelvic exams for women. While these can be uncomfortable, they play a major role in catching severe conditions like prostate and breast cancer early.

Specialized Exams

In some cases, an annual exam isn't enough. For example, older people and people with a lot of colon cancer in their family need to undergo regular colonoscopies to ensure the colon is free from polyps and cancer. Colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer, but thanks to so many advanced screening tests, it's becoming easier to spot and fight colon cancer.

In most cases, you may want to undergo specialized exams if you have any major condition that runs in your family, especially cancer.  

It's not fun to visit the doctor, especially when you aren't even sick or hurt. However, preventative medicine can literally stop some conditions before they start. If you would like to learn more about preventative medicine, contact a doctor's office in your area today.