Internal Medicine Doctor in Redlands, CA

In general, preventative care refers to various tests, procedures, and treatments that help monitor your health and identify or diagnose chronic or serious health issues. Preventative services are a crucial part of your overall healthcare, as they can help identify serious health conditions early on, which improves your overall health outcomes and illness management.

Preventative care services include things like blood pressure, diabetes, or cholesterol testing, screenings for certain types of cancer, such as mammograms or colonoscopies, or lifestyle support such as nutrition counseling. Most people should receive preventative care throughout their lifetime, but the types of preventative care services that are right for you may depend on some specific factors in your personal health history. For example, if you have a family history of breast cancer, your primary care provider or specialist may recommend more regular mammograms or breast exams than normal, as a preventative measure.

In general, yes. While the presence of a specific disease or illness in your family history isn’t a 100% guarantee that you will end up with the same thing, it can increase your chances of experiencing it. This is why most primary care physicians, when meeting a new patient for the first time, will typically ask about the family’s health history, such as whether certain illnesses like cancer, diabetes, or autoimmune disorders run in your family.

Your gender, race, and family background are also factors that can impact your health, and these are pieces that your physician will also usually take into consideration when thinking about preventative healthcare services.

Your family history can be an indicator of how at-risk you are for developing certain conditions, such as type 1 diabetes, cancer, or certain autoimmune disorders. Your physician must know about your family history, as this can influence what type of care and preventative tests they may recommend. Depending on your situation, these tests could be anywhere from once every few years to more frequently. It’s important to understand that while family history does have an influence, it’s not a guarantee. Having an elevated risk of developing a condition does not mean you will definitely develop it. In some cases, you can take preventative measures beyond medical tests and care, such as diet and exercise, that can also help mitigate risk. 

Getting adequate sleep each night is a crucial piece of your overall health and one that is unfortunately neglected by many people. Sleep is an important time for our bodies to regenerate and rest, which allows us to fight off illness, heal from injuries, and recuperate from life’s daily stresses. This is one of the main reasons why consistent lack of sleep has been linked to increased risk for chronic illness, and poorer quality of life overall.

Also, issues with your sleep can be a sign of other health concerns, such as depression or sleep apnea, which can impact your ability to participate fully in daily life activities. Put simply, if we don’t sleep well at night, we can’t experience our days to the fullest, and over time, this can greatly impact our health.

Improving your health usually involves factors specific to you, but in general, managing key lifestyle components like a balanced, nutritious diet, regular exercise, adequate sleep, and reducing stress are all important pillars to feeling good and healthy.

Preventative care services and regular appointments, as well as access to a healthcare provider, is also crucial to improving your health since underlying conditions can sometimes impact your life for a long period before being diagnosed or treated. 

If you are looking for Internal Medicine Doctor in Redlands CA, Dr. Nassar MD is the right place for you! For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 255 Terracina Blvd, Suite 105 Redlands, CA 92373. We serve patients from Redlands CA, Loma Linda CA, Mentone CA, Highland CA, Moonlight Rim CA, Grand Terrace CA, El Casco CA, Greenspot CA, and surrounding areas.