5 Health Essentials and Why You Need Them
(AscendHealthy.com) – Regular doctor visits and checkups are important for good health. It might surprise you to learn that you might need more than one doctor. Without the right types of doctors, you might be putting your health at more risk than you realize. Let’s take a look at five types of doctors everyone needs.
1. A General Practitioner
Having a general practitioner or primary care physician— or what a lot of people call a “family doctor” — is one of the most important choices for anyone who’s looking for a medical professional they can trust. Annual checkups with blood work may provide a lot of good information about basic health issues. Regular checkups may preemptively catch and address conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and other health problems when people go regularly. Most recommendations are for an annual exam, but some people may need to see their doctor more often due to medical issues that require monitoring.
2. An Ophthalmologist
It’s been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, but they’re also a very important window to our personal health. By finding and treating diseases of the eye, it’s also sometimes possible to detect other health problems. Additionally, certain health problems like diabetes may lead to progressive vision changes, requiring monitoring or treatment. Because these two areas might be interrelated, working with an ophthalmologist might be a great way to make sure your eyes stay healthy and to detect other potential health changes.
3. A Dentist
When we think of the dentist, many of us just think of cavities and infections. But if people don’t take good care of their teeth, it may lead to other health problems over time. Specifically, poor oral health might mean a higher risk of heart problems, bacteria in the bloodstream, and inflammation throughout the body. A dentist may also discover issues, such as oral cancer, allowing a patient to obtain prompt treatment. Diabetes may affect oral health, as well, and a dentist can treat the symptoms that might accompany that condition.
4. A Urologist/Urogynecologist
Urology and urogynecology is the field that addresses problems with the urinary tract. Doctors in this field also work with men’s reproductive systems and with pelvic issues that may affect women. Prostate cancer screenings for men are conducted by these types of doctors, and women seeking treatment for a prolapsed bladder, incontinence, or chronic pain in the pelvic area may also want to visit these types of doctors. As people age, they may start to experience more problems with incontinence, impotence, kidney stones, and other issues in the pelvic area. Having a urologist/urogynecologist may help address those concerns.
5. A Dermatologist
The health of a person’s skin matters. It also might provide insight to our overall well-being. Skin is an organ that needs to be examined and treated for potential problems. Skin cancer is a common occurrence, and catching it early might make it much more treatable. Skin issues might also come about as a result of another health condition, and by discovering problems with the skin, a dermatologist may potentially be able to diagnose other health issues.
While many people only focus on seeing their general practitioner, there are definitely other doctors who should be considered just as valuable. If you haven’t been to the dentist or the eye doctor lately, now might be a good time. The same is true for the urologist and dermatologist, as both of those medical professionals may provide a lot of valuable insight into your overall health. Don’t wait for your family doctor to suggest other medical testing or for issues to appear. Being proactive about your health is the best way to take care of yourself in the long-term.
~Here’s to Your Healthy Ascension
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