In Matters Of Health, Prevention Is Better Than Cure

The United States has multiple heath crises today. Seven out of every ten people, according to the Centers for Disease Control, die from chronic disease. They continue to report that almost half of Americans have been diagnosed with some form of illness that is completely preventable.

As reported by USA Today, drug and alcohol abuse accounts for nearly 7 percent of America’s health crisis. Chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, represent an additional 5 percent. Almost 12 percent involve mental health issues. Nearly 20 percent of Americans are struggling with high blood pressure and cholesterol issues – either separately or combined. Most of these are preventable diseases.

Many of these issues could have been avoided with preventive health care. When it comes to health, prevention is better than cure. By maintaining proper health, people can find themselves living longer, healthier lives.

Many people are not aware of the exact meaning and importance of preventive health, and this may be a reason they are not taking advantage of it. Below is a good explanation of preventive health and its many benefits.

WHAT IS PREVENTIVE HEALTH?

Preventive health means you do not wait until you are sick, addicted, or in a mental health crisis to reach out for help. Instead, you can take actions early in your life that give you a better chance at avoiding health problems when you are older. Your personal physician can help with this.

Preventive health encourages you to make positive lifestyle choices, giving you the best chance of avoiding chronic problems such as diabetes, addiction, and mental health issues.

Routine checkups and assessments are an important part of preventive health care. If a health matter arises, you will experience the value of early detection through timely treatment.

Below are more reasons explaining the importance of preventive health in improving health outcomes.

ROLE OF HEALTH SCREENING IN THE PREVENTION OF ILLNESS

One feature of preventive health is having regular screenings that can detect anything in your blood and body that could potentially lead to a health crisis. There are non-invasive tests you can take early on, making it easier to both treat early symptoms and prevent further progress.

Screening tests can include tracking heart health for the early detection and prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Other routine check-ups and exams for preventive health include hormone balance, sleep hygiene, diet and weight management, and vitamin levels. Early testing gives you a jump start on making changes that can improve your quality of life and increase healthy outcomes.

There are preventative screenings and tests for almost every disorder. Most are simple and quick, and they can provide you with a great deal of knowledge about your health. These assessments can often give you information on how you can improve and extend your life.

PREVENTION COSTS LESS THAN TREATMENT

As you may already know, having health problems costs a lot of money. Health care is expensive. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be struggling with meeting premiums and deductibles, as well as out of pocket expenses. You may not even qualify for the best insurance plans due to a pre-existing condition or two.

Seeking preventive health care can help reduce these costs, because you are taking steps to avoid potential long-term health issues. Anything you can do to improve your physical health now will help your financial health in the future.

LONG-TERM BENEFITS OF PREVENTIVE HEALTH SCREENING

Everyone wants to live longer. The good news is that by putting preventive health methods into action now, you have a higher chance at not only living a long life, but enjoying it more too.

When it comes to health, prevention is much more effective than cure. But nonetheless, the sooner you learn that something is wrong with your health, the sooner you can act to make it better. If you are screened early for diabetes and learn that you are pre-diabetic, you can take immediate action to change your lifestyle – and can even reverse the diagnosis.

When you are diagnosed with an illness, you can receive early treatment and maintenance. There are many evidenced-based strategies you can utilize to improve your health and quality of life at every stage of an illness, from prevention to diagnosis, from treatment to prolonging life.

SCREENING TO IMPROVE PATIENT-SPECIFIC HEALTH OUTCOMES

The more you know, the more power and control you have over yourself and your life. Preventive health care provides you with valuable information specific to your health maintenance needs. It gives you insight into your body and how well it is functioning. This knowledge is what can help you make the right decisions for your life, and ultimately, for your health.

Once you are thoroughly educated on your health, your desire to improve your physical condition may increase. There is no more guessing what might be wrong – preventive healthcare can tell you those answers.

Many health problems can be prevented by making simple lifestyle changes in your personal or professional life. For example, parts of your lifestyle can include personal relationships, smoking and drinking habits, job stress, financial stressors, neighborhood factors and much more. You may not realize how much these factors can affect your health – but your doctor knows.

Stress management is an important technique that your doctor may prescribe at any stage of a diagnosis. Yoga and meditation in particular have shown to play a big role, not only in the prevention of illness, but even helping to reverse some illnesses. These calming methods are also effective for your sleep patterns and sleep hygiene.

Whatever your specific health needs, there are treatments available. If you are lacking in vitamins, you can replenish them through techniques like vitamin infusion therapy. If you struggle with digestion issues, you may want to try a medically-supervised diet detox.

In conclusion, committing to preventive health screenings and routine check-ups has many advantages. Aside from preventing potential illness (or further damage from illness), you gain valuable insight into your specific health needs and medical history. It truly is the key to improving your health outcomes throughout your lifetime.