patient-gets-blood-pressure-checked Preventive medicine is one of those umbrella terms that can mean different things depending on who you’re talking to. So, what exactly is preventive medicine and why is it so important? To put it plainly, preventive medicine can refer to any steps that people take (along with their healthcare providers) to achieve and maintain long-term health and wellness. We understand that this can seem broad, which is why we wanted to dive into the subject in more detail in this blog post. Keep reading to learn more about the most important benefits of preventive medicine, and how we help our patients achieve them here at Family Practice Center.

Understanding The Current State of Your Health

At its core, preventive medicine is all about taking a proactive approach to healthcare. That means doing what you can to live a healthy lifestyle and prevent potentially serious diseases and health conditions before they occur. In our office, we offer patients who see us for wellness appointments a variety of services and helpful diagnostic tests to gauge the current state of their health. This includes physical examinations, testing for blood pressure, cholesterol, and body mass index (BMI), discussions about preexisting conditions and past health episodes and more.

Keeping Tabs on Potential Serious Health Conditions

As we age, the risk of certain health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, stroke, among others only increases. Which is why it’s so important to visit your doctor for annual wellness exams. This is especially true for people with a family history of these conditions. One of the most essential aspects of preventive medicine is understanding your risk factors for major health concerns like these and doing what you can to help lower your risk as the years go on.

Getting Current on Essential Screenings & Immunizations

In addition to regular health screenings, another essential part of preventive medicine is keeping up with other annual health obligations as you age. This can include screenings for common forms of cancer like breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer, and more. Making sure that your immunizations are up-to-date (including those needed for travel) is also highly recommended.

Discussion Areas That Can Be Improved

You can’t change your genes, but you can absolutely change your lifestyle. Part of preventive wellness is assessing your habits, and seeing what can be improved. This can mean committing to a healthier diet and a more active exercise regimen, or cutting out unhealthy things like smoking or drinking alcohol. Every step matters on the road to long-term wellness.

Providing a variety of outstanding preventive medicine services is just one of the ways we strive to always be there for our patients and their loved ones. For more information on our preventive medicine services or to schedule an appointment at one of our nine metro Atlanta area locations, please contact Family Practice Center. Stay up to date on our blog posts for more health and wellness tips, and news.