Although Ohio has an excellent healthcare system, one with a wealth of medical organizations, clinics, and hospitals, many people don’t tap into its resources for preventative health. Instead, they only use the state’s healthcare options when they're seriously ill.
Rather than wait for a health condition to go undetected until it becomes difficult to heal, take a proactive approach to safeguard your health.
A Few Good Reasons to Visit Your Dentist
Regular dental checkups will help you avoid serious oral health problems. Schedule an examination and cleaning with a dentist in your neck of the woods. If, for instance, you live in Geneva, visit a dentist in Geneva.
How often should you visit?
Do it at least once per annum. Ideally, do it twice a year. The American Dental Association recommends you visit the dentist every six months to protect your teeth, gums, and jaw. Seeing your dentist once or twice a year will alert you to any emerging oral health problems.
If you visit your dentist regularly as suggested, you're less likely to suffer from some of the following oral health issues:
- Gum diseases — such as gingivitis, periodontitis, aggressive periodontitis, and chronic periodontitis.
- Tooth decay issues — such as mild to sharp pain when eating hot, cold, or sweet food; holes in teeth; tooth sensitivity; and toothache.
- Infections in the mouth — such as herpangina, thrush, and canker sores.
In short, early detection prevents small issues from developing into something more severe.
Why You Should Visit Your Doctor
The earlier your doctor catches any hidden symptoms of a disease, the cheaper it will be to treat it. Additionally, if a doctor notices some alarming symptoms that suggest a life-threatening disease, the greater your chance of survival. Early detection results in fewer complications and better odds of a good outcome.
Regular doctor checkups can also help you address issues that you have been trying to suppress with over-the-counter drugs. One common example is seasonal allergies.
Modern medicine can diagnose seasonal pollen allergies with a blood or skin-prick test. After a diagnosis, many treatments are available. For example, you could put an end to your miserable allergic reactions with oral antihistamines, nasal sprays, cortisone shots, allergy shots, and immunotherapy.
The Benefits of Visiting a Dietitian
If you're not at your ideal weight, if you don’t have a clue on how to eat a healthy diet, or if you suffer from any health issues related to nutrition, then a dietitian can help you.
Reading a few good books on diet and nutrition is not an accurate way to determine the best diet for your body type. While there's plenty of information on how to lose weight and build lean muscle, this is a superficial approach to healthy eating. It’s not a thorough evaluation of what you should or should not eat.
A registered dietitian takes a long-term view of health and wellness. They use science-based methods to decide what you should eat to reach your goals of weight loss or gain, muscle tone, vitality, and other health goals.
Practice the Art of Preventative Medicine
Although most of the public’s attention is drawn to the high mortality rate caused by the pandemic, chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, are also leading causes of death. According to an article in the Commonwealth Fund just before COVID-19, the United States had the highest per capita rate of chronic disease and obesity.
By taking advantage of many healthcare options available for preventative medicine here in Ohio, there’s plenty you can do to stay healthy.
