What is Preventive Care and What Services Does It Cover? “Prevention is better than cure” we all have heard this statement in diverse contexts. But primarily in matters concerning health. For instance, consider the Covid-19 vaccines; they are a precautionary measure and these vaccines are not a cure for the virus itself but potentially prevent the occurrence of Covid. In medical history, there have been several such vaccines, including Hepatitis B, HPV and flu vaccines, to name a few. This we all know but do you know that there is a separate branch in medicine called preventive care? You might or might not be familiar with it, but it’s a form of healthcare we all should practice. So, to help you get a better idea, we are here with everything you need to know about preventive care. It’s an irreplaceable part of Bella Vista medical practice, so make it a part of your life too.
What is Preventive Care? Preventive care targets the timely detection or prevention of major diseases. It involves a series of routine checkups or screening methods to detect diseases at the onset and make way for their effective remedial treatment. In an age where genetic diseases like cancer and TB are claiming so many lives, preventive care is more strongly felt than ever. Why? Because these are preventable deaths that could be prevented with early detection. For instance, stage 4 cancer has little to no cure, but stage 1 has. So, for effective treatment, early diagnosis is inconsequential. That is why preventive care is of key importance. With it, you can detect diseases before it becomes life-threatening.
Benefits of Preventive Care Every Bella Vista Community centre understands the importance of preventive care and is a part of the services they offer. To ensure you understand its importance, here are a few benefits of preventive care. ● The right preventive care involves disease screening and timely detection of chronic diseases like strokes, cancer and heart diseases. It charges preventive care with lifesaving potential. ●
Preventive care could help you save a lot on future medical bills.
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It helps adopt a better and healthier lifestyle. With routine checkups, you will get to know the factors that bring down your health and can, therefore, adopt healthy habits that could help deal with them. For instance, you can alter your diet accordingly if an iron deficiency is detected with a routine checkup.
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When you are in regular contact with your physicians, you remain up to date regarding developments in the medical field like immunizations and vaccines.
Make way for such benefits in your life with our preventive care services at Bella Vista community care centre.
What Does Preventive Care Include? 1. Preventive Cardiology Preventive cardiology covers various tests and screenings to detect the risk of heart diseases and strokes. It includes monitoring cholesterol and blood pressure levels. ● ● ●
As per the report of the International Bureau of health, cholesterol tests are to be undertaken every 4 to 6 years to prevent the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Regular monitoring of blood pressure can reduce the probability of strokes. Diabetes screening can prevent the chances of preventing all related health ailments like strokes, heart attacks, and vision loss and kidney diseases.
2. Preventive Weight Management Recent studies have shown that over 38.9% of the global adult population is obese. But it can be prevented with timely screening, and that’s what preventive weight management covers. It reduces the risk of obesity and related conditions by recommending several lifestyle changes. It includes: ● ● ●
Regular physical exercises Ensure intake of a balanced diet. Cut down on sugar and saturated fat intake.
3. Preventive Radiology Radiology tests are conducted for both diagnostic and preventive purposes. For the preventive part, it includes several tests like: ● ● ● ●
Full-body MRI Mammograms for detection of breast cancer Sports screening to prevent sports injuries Cardiac Score
4. Cancer Screenings As we talked about before, most cancers can be cured if detected at an early stage. And statistically, it’s one of the major causes of preventable deaths. So, with preventive cancer screenings, you can tame chronic illnesses like cancer. Such screenings include but are not limited to: ● ●
Colonoscopies for early detection of colorectal cancer. Mammograms to detect breast cancer before it spread and become untreatable.
5. STI Screenings Preventive care also involves screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STIs). While STIs are treatable, delayed detection could increase their severity. Also, undetected STIs could lead to fertility loss and bring down a person’s overall health. And not to forget the risk of transmission. So, in such a scenario, STI screenings can be an effective tool in preventing sexually transmitted diseases. So, every sexually active individual should engage in STI screenings. For that, you can reach out to your nearby Bella vista community health centre.
6. Mental Health Screening As per WHO’s report, suicides lead to over 7,00,000 deaths per year. And this number is increasing with each passing year? Why? Because mental health is not prioritised as much as physical health. So, mental conditions like suicide and anxiety are left undiagnosed, bringing in the possibility of suicide. That is why a preventive care method like mental health screening can be impactful in reducing depression and other chronic mental illnesses.
Sign Up for Holistic Medical Assistance with BV Circa Medical Centre With our services, we aim to give Bella Vista medical practice a holistic turn. That’s why at our Bella vista community health centre, you will have access to all medical services, preventive or otherwise. With a team of qualified practitioners, we are all set to be the one-stop for all your medical needs. To know more about our services, reach out to us at 02 8814 7800 or bvcircamedical@gmail.com.