How Preventive Care Can Keep Your Family Healthy All Year

Preventive healthcare, also known as prophylaxis, is the practice of preventing problems from developing altogether or catching issues early, when they’re more easily treatable.

At Primecare Family Practice, board-certified family practitioners Maryline Ongangi, APRN, FNP-C, and Lewis Nyantika, APRN, FNP-C, provide primary and preventive healthcare at their Arlington, Texas, office for patients of all ages. In this blog, they describe how taking a preventive approach can help keep your family healthy all year long.

The basics of preventive healthcare

Over half of adult Americans live with at least one chronic disease, conditions that last for at least a year and require ongoing medical attention. Chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of death and disability in this country, and they’re often challenging and expensive to treat.

However, if doctors are able to identify and address potential health risks early in their course, they can often help people live longer and healthier lives, as well as avoid costly treatments. If they can’t prevent the condition from happening, treating it earlier can slow down the severity of the disease and allow people to effectively manage their condition long-term.

Preventive healthcare also extends to education. When doctors arm patients with the knowledge and tools to take control of their health, that not only leads to improved health outcomes, but also to their long-term well-being.

Prevention can include screening tests like mammograms, colonoscopies, and blood work; scheduling annual physical exams; and vaccinating against a number of infectious diseases, such as hepatitis, the flu, and COVID-19.

Annual wellness exams

It’s easy to understand why you’d go to the doctor when you’re sick, but some people don’t understand the importance of the annual wellness check – why go to the doctor when you’re feeling fine? The answer lies in preventive care.

The saying goes: ‘An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure’, and that’s absolutely true. Wellness checks can catch problems before they become serious, saving you from having to go to the doctor multiple times for treatment and saving you the expense of ongoing care.

For example, if the doctor determines you have prediabetes, you can make lifestyle modifications to reverse the condition, preventing a full-blown case of diabetes, a chronic condition that isn’t curable and can lead to numerous health complications.

During an annual physical exam at Primecare Family Practice, the team first checks your vital signs, including height, weight, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels. They also review your medical history and the medications and supplements you may take, determining if anything needs to be changed.

During the exam portion of the visit, they also evaluate your eyes, throat, breathing, heartbeat, abdomen, and reflexes, as well as heart and lung function, hearing, and vision. They might also order urine tests, blood tests, an electrocardiogram (EKG), and other diagnostic tests to detect and rule out potential problems such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart arrhythmias.

If they find anything concerning, they draw up a treatment plan to address the problem and educate you on how to manage your condition, so you can live your best, healthiest life.

If you want to learn more about the importance of preventive care and how you can best take advantage of it, Primecare Family Practice can help. Call the office at 817-873-3710 to schedule, or book online with us today.