You are probably thinking
that it is too late to be talking about prevention at this stage of the game,
but that isn’t true. It is never too
late to take care of yourself if quality of life matters to you. Dr. Elizabeth Smoots writes a healthy living
column for the Herald and today she focused on prevention (April 20, 2010).
Terminology first: What does the word prevention mean to
you? The dictionary tells us that
prevention means that you are anticipating or acting to keep something from happening. In terms of health that something is a
disease or a disease process. The doctor
breaks prevention down into categories that are easy to follow.
Primary Prevention refers to
taking steps that will prevent you from getting sick. An example of primary prevention might be
getting vaccinated or getting your yearly flu shot. But that isn’t all. Modifying risk factors counts as prevention
too. By modifying your habits or
behaviors you are doing something proactive in order to avoid disease or
injury. Exercising, controlling your
weight, following dietary restrictions, giving up smoking or monitoring alcohol
intake are all things that you can do to decrease risk factors.
Secondary Prevention refers
to testing for medical conditions even though you are symptom free. The idea is to find evidence of disease
before you actually get sick. Routine
screenings for breast cancer, colon cancer, or blood test that look at
cholesterol or glucose levels are a few examples of secondary prevention.
Tertiary Prevention refers
to things that you can do in order to prevent disease progression, alleviate
symptoms, and hopefully avoid unpleasant complications.
Learn more about
prevention. Discuss your concerns with
your health care team and work with them.
Unfortunately, many people put off seeing a doctor until they are truly
sick and then are dissatisfied because there isn’t a quick fix. A pill can’t take care of everything. People
still engage in risky behaviors and suffer the consequences, but it isn’t
because they haven’t been informed. We have access to information and our
health care providers will help interpret it. Advances in the field of preventive medicine
are paving the way to reduce suffering and improving quality of life, but it is
up to you to follow through. Focus on being healthy instead of on illness.
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