Most people think it's only necessary to see a doctor when they're sick. But, as the adage goes, "Prevention is better than cure." Cliché as it may sound, it is miles better to find and prevent a problem or health condition from happening or getting worse than to correct and stop it once it has already started.
Leading a healthy lifestyle is an excellent way to help prevent illnesses. But this is only one part of preventing health conditions and staying in good shape. Preventive healthcare plays a crucial role in keeping your body healthy for the long term and discovering potential health problems before they turn into serious problems.
What is Preventive Healthcare?
Preventive healthcare focuses on identifying and preventing medical illnesses before they become serious problems through annual check-ups, periodic tests and screenings, immunizations, and other procedures to ensure that your body is in good shape. This is also referred to as routine care. Getting health plan consults or routine care checks can help you manage your health for the better.
Preventive healthcare is different from treatments. In essence, preventive care is going through health measures to find and deal with preventable diseases, while treatments like insulin shots and allergy medications manage existing health conditions.
An example of preventive healthcare is checking blood pressure. The healthcare professional will make recommendations to lower your blood pressure before it reaches unsafe and unhealthy levels. Another example is immunization or boosters for seasonal flu.
People need to know and understand how critical preventive care is for better health management, prevention for future disease risks, and all-around holistic health. Keep reading to learn more about preventive healthcare, its importance, and its different types.
What are the common types of preventive healthcare?
Preventive healthcare involves going through interventions to identify and reduce any threats and risks to one's health. These methods aim to alter any detrimental health practices that can lead to diseases and proactively manage risk before it's too late.
Below are some of the common types of routine care services you should consider to take better care of yourself through prevention.
1. Tests and screenings
Regular exams and screenings are conducted to identify diseases in their early stages. For example, undergoing mammogram tests shows if someone is at risk of breast cancer.
Regular check-ups
Regular health consultations assess any signs of health problems. During this process, the doctor will ask about your health history, your family's history of medical illnesses, and your lifestyle and health habits, such as whether or not you smoke and drink alcohol.
Physical health screenings
A physical health examination checks the overall state of your health—this can be done on-demand. During a physical exam, individuals are encouraged to discuss concerns and ask questions about any changes or issues with their health.
Based on the consultation with your care provider, they can recommend tests to check for abnormalities. The tests you can expect include diabetes screening, thyroid screening, cholesterol test, mammogram, pap smear, and blood test.
Depending on the diagnosis, other tests and screenings may be required, including cancer screenings (prostate tests, mammograms, colorectal cancer screenings), pelvic exams, osteoporosis screening, and more.
Check out Mediclick's Diagnostics Services for tests that can give you more insight into your physical wellbeing.
Mental health screenings
A mental health screening evaluates your mental health and aims to find out if you have a mental disorder. During the test, the healthcare professional will assess the patient based on their feelings, mood, behavioral patterns, and other details. A blood test may also be required to see if a physical disorder is responsible for the mental health symptoms.
It's recommended that people who feel common signs of mental health issues such as extreme sadness, dramatic mood swings, major personality changes, and erratic eating habits and sleeping patterns undergo this screening.
You can also book a Psychotherapy Session with one of our psychologists to help you manage your emotions and cope with life’s challenges. Check out Mediclick’s Treatments Services for other therapies that can revitalize your mental health.
2. Healthy lifestyle
A visit to a healthcare professional can help you create and maintain healthy lifestyle practices to minimize the chances of diseases or premature death. For example, switching to better eating habits, building a balanced diet, and proper weight management can help curb the risk for type 2 diabetes.
Moreover, taking charge of your lifestyle means boosting your immune system. Inflammation is the body's response to protect itself from invaders and contributes largely to the healing process. But when the body sees its own cells or tissues as intruders, inflammation occurs, which may be connected to diseases1 like heart disease, diabetes, and allergies.
Check out Mediclick’s Consults Services like the Functional Nutrition Consult, which can give you a comprehensive and personalized look into your diet and nutrition and how you can make an effective nutritional plan to achieve your health goals.
Read: Does Inflammation Make You More at Risk of COVID-19 and Other Illnesses?
3. Contraception
Contraception is also a part of preventive care—and a cost-effective routine care at that. Women who are afraid to have unplanned pregnancies can avoid possible pregnancy complications, unexpected pregnancies, and health problems that could affect them and their children.
4. Supplements, vaccines, and immunizations
Vaccinations for children are done to protect them against major illnesses. Adult vaccinations should be given equal importance for optimal health. You can talk to your doctor about the vaccinations you'll need, but here are some of the vaccines and immunizations you can expect:
- COVID-19 vaccines (visit Mediclick's COVID-19 Resource Center for more information)
- Flu shot
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella
- Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis
- Pneumonia
Supplements and multivitamins can aid in providing the nutrients your body needs when you don’t get enough of them from your diet. Some of the supplements and multivitamins you can check out are Sekaya products. Make sure to consult with your healthcare provider about which products would best suit your needs.
Better Health Starts with Preventive Healthcare
Catch health problems early when they're still easier to treat or well before a diagnosis requires emergency room care. Being more responsible with your overall health not only helps add years to your life and allows you to live more comfortably with fewer worries but also helps maintain medical costs down.
While you may not have complete control over your health, undergoing preventive healthcare services can point you towards a better way to take care of your body, manage some symptoms, and reduce your risk of severe diseases. Mediclick offers preventive care services from Lifescience, including consult services, diagnostic services, and treatment services.
It's time to take crucial steps to protect your health with preventive healthcare. Mediclick is your accessible online pharmacy in the Philippines where Filipinos can order preventive healthcare medicines, encouraging you to take an active role in prioritizing your health. Get your medicines as early as the following day with Mediclick's medicine delivery!
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