Should Blood Tests Be Included In Your Annual Checkup?

Like many people, you should schedule a yearly checkup with your doctor. It usually involves discussing your health history and some routine questions. You can also get various tests done such as a urine test, EKG, blood test etc.

Annual blood tests are necessary for aging adults to catch possible health concerns as early as possible and prevent any life threatening diseases or illness.

Your doctor will determine whether you are at risk falling prey to a disease, so that they can take appropriate measures to counter it.

In NYC annual checkup is practised by almost everyone and complete attention is given to annual physical blood test by NYC doctors. 

Blood tests reveal the glucose level, blood count, cholesterol etc of a person. The results of these tests help doctors determine whether a patient may have anemia and whether the red blood cell count is adequate, decreased or increased.

Doctors will check the white blood cell count and platelet count, which will indicate any infection in the body. Low platelet count can also be a reason for increased bruising. There are many other essential blood tests that should be carried out periodically to ensure that you are in perfect health.

Following is a list of some essential blood tests everyone should have at least once a year:

1) CBC: Common blood count(CBC) is a baseline for key factors such as Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.

2) Radar: Blood tests like these help determine the sugar core of the body and for checking whether you are diabetic or not. You will have to fast before the glucose test for better results.

3) Cholesterol test : This will keep an eye on fats and harmful cholesterol levels in the body.

4) CRP in your blood: If there is an elevated level of C-reactive protein in your blood then there is a risk of inflammation. The inflammation may lead to cardiovascular diseases. If your CRP as well as Cholesterol is high then you are at a risk of having a heart attack.

5) Thyroid test: Thyroid when left untreated can lead to life threatening illness. Hence timely tests are essential in this case.

Which Qualities Define A Good Primary Care Physician For Patients?

Finding the right  primary care physician in Mt. Sinai, may seem like a difficult task. Because of a number of options available, it may become difficult to choose physician among all. As a result, most of the people seek help of newspapers, internet, or advertisements to find the best physician.

However, there are certain things that you need to look for in a good primary care

physician. Apart from qualification, certification, or reputation, you also need to look for certain qualities to endure that the physician you choose is best in the industry. 

 

Some of the essential qualities are listed below.

•   A patient listener - Doctors are always busy and you want the one who is willing to listen to your health concerns patiently. You need a physician who will listen and address all your health concerns as well as concerns about your family or children’s health.

Therefore, when you schedule an initial consultation with the physician, make sure he does not rush through the visit and listen to all your problems carefully.

•    Easily available- Make sure that the physician you choose is easily available after his working hours or also offers emergency visit at your place, if required. The best physician is the one who can offer medical help at any time of day or night.  

•    Appointment availability - A good physician is the one who can provide easy appointment facility to the patients. So make sure that the doctor you choose is available whenever you want him.  You can visit the doctor and know about the typical waiting time for appointments.

Apart from the aforementioned qualities, you also need to look for a doctor with a good pleasing personality so that you feel comfortable with him.  At times, there are certain health issues that might be personal, so make sure you feel comfortable discussing them with the doctor.

Did you know why Preventive care is Crucial for you?

Preventive care is one of the most important steps that you can take to manage your health. This is because preventing a health issue is much easier and less expensive than managing or treating it once it has begun or spread. On the other hand, it allows you to take charge of your wellbeing and quality of life in your hands.

Preventive care can include regular check-ups, cholesterol screening, anemia screening, HIV screening, obesity screening, abdominal aortic screening, cancer screening, diet counseling, etc. Tests performed in the preventive care will be based upon factors such as your age, gender, symptoms, and special health condition.

To be certain that why preventive care is important, you can go through the following factors-

• Preventive care plays vital role in the early diagnosis of medical issues such as heart diseases and cancer that can be the difference between a relatively straightforward treatment and severe health problems.
• Preventive care allows you to ensure good overall health and functioning of the organs. Physicians can catch the early warning signs and symptoms of health problems and prevent them from becoming a cause of concern.
• It allows you to control and work on various risk factors such as obesity, tobacco usage, unhealthy lifestyle, etc. that have the ability to lead you towards many potential illnesses and diseases.

