Your primary care provider (PCP) serves as your first line of defense for your health. Your provider diagnoses and treats many illnesses and chronic diseases. Primary care also helps detect serious health issues early, enabling you to live a longer, healthier life.
At Balboa Medical Center & Spa in Encino, California, internist Dr. Amir Raeesy offers patient-centered, holistic primary care services. If you don’t have a PCP or haven’t received routine primary care, your health could be at risk.
To help you stay on track, we’ve put together this helpful guide to explain the importance of primary care. Read on to learn more.
Why is primary care important to my health?
To stay healthy for the long term, it’s important to be proactive. Spotting potential problems early, before they worsen, helps prevent chronic health issues and enables early treatment of serious conditions.
Here’s a closer look at some key reasons primary care is important.
1. A comprehensive view of your health
Having a comprehensive understanding of your health history can prove essential when concerns arise. Your PCP records important baseline health information at your visits and is the first person you turn to when something isn’t right.
Routine primary care allows your provider to spot inconsistencies and aids Dr. Raeesy in diagnosing diseases and finding trends faster.
2. Detecting and treating chronic illness and “silent” conditions
There are 133 million Americans living with a chronic illness, but over half don’t receive the care they need. Regular primary care could help catch and manage most of these conditions, making a difference in the long-term wellness of those affected.
In addition, many serious health conditions don’t have warning symptoms until they’ve progressed to a dangerous level. Doctors call these conditions “silent killers.” For example, chronic high blood pressure (hypertension) doesn’t have noticeable symptoms until you have a heart attack or stroke.
Dr. Raeesy checks for conditions like high blood pressure during your visits. This helps detect these silent diseases early so he can discuss treatment and lifestyle changes needed to avoid complications.
When you visit Dr. Raeesy, he checks for small warning signs from your body that may indicate something more serious is going on. Conditions like glaucoma, diabetes, and even certain cancers can be detected during your primary care visits at Balboa Medical Center & Spa.
3. Keeping your health care up-to-date
Routine primary care also helps you stay up-to-date with general health screenings and immunizations, and they help Dr. Raeesy establish your medical history, family health history, and relevant lifestyle considerations.
When Dr. Raeesy has this information, he can recommend the right screenings for your unique situation. Whether for sexually transmitted infections or certain cancers, primary care helps ensure your health care is up-to-date.
4. Help with routine illnesses and injuries
When you get sick or injured, your PCP at Balboa Medical Center & Spa is the first person you turn to for care. Dr. Raeesy can also help you make health-promoting lifestyle changes with recommendations customized for you. Here are just a few of the services he offers:
- Cold and flu treatment
- IV fluids
- Urgent care
- Minor injuries and burns
- Smoking cessation
- Guidance on healthy diet and exercise
- Help with sleep hygiene
Get started with primary care by calling Balboa Medical Center & Spa in Encino, California, or requesting an appointment on our website now.