Health Guidance

In this day and age, we all experience stress and anxiety in one form or another on a daily basis. Historically, stress was good — it helped our ancestors escape from danger or gave them the strength and power to fight off predators. Changes occurred in their bodies that gave them the ability to focus on what needed to be accomplished and the strength to do it. Those same hormones work in our bodies today to help us during stressful times. The big difference between the stress and anxiety our ancestors experienced back then and what we experience now is the fact that their stress was fleeting. The stress and anxiety we experience today is constant and ongoing which puts our system into overdrive leading to a host of life-aging health problems such as heart attacks, cancer and accidents. Continue reading ‘How Stress and Anxiety Will Plunge You Into Old Age Before Your Time’ »

Except in an emergency, you cannot be given a treatment or test without your “informed consent.” You must be informed of the risks and agree to the treatment. In a partnership, however, informed consent may not be enough. The real goal is shared decision-making, where you actively participate in every medical decision.

Why should you help make decisions with your doctor? Aren’t you paying him or her to know what to do? Well, the choices aren’t always black and white. With many health problems, there is more than one option. Consider these examples:

• You have moderately high blood pressure (160/95). Your doctor says that exercise and diet might bring it down, but most people don’t succeed that way. Your doctor recommends that you start on medication to control it. You would rather try exercise and lose weight than take pills for the rest of your life. The best decision depends on your values.

• Your three-year-old has a headache and a fever. The doctor says it’s probably nothing to worry about. Then you mention your hunch that it might be meningitis. Some testing may be appropriate.

• You have been suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome for several months. Your doctor is now recommending a wrist splint and a steroid injection. You would prefer Continue reading ‘The Wise Medical Consumer: Share in Every Medical Decision’ »

If you don’t have a family doctor (primary care physician), now is the time to get one. Everyone needs a regular doctor. A host of specialists working on separate health problems may not see the whole picture. In choosing a doctor there are lots of questions to ask, but these three matter the most:

- Is this doctor well-trained and experienced?

- Is this doctor available when needed?

- Will this doctor work in partnership with me?

Training and Experience

For most people, a good choice for a family doctor is a board-certified family practice doctor or internist. For children and teens, a pediatrician is a good choice. These doctors have broad knowledge about medical problems.

Availability

Because health problems rarely develop when it’s convenient, it helps to have a doctor who can see you when needed. Call or visit the office. Tell the clinic receptionist that you are looking for a new doctor.Ask these questions: Continue reading ‘How to Finding the Right Doctor’ »