5 Great Reasons to Find a Primary Care Doctor

If you are like most healthy, American adults, you probably do not have a primary care physician. Many people do not think about their health until they need to. It is better to have regular contact with a doctor who has completed a fasmily practice residency to stay healthy.

5 Great Reasons to Find a Primary Care Doctor:

1. You can get better preventative care. When you see a doctor who has completed a family practice resideny on a regular basis, you can get and stay healthy. This is especially important if you suffer from a chronic medical condition such as Diabetes, high blood pressure or chronic pain. Nearly one quarter of all American adults experience pain that lasts more than one day (millions more will experience acute pain). These conditions are managed better by a family practice physician than doctors in the emergency room. Even if you are healthy and have no chronic issues, getting regular physicals can prevent small problems from becoming large ones. Your family practice doctor can help you lose weight, too. Nearly two thirds of all American adults are obese and the conditions that causes are among the most common, preventable medical killers in the United States.
2. Avoid trips to the emergency room. A lot of emergenies can be prevented with regular visits to a primary care doctor. As was already mentioned, chronic conditions can be prevented from turning into emergencies with early intervention at the doctor’s office. There are a number of injuries and ailments that cannot wait until a physican’s office opens but are not true medical emergencies. These include sprains and strains and colds and flus. If you have a primary care physician you see, their office can let you know when they think you should go to an emergency room or an urgent medical care center. Urgent care or walk in clinics can do a number of the same tests that are done in a hospital emergency room.
3. Your primary care physican should be the quarterback of your health care team. If you need to see a specialst, or more than one specialist, it is good to have one doctor who can serve as the point of contact for all of your care. This can be particularly important if you end up taking a number of different medications that can have side effects and interact with each other. Your doctor who has done a family practice residency can also be a great resource for helping you see the right specialist for your problem.
4. Primary care doctors do more than perform physicals. They can treat a wide array of problems ranging from insomnia and obesity to Diabetes. Doctors who have completed a family practice residency can even perform a number of procedures. This can save you time and money.
5. Your primary care doctor gets to know you. When you see your family doctor for regular check ups, you get to know them and they get to know you. Relationship building is a big part of going to get care at a family medicine practice. Most doctors who have done a family practice residency have gone into this field because they like the interactions with their patients over the long term. You get a lot of benfits to having a relatonship with a doctor you trust. They will know when symptoms that might be normal for other people may not be normal for you. If you trust your physician, you will be more likely to talk to them about your medical concerns. Many peopls suffer from depression, for example, but are never treated. About 80% of depression sufferers are never treated for it. Developing a good relationship with a doctor can get more people the treatment they need for this and other problems.

Many people do not take the time to seek out a family practice doctor. Healthy people often assume they do not need to see a primary care doctor because they are healthy. What people may not realize is that they will save time and money by getting regular check ups and getting to know one who has done a family practice residency. Having one is the best way to manage your health.