When to Visit a Medical Centre Between Standard Checkups

22 August 2017
 Categories: Health & Medical , Blog

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It's often recommended that adults visit a family doctor on a regular basis—annually or even more often, as your doctor recommends. However, you may want to consider visiting a medical centre between your standard checkups if you have a medical issue that isn't an emergency but which shouldn't wait until your next standard appointment. While your doctor is always the best person to tell you when it's time to visit a medical centre, note a few conditions which you might discuss with him or her, and which might warrant a visit to a physician as soon as possible.

Anxiety and related disorders

Anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, and other such disorders can greatly interfere with your quality of life and also affect you physically. Panic and anxiety attacks can increase your heart rate and raise your blood pressure, which can eventually lead to heart damage. Your breathing might also be affected, and this can cause damage to your lungs. Persons with anxiety disorders, phobias, and other such related conditions may turn to alcohol or "comfort foods" to help them cope, and this can mean harming the liver, gaining weight, and so on. Visit a medical centre if you feel that your anxiety and other such similar disorders are beyond your control, as medical intervention can return your quality of life and protect your overall health.

Allergies

Your family physician may have prescribed medication for potential allergic reactions; however, if you're having more reactions than normal, or if you find that your current medication is not working as it should, it's time to visit a medical centre. Allergies can get worse over time, and you may have developed an immunity to your current meds. In any case, it's good to get those allergies diagnosed and addressed as soon as possible so you don't have a severe reaction that could actually be life-threatening.

Pain management

If the pain you experience from an injury, illness or other physical condition is getting worse and is interfering with your quality of life, you may not want to wait until your next doctor's appointment to have it treated. Your current medications may not be sufficient to address your pain, and you may not be healing as you should after an injury or surgery. You may also be doing something that is making the pain worse and which can be addressed by those at a medical centre. To ensure your overall health and to improve your quality of life, visit a medical centre if your current pain management options don't seem to be working for you.