Therefore, we can say that even if you are in a good shape with no signs or symptoms of a disease, you must invest time and money in preventive care to maintain good health and prevent diseases before they occur. You can receive the required care with the help of a primary care physician in Mt Sinai. However, it is essential for you to choose a professional reputable physician only.  

Top traits you must look for in a primary physician before visiting

Primary physician is a person whom you should consult regarding your health concerns to know what really your health situation is. So if you are looking for a primary care physician in Mt Sinai, then you need to wisely choose a physician, as to judge between wide number of physicians can be challenging.

It is advisable to consider all options available and then choose the most appropriate one. However, few people prefer choosing the one that suit according to their requirement but fail to realize the fact that it is very essential to look for a right professional.

It is not difficult to approach the right physician if proper facts are known and consider few traits that are required for a physician to have.

Following are some of the traits that you must look for in a physician when making selection-

• The first thing that you need to look in a physician is his qualification. Make sure that the physician is not only well qualified but also holds license to run his/her practice.
• Another thing is the experience, so you need to be sure about it also. Make sure that the physician you are looking for holds years of experience in running the practice. It is important to note that the more experience the physician holds, the more the physician will be skilled.
• Other than this, the physician should be reliable one so that you can trust him/her easily for your health ailments. Trust is based on many things like for instance the physician should be able to assure you that your health problems would be cured etc.
• Physician should not only be able to listen to you carefully but also at the same time, he/she should be able to be available at the time you need. In other words, it means that the physician’s consulting time should suit you.

A primary care doctor can provide you all health benefits provided you choose the right one. Therefore, make sure that the physician holds these traits so that you can make him/her your permanent physician.

Blood testing-The right way to know about your health!

 

Undoubtedly, approx. 70 percent of medical decisions are based on diagnostic test results that include majorly blood tests. By going for blood tests, you can easily know about your health, which will help you in taking better care of your body.

Following are the reasons behind going for blood tests in Glen Oaks -

Find illness or disease- Blood test helps to diagnose diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, anemia, and coronary heart disease. These tests help doctors take necessary measures to safeguard their life from life threatening diseases.

Functioning of organs- To evaluate the functioning of organs like kidneys, liver, thyroid, and heart, blood test is performed.

Measure hemoglobin quantity in blood- Measuring of hemoglobin is necessary to avoid health risks. The hemoglobin depends on the age and the gender of the person. The normal range include-

• Newborns: 17 to 22 gm/dL
• Children: 11 to 13 gm/dL
• Males: 14 to 18 gm/dL
• Women: 12 to 16 gm/dL
• Men after middle age: 12.4 to 14.9 gm/dL
• Women after middle age: 11.7 to 13.8 gm/dL

Identify blood groups-This test is performed to determine the blood type in an individual. There are four major blood groups that include Group A, Group B, Group AB and Group O.

Measure blood count- This test helps determine the number of red and white blood cells in the body. Number of platelets is also determined through it. Hence, this helps to know general health status, present diseases and conditions that are affecting the blood cells of body.

Find symptoms for future disease- Blood test helps determine future risk of the development of a disease. For example low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides through blood test helps determine cardiac risk.

Genetic testing- Genetic testing is performed to determine-

• Inherited illness
• Birth defects
• Chromosome problem
• Physical abnormalities
• Child with medical genetic problems
• Determine specific type or severity of a genetic illness
  
  
  Medical Associates
  257-10 Union Turnpike
  Glen Oaks, NY 11004
  Phone: (516) 742-3500, (718) 347-3500 

Tips that help to reduce the risk for Mild Cognitive Treatment

Forgetting things is very common. However, if you are forgetting things very frequently, then you might be suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

What is Mild Cognitive Impairment?

It is a condition related to memory, judgment, thinking, and language problems. A patient may have difficulty with language, trouble remembering common things, unable to make simple decisions, or other basic skills. Moreover, people suffering from Mild Cognitive Impairment may have increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Until today, the doctors are unable