The Importance of Preventative Care: Tips from Maryland’s Leading Primary Care Physicians

Most people only think about going to the doctor when they feel sick or hurt. Unfortunately, they are missing out on the benefits of preventive healthcare. The key to staying healthy is to prevent illness, disease, and other health problems by seeking preventive care. If you see a doctor regularly for routine screenings, they can detect any potential health problems early before they spread or get worse, which means treatment outcomes are better and cheaper. Less than 8% of adults in the United States receive the recommended preventive care they should. Maryland’s leading primary care physicians at First Medical Associates want to ensure that our patients understand the importance of preventive care. We have put together several tips for our patients to not only understand the benefits, but know when they should visit us, and what care or tests they should have conducted regularly. Benefits of Preventive Healthcare

• Maintain optimal health
• Prevent illness
• Prevent disease
• Prevent serious health problems
• Detect health problems early
• Improve health outcomes through early detection
• Reduce medical costs through early detection
• Reduce time spent seeking medical care through early detection
• Free under most insurance plans

Preventive Care for Adults

• Well Visits – annual visits to maintain optimal health, more frequent if needed to monitor chronic conditions
• Screenings – blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other health issues
• Education and Counseling – balanced eating habits, smoking cessation, and other positive lifestyle choices, as well as managing chronic disease and screening for mental health conditions
• Vaccinations – boosters for childhood vaccines, flu, COVID-19, pneumonia, shingles, etc.

Preventive Care for Children

• Well-Child Visits – Every few months for infants and toddlers, annually for children, more frequent if needed to monitor any conditions; includes measurement of growth and developmental milestones, routine immunizations, and screenings
• Vaccinations – polio, hepatitis, DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), chickenpox (varicella), flu, etc.
• Screenings – blood tests, vision, behavioral conditions, and health conditions to screen for things like anemia, lead poisoning, autism, depression, developmental delays, etc.

Maryland’s top primary care doctors at First Medical Associates also want our patients to know that knowing your family history is an important aspect of preventive health. If you have a close relative (mother, father, sibling, etc.) with a health condition such as diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, you are at greater risk due to your family history. Knowing that information helps us, as doctors, to know what to screen for and whether you need more robust screening. You can take control of your genetic risk by ensuring you participate in regular screenings for any family history health conditions. You can also lower your risk for many health conditions through healthy lifestyle choices. If you find yourself doing a search for “the best doctors near me”, then take control of your health and the health of your family members by scheduling your well visit and well-child visits with the top primary care doctors in Maryland at First Medical Associates. Preventive healthcare offers significant health benefits, which is why most insurances cover preventive care at no cost to you. Besides the numerous health benefits of catching conditions early, you may also save money by receiving early treatment and potentially reducing future healthcare costs. If you have any questions regarding preventive care for you or your children, be sure to contact us at First Medical Associates.