Acute Diseases
At some point in our lives we will all experience a health problem, whether it's the common cold or the pesky flu. While some will go away on their own, there are health issues that require urgent medical attention, and it's important to know when to seek proper treatment.
What Is An Acute Disease?
An acute disease appears suddenly and lasts for a short amount of time. This is different from chronic diseases, which develop gradually and remain for months on end. Some examples include the influenza virus and the common cold.
Acute diseases can include these common symptoms:
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Sneezing
- Earache
- Diarrhea
- Runny nose
- Nausea
- Rash
- Headache
Through a physical examination and identifying your symptoms, your doctor can provide a diagnosis and individualized treatment plan to care for your acute illness.
Serious Acute Illnesses
Many acute diseases can be self-limiting and may go away on their own, or can be treated with a simple course of antibiotics or other prescription medications. There are some acute diseases, however, that come on suddenly and produce life-threatening symptoms. These include:
- Heart attack
- Asthma attack
- Pneumonia
- Appendicitis
- Organ failure
- Acute bronchitis
These more serious acute diseases require urgent medical care. If you suspect you may have a severe acute illness, it's important that you call 911 or go to your local emergency room. By seeking treatment for your acute illness as soon as possible, you lessen the chance for further complications or other long-term health issues.
Chronic Disease
According to the Center of Disease Control, chronic diseases cause 7 out of 10 deaths each year and are responsible for 86 percent of America's health care costs. Some of the most common chronic diseases include:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Arthritis
Other types of chronic conditions include:
- Asthma
- Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
- Cystic fibrosis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Eating disorders
- Gum disease
As of 2012, about half of all American adults had at least one chronic health problem. About one in four adults had two or more chronic diseases.
Unfortunately, these conditions can also cause other long-term complications, including kidney failure, disability and limb amputation. Your doctor, however, can often help prevent these diseases altogether, or find the best ways to treat your condition and manage your symptoms. Through routine medical visits, we can pinpoint issues while they are manageable - sometimes even when still reversible.
Causes of Chronic Disease
So, what causes chronic diseases in the first place? While there are many factors, one of the main issues is unhealthy behaviors such as:
- Inactivity
- Poor nutrition
- Heavy alcohol use
- Using tobacco
By changing these habits, you can greatly decrease your chances of developing some of these chronic illnesses.
It can be a challenge to know exactly what constitutes a healthy diet or what exercise plan is right for you. Your doctor can discuss foods you should eat, as well as foods you should avoid. They can also recommend exercise regimes that are right for your needs and abilities. This will help you maintain a healthy weight and lower your risk of chronic diseases. They can even help you find programs that will aid you in quitting bad habits, like smoking and heavy drinking.
Turn to your doctor to have your chronic disease diagnosed and treated, and you can see your quality of life drastically improve. Don't hesitate - if you think you may be suffering the symptoms of a chronic disease, schedule an appointment today.
Preventive Care
We know your family's health is of the utmost importance in your life. Whether you are a first-time parent or have teenagers, it's important that everyone in your family is given the proper medical care they need. That doesn’t just mean visiting when someone is sick - that also means regular "wellness visits".
It's important to prevent infections and other medical issues before they become major issues, rather than waiting until a health problem surfaces. By visiting your family physician for regular preventive check-ups, you and your loved ones can be one step ahead of health problems.
What is Preventive Care?
So what exactly does preventive care mean? After all, when we think about family physicians, we often picture them diagnosing and treating illnesses and injuries.
Preventive medicine focuses on maintaining health and protecting against disease, disability or death by educating the patient and making sure they come in for routine visits. Remember-you don't have to be sick to benefit from seeing your family doctor.
Here are just some of the preventive practices that children, teens and adults can adopt to protect their health for the long term:
Stay updated on immunizations
- Routine blood work
- Annual pap smears
- Blood pressure check
Preventive Lifestyle Changes
Your family physician will inform you about ways to reduce your risk of certain health complications by changing your lifestyle. This may mean changing your diet, quitting tobacco, exercising more or losing weight. Diabetes and heart disease are leading causes of death in the United States, and one of the best ways to prevent these conditions from affecting your family is to come in for routine exams and physicals.
During these visits, we can also identify certain problems or risk factors. Your doctor may recommend ways to reduce your chance of developing issues like high blood pressure or high cholesterol in the future. By taking a proactive approach to your health, you can learn how best to avoid preventable illnesses.