Benefits of Visiting a Family Doctor Q&A

It can sometimes be tricky to decipher at what point your illness warrants a visit to your family doctor. If you are exhibiting symptoms that are irregular, severe, or that you are unsure of, it is better to be safe and schedule a visit with your doctor to make sure that whatever is causing your symptoms is properly treated. However, you do not need to wait until you are ill or exhibiting symptoms of illness to schedule a visit with a doctor. One of the primary purposes to primary care is to provide preventative care, meaning that you should be going in to see your doctor regularly for check-ups and physicals to ensure that any health concerns are caught early on for the most effective treatment possible. As we age, different conditions can develop and our bodies will start to make changes. It is recommended to have a family doctor with whom you trust to ensure that your medical history is up to date and that any development of illnesses is quickly caught and treated.

Research has shown that those with family doctors and that schedule check-up appointments regularly to have physical examinations and standard tests done are able to maintain their health better throughout their lives. A family doctor is able to keep your medical records to refer to for future reference, allowing them to have context and knowledge on any underlying concerns from either your own medical history or what could possibly be a risk in your genes when further providing medical care. They can ensure that your treatments and medications are what are best for you, as they are able to take possible concerns or side effects into account. Seeing a family doctor regularly allows for more extensive preventative care, making sure that any health issues are addressed before they develop into a larger problem and allowing for more effective treatment with lower risk of complications. They can get to know you and your family to be aware of physical or time restraints, and what other factors in your daily life may be affecting your overall health. Additionally, having a family doctor that you go to long-term allows you to develop a relationship of trust with them, making it much easier to be honest about things going on in your life that might have an effect on your physical and mental health. Another benefit to having a family doctor is that they are able to provide you with referrals to other kinds of specialists if you are in search of medical care such as allergists or dermatologists. They also are able to write prescriptions for you.

Family doctors are able to treat or aid in the treatment of chronic illnesses (such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or asthma), often working with the other specialists involved to ensure that you are receiving the required care alongside any other treatments you may need. They are able to provide care for mental health diseases, and refer you to specialists that will give you the care you need, and will help you manage any other conditions such as chronic pain. As well, family physicians are able to help treat illnesses such as infections or viruses, allowing you to get proper treatment and care without having to visit an emergency room for illness relief. Many family doctors are also able to help maintain health by offering medical weight loss treatments, ensuring that you have the support and medical care you need in order to stay as healthy as possible.

Family doctors, though many will have specific specialties for which they have trained, are all properly trained to treat every person regardless of age and gender. They are required to care for their patients presumably for the duration of their entire lives (barring change of location or needing specialized care), so while the physician is approaching treatments with patients as treating the individual person, it is fairly common for members of the same family to be treated by the same physician.

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