07/28/2023
What is Preventative Health? Well one way to define it is employing lifestyle measures to counteract what our genes may predispose us to. Understanding prevention means you rather increase exercise and incorporate better diet choices early on instead of a dependence on medications and multiple doctors involved in your care if you neglect the early measures. It involves a good relationship with your primary care provider, more one on one time with your provider, your motivation, blood and urine tests when you feel healthy (to detect very early changes), and at times more frequent visits than the current struggling healthcare system has accustomed you to.
I have led a life of increased awareness simply due to knowing early on what my family history predisposes me to given my interest in medicine. This knowledge and interest has not only helped me, but my family, and many of my patients throughout my career. It will not always prevent disease altogether, but can definitely impact your outcomes given at times inevitable medical problems so yes, there is always something you can do to improve your quality of life. One change at a time with the help of your doctor who you see more than once a year.
If you are already on medications as so many of us are, please understand that you can still begin your prevention pathway, unique to you, and it means preventing the complications of disease by proper management of your medical problems which should always involve lifestyle, exercise level, food choices, possibly vitamins/minerals and when needed medications as an additional measure.
See below for requested information regarding where I can be located for a visit and as always, "Lets talk about it."
https://www.oakstreethealth.com/doctors/dr-mayra-rodriguez-md
(If you are a provider interested in how to safely remove duplicitous medications/controlling the increasing amount of medications our patients are on by incorporating more natural measures, please see below web addresses for information on "Deprescribing." )
https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/dangers-polypharmacy-and-case-deprescribing-older-adults
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6789835/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8317936/
https://www.oakstreethealth.com/doctors/dr-mayra-rodriguez-md
Meet Mayra Rodriguez, who specializes in Internal Medicine at Oak Street Health Parkchester primary care clinic. Schedule an in-person, phone, or video visit today and get the care you deserve.
