Preventive Care Basics

What is Preventative Care?

Preventative Care consists of many things, but boils down to the philosophy of "a stitch in time saves nine." If you can stop a disease or condition from occurring, or prevent it from getting worse when it's caught early, it can save heaps of trouble down the road!

While there are a lot of things that go into these decisions, and many more things to be checked for than just what's on this page, these are some things to be aware of and things that your doctor may talk to you about. As always, if you have any questions you should ask your doctor!

Vaccinations

• • ​​Children need a complex set of ​vaccinations which can be discussed with your pediatrician or your Family Practitioner

  • Adults need vaccinations as well:

    • Everybody, no matter their age, should get a flu shot every season. They start becoming available in October, and are incredibly helpful to individuals as well as the population.

      • "But I've never gotten the flu!" In this case, congratulations! We want to make sure that trend continues, and that even if you DO get the flu, you're as protected as possible​

      • "The only year I got the flu was the year I got my shot!" While an unfortunate coincidence, if you hadn't gotten your shot that year you may have been much more ill - requiring hospitalization or even to go to the ICU.

      • "The flu shot makes me sick!" Unfortunately the flu vaccine can make your arm sore, and can make you feel slightly achy. This is NOT because you are sick, but instead because your immune system is getting "geared up" and ready to fight.

      • "But I heard it's not 100% effective depending on the year!" While unfortunately it can't prevent every case of the flu, that doesn't mean it's useless! Seat belts don't save lives every single time, but it's still better to wear them whenever you drive. Even if the flu strain isn't included in the shot, you're still better protected having gotten it and will likely get 'less sick' if you've been immunized that year.

    • The Gardasil Vaccine protects against Human PapillomaVirus (HPV), which can cause cancer of the cervix, anus, and throat. It is recommended to prevent cancer both in the person receiving the virus as well as all sexual partners later in life. It's rare that we can STOP cancer, and when we get the chance we should do everything we can to do so.

    • Starting at 50 years old, everyone should get a shingles vaccine called "Shingrix". It's two shots separated by two to six months, and protects people from getting shingles. As I like to tell my patients, 'shingles won't kill you but you may wish it did.' Avoid this painful disease by getting the vaccine!

    • Starting at 65 years old (Or much younger if you smoke!), everyone needs pneumonia vaccinations. There are two types: one that covers 23 strains of pneumonia (called the Pneumovax), and one that covers 13 strains of pneumonia (called the Prevnar). Talk to your doctor about which you need first!

• Regular Checkups

"Screening" Bloodwork

• • This is something that changes most based on risk factors, your symptoms, and your discussions with your doctor. Typically you don't need "yearly labwork" until you get to be 40 years old, at which point your doctor will discuss checking your blood count (a "CBC" or Complete Blood Count), your electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and calcium which help your body to function), your kidneys' functioning (either through blood work or a urine test), and your liver enzymes. You may also have your cholesterol checked at the same time.

  • If you're unsure of what your lab results mean when you get them on a printed report or on a patient portal, you can use this page to help interpret them.