Preventative Care

What is preventive care?

Preventive care includes medical services that help to preserve your well-being even if you’re already healthy. The goal of preventive care is to help you avoid diseases in the future and reduce your chances of getting sick. 

At Bowman Family Medicine Clinic, LLC, the team assesses your risk for diseases and can help you avoid getting sick with a personalized plan. They might perform certain tests and screenings to check in on your state of health and offer suggestions for healthy lifestyle changes, immunization updates, and some treatments. 

What does preventive care involve?

Preventive care includes many services available to you at Bowman Family Medicine Clinic, LLC. Your provider can help you decide which services will benefit you and help keep you healthy in the long term. They might recommend:

Screening tests

Your provider might recommend a screening test if you’re at a higher-than-average risk of getting a condition because of your habits or genetics. You can get screening tests for cancer, high cholesterol, hypertension, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis, mental health conditions, and more. 

Counseling

Health counseling can help you better understand your body and its needs. Your provider might recommend sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention counseling, obesity counseling, or other specific topics you should learn more about. 

Lifestyle changes

Making healthy choices in your day-to-day life is the best way to prevent disease. Your provider can help you plan a new diet, stop smoking, get better sleep, learn to manage stress, integrate exercise into your routine, and make other important behavioral changes. 

Preventive medications

Some medications can play a role in preventing illness. For example, your provider might recommend taking aspirin to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Immunizations

Immunizations are injections that train your immune system to recognize specific pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Your immune system learns to fight them when you come in contact with the disease. Immunizations are available for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, measles, human papillomavirus (HPV), the yearly active strains of influenza, and more.

Who can benefit from preventive care?

Everyone can benefit from preventive care. It can be easy to forget about it, especially if you feel well and have no concerning symptoms. However, prioritizing preventive care can extend your life and allow you to live a higher quality of life with fewer aches, pains, and ailments. 

If you’re uncertain about your need for preventive care or how you can participate, call Bowman Family Medicine Clinic, LLC, or request an appointment online today.