Preventative Care Is Important, Even If You Don’t Feel Sick

If you’re feeling healthy, you may not feel like you need added medical support or preventative care. But keep in mind the following reasons to seek regular preventative care, even if you don’t feel sick.

1. Preventative care helps you stay healthy.
   In regular check-ups, your provider can advise you on healthy habits to help keep you feeling well. Getting preventative care is a healthy lifestyle decision and can help you manage your health. Your doctor can treat you for chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol to lower your risk of complications. Preventative care can reduce your chances of getting a serious illness or reduce your symptoms.
2. Preventative care helps you access prompt treatment when necessary.
   One of the benefits of preventative care is that you can get treatment for your symptoms early. Regular preventative care will help you to know what symptoms to look out for. Recognizing problems and getting treatment early can help you avoid waiting until your condition becomes serious and going to the emergency room. In addition, having a relationship with your provider helps ensure that they already understand your background, your health history, and your family medical history.
3. Getting preventative care can reduce your medical expenses.
   By treating conditions early, or preventing illnesses entirely, you can reduce your medical expenses long term. Screening and tests can catch a disease in early stages or before it starts. Screenings help your doctors detect certain problems such as breast cancer, colon cancer and heart disease. The expense of preventative care such as screening, preventative treatments, and screening is typically lower than treating advanced illnesses. In addition, avoiding trips to urgent care or emergency room can save you money.

Here are some tips you can use to practice healthy habits to improve your health and quality of life:

• Get regular checkups and preventative medical care such as routine screening
• Follow your doctor’s instructions for preventative self-care and get your flu shot each year
• Exercise regularly (Consult your doctor about what types of exercise might be best for you.)
• Make good food choices and try to maintain a healthy weight
• Don’t smoke, and drink alcohol only in moderation
• Make your home a safe environment for you by removing fall or trip hazards