When someone integrates healthy behaviors into their lifestyle, they are practicing preventive care. This type of care takes place before any signs or symptoms of a condition or disease have been detected.
Below are examples of different types of preventive care:
While preventive care costs much less than treatments in terms of money, it is much more of a long-term investment in terms of time and effort. Education, time management and dedication are all critical to practicing effective preventive care.
Here's an example. Tom is 50 years old and has a family history of heart disease. While he has no heart disease risk factors, he walks three miles per day, avoids fast food and visits his doctor annually. Tom's lifestyle certainly takes time and effort, but could help prevent him from experiencing heart disease like his older family members.
The benefits of preventive care are extensive. Below are some of the most important reasons to practice preventive care:
Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases account for 7 of 10 American deaths and 75 percent of the nation's health spending. The two leading causes of death are heart disease and cancer, and both diabetes and obesity continue to skyrocket. In many cases, these diseases can be addressed through lifestyle improvements, screenings and other forms of preventive care.
Unfortunately, many continue to practice unhealthy lifestyles and do not take advantage of preventive services offered by health care providers and communities. Providing proper education, increasing awareness and providing opportunities are all important parts of increasing the prevalence of preventive care.
Preventive care is one of the best ways to prevent diseases and conditions that currently impact many people. The benefits of preventive care are not only physical, but mental and financial as well. Increasing the amount of people practicing preventive care could have countless benefits for these individuals and society in general.
Medical Disclaimer: The information on this site is for your information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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