One of the nice things about having a primary care doctor at a young age is that you don't need to switch this medical professional as you get older. Provided that the doctor hasn't retired or moved away, you can theoretically remain under his or her care for years and decades. This longstanding relationship can be in the best interest of your health. In the years that he or she treats you, your family doctor will develop a clear understanding of not only your health picture and your family health history but also how you act and think. Here are some benefits to sticking with your family doctor for a long time.
An Understanding Of The Cause Of Issues
When you go from family doctor to family doctor, your physician won't have a full understanding of you as a person. This means that he or she may fail to diagnose something or catch it early. Conversely, a longstanding relationship with your family doctor means that there's a greater chance your doctor will successfully understand the cause of certain issues. For example, if you're suffering from heel pain, your family doctor will know if you were an avid athlete in your teenage years, and this may have a role in your current situation.
An Understanding Of How You Follow Instructions
Family doctors will often advise their patients to make certain changes. Some patients will carefully follow these instructions, while others will not. Over time, your doctor will get a sense of how you follow instructions, and this can compel him or her to instruct you in an effective manner in the future. For example, if you're overweight, a doctor may advocate regular exercise. However, if your family doctor knows that you've tried to exercise in the past and have never stuck with it, he or she may suggest some dietary changes instead. These may be more effective for you, based on your history.
An Understanding Of Your Approach To Health
Developing a longstanding relationship with your family doctor will also help him or her understand how you approach your health. For example, some people simply want to take drugs or elect for surgery to deal with issues, while others will want to make lifestyle changes as an alternative. If you've shown in the past that you don't wish to take medication unless it's absolutely possible, your family doctor will be more apt to perhaps refer you to a health practitioner for your issue. For example, the doctor may recommend that you see a massage therapist for your headaches instead of simply recommending the use of pain medication.
Share29 July 2017
When my daughter began having academic problems in school and acting out, I knew that something wasn’t right. Her teachers wanted me to put her on ADD medications, but I didn’t think that that was the right course for us. I had serious doubts that ADD was what was causing her problems. I took her to several different specialists before discovering that her issues in school were actually do to a visual processing problem. The doctor recommended vision therapy, not medication, to help correct the problem and get her back on track. The exercises are really starting to pay off, and she’s showing great improvement.
