For some reason, people have become reluctant to visit doctors over the last couple of years, and this is only getting worse with each passing day.
Of course, medical care can be considerably expensive in some countries, and this is one of the reasons why people are intimidated by the idea, but it is also true that people have become less and less reliant on medical care, perhaps because of the way in which the internet has influenced treatment and diagnosing due to the incredible amount of information available for everyone.
The Reality
According to studies, it is said that around 44% of the people that have suffered from an injury or dealt with a disease, didn’t actually visit a doctor, some of them blaming it on the prices, and while others blaming it on the feeling that it was not actually necessary.
The thing is: Visiting a medical facility provides a wide range of benefits to our daily lives, especially if we introduce occasional checkups to have a solid idea of the state of our health and bodies.
Not only that, but knowing when it is recommended to visit a doctor can greatly reduce the chances of ending up dealing with a fatal disease or an extreme condition that can considerably affect our daily lives, especially during the pandemic.
This is why, in this article, we will try to showcase some of the most important benefits and red flags you should be aware of when it comes to medical appointments, to motivate you to visit doctors more often.
The Importance of Regular Checkups
Checkups, as shown over at https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/slideshow-checkups-needed, it is very important to understand factors like your age, your overall health and risks involving conditions and diseases play an important role in how often you should visit a doctor.
For example, people who deal with high levels of cholesterol, or people who are overweight or underweight, are good examples of the ones that should regularly visit a doctor to have their health checked and see what dietary changes should be adapted to their routines.
Blood pressure is another thing that can greatly affect people, especially senior people, since it can be a fatal factor in people’s lives, especially if they suffer from cardiovascular conditions or similar problems, thus, regular checkups are often necessary to keep them at bay.
Ideally, checkups should at least be done once a year, or twice a year, to make sure that we are indeed in a healthy state and that we are not in danger of life-threatening conditions, or conditions that could affect our daily performance.
Finding Safe Medical Facilities
It is also important to know which facilities we should visit. With the introduction of COVID-19 to the formula, we should visit those facilities that follow the necessary regulations to protect both patients and staff members, thus, things like medical facility cleaning, wearing masks, using the recommended supplies for sterilizing tools and surroundings, as well as providing hand sanitizer, are some examples of the necessary things that should be in practice when it comes to medical facilities.
Hints of Red Flags
Now, a very important thing to keep in mind when it comes to visiting doctors or medical facilities, is having an idea of what symptoms should be considered severe, in comparison to symptoms that can be found regularly.
For example, someone who regularly deals with migraines and has trouble sleeping on a daily basis should absolutely visit a doctor, especially because of the actual nature of migraines and why it tends to affect people.
On the other hand, if you are dealing with muscle pain and inflammation after an intense routine at the gym, you should not worry as much since resting is often enough to handle these symptoms.
Thus, we always recommend visiting a doctor if you deal with:
- Migraines and headaches
- Muscle pain that lasts for more than a week after resting
- Chronic back pain, especially low back pain
- Colds that last for more than a month
- Fevers that surpass the 37 degrees Celsius
- Stomach pain, especially on the left side
If you want to learn more about symptoms that are considered red flags, you should definitely check this article over here for more detailed information on the matter.