General Adult Health Care
As adults, not nearly enough of us see a doctor for our annual checkup or even when we are sick. We wait until we can hardly put one foot in front of the other before we drag ourselves into the doctor's office, barely able to sign our names on the check-in sheet. Some of us do not even have a regular physician to go to, relying on urgent care and emergency rooms when we are ill. What we do not realize is that we only have this one body to live in and if we don't start taking care of it now, it won't be in good condition for us to live in down the road.
With all the fast food and lack of exercise due to our hectic schedules, there is no doubt in my mind that we are not as healthy as we imagine. Headaches, backaches, heartburn, and fatigue are ailments we ignore daily by taking over the counter medications and chugging coffee and energy drinks. You have to make that deadline, pick up the kids, pay the bills, grab some dinner and tackle a mountain of laundry. I know! The list goes on and on, but you, unfortunately, do not. Especially if you do not pay attention to what your body may be telling you.
If you do not already have a physician, then you first need to find one that you are comfortable with. Your physician should be someone you trust, someone you can be honest with. They cannot help you if you are too embarrassed to tell them what your symptoms are.
If you do not know where to start looking for a doctor, call your insurance company. They can give you the numbers of some physicians in your area or they can mail you a guide, listing all the doctors and specialists who accept your family health insurance. Next, call around to a few different doctors and ask if they are accepting new patients, because physicians only have so many patients they can handle. Tell the receptionist you are looking for a new physician and would like to make an appointment to meet with him or her to make your decision. If the doctor seems rushed and does not give you enough time to talk about your concerns or other issues, then that is not the right doctor for you.
Once you decide on a physician you like, make an appointment for a complete physical. This way you and your doctor will know about any concerns regarding your health and can move on from there. If you were to go into a doctor's office iyou had never been to before, complaining of a headache, what would he/she know about your headache? Nothing; if you had a complete physical done first, your physician would know about any previous symptoms or conditions you have had and will have an easier time finding the cause of your headache. Physicians are here to help us and keep us healthy. Help yourself by finding a physician and putting yourself first for a change!