Five Reasons To Make That Well Appointment
3/22/2021
GADSDEN, Alabama – If you’ve put off seeing your doctor for fear of catching or spreading the COVID-19 virus, Martha “Shawn” Morehead, M.D., wants you to know it’s safe and important to come in.
Precautions for your safety include masking of all patients and providers, checking temperature of all clinic visitors, screening clinic staff during their shifts, asking that that only the patient comes in to the clinic, and enhanced cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.
“According to the CDC, over 40% of US adults have delayed or avoided medical care during the current pandemic, especially those with multiple chronic illnesses and minority populations; both of these groups representing high-risk individuals in our community not only for COVID, but for serious illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and malignancies,” says Dr. Morehead. “Preventative care has become an important casualty of COVID-19 as well. Deferral of wellness checks or visits for chronic disease management could lead to significant delays in diagnosing new problems or worsening of current conditions."
Here are five reasons to make an appointment for your next well-visit or check-up without delay.
- Check on your general health. The clinic has a record of your health metrics over time, including cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and others. If any numbers are trending in the wrong direction, your doctor can help you make a plan to get back on track with lifestyle changes, diet or medical treatment.
- Manage chronic conditions. Ongoing medical concerns, whether diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or others require regular monitoring by a provider to keep them from progressing to life-threatening levels. Regular checkups can help you avoid a medical crisis.
- Identify issues early with routine screenings. The practice keeps records of your screening exams to help you remember when it’s time to get your colonoscopy, mammogram, bone density test, prostate exam and other screenings. Early identification of many illnesses can give you the most options for treatment and better outcomes.
- Stay current on vaccinations for your protection. While you’re hearing plenty of news about the COVID-19 vaccine, there are a number of other vaccinations to prevent disease as your immune system weakens over time. Flu shots annually. Tetanus shots every ten years. Vaccines for shingles and pneumonia and more. The practice will remind you when it’s time to get your immunizations.
- Keep prescriptions updated. Bring a full list of your medications, including any over-the-counter, so your physician has a complete picture of what you’re taking. An annual review can identify possible side effects or medication conflicts.
Of course, the best reason of all is peace of mind about your health. Gadsden Physician Clinics has more than 13 providers in six convenient locations to make it easy for you to access care.
"We all took precautions to protect our well-being during this last year. Now, we need to continue to care for ourselves and loved ones by addressing any unmet medical needs from 2020. Don't put your health on hold any longer. We are prepared, willing, and look forward to serving you and all your healthcare needs,” says Dr. Morehead.
If you need help finding a primary care physician, visit GadsdenPhysicianClinics.com to be connected with one of Gadsden Physician Clinics’ qualified family medicine, internal medicine, or gynecologic physicians.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6936a4.htm#:~:text=As%20of%20June%2030%2C%202020%2C%20an%20estimated%2041%25%20of,avoided%20urgent%20or%20emergency%20care
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/why-your-annual-check-up-is-still-important-to-your-health
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/index.html
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