Are you healthy? Maybe you live a healthy lifestyle — you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, read nutrition facts labels, get thirty minutes of physical activity every day, and you have good sleep habits. While eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep can promote good health and reduce your risk for chronic health problems, making healthy lifestyle choices in life doesn’t always translate to good health. The best way to know if you are healthy is by talking to your doctor.
Think you're healthy? A scale and a mirror don't tell the whole story. Meet with your primary care doctor to make sure that you're in good health. Click To TweetAppearance doesn’t determine health
Maybe you’re at a healthy weight and you don’t have any aches, pains, or concerning symptoms that would indicate a problem with your health. How much you weigh, your physical appearance, and a lack of symptoms do not translate to a clean bill of health, however.
Many unhealthy habits have a negative effect on your overall level of health, and they may not cause noticeable symptoms early on: drinking too much alcohol, using tobacco products, sedentary living, holding on to stress, and sleep deprivation.
Sometimes your symptoms let you know when it’s time to see the doctor, but a health problem may not cause symptoms until it worsens. For example, some cancers do not cause symptoms until advanced stages.
Healthy lifestyle choices can decrease a person’s risk for certain diseases and health problems, but some health issues cannot be prevented. Maybe you eat right, exercise, avoid unhealthy behaviors, and do everything you can to stay healthy, but how do you know you’re actually in good health? You can’t see things like cancer, osteoporosis, STDs, or high blood pressure in the mirror.
Talk to your doctor to find out if you’re in good health
Visits to your doctor shouldn’t be reserved for when you have a health problem. It’s better to prevent health issues rather than try to cure them after they have developed. Medical professionals help you if you’re feeling ill or if you have symptoms, but they are also there to help you make decisions that promote good health and wellness.
It’s important to visit your primary care physician at least once a year for an annual wellness exam. Routine visits with your doctor help you maintain a good overall level of health and identify health problems in early stages when they are most treatable.
Regular communication with your primary care physician also provides your doctor with a better understanding of your health, which improves the quality of health care that you receive.
Find a doctor in Northwest Arkansas, or request an appointment with a MANA doctor today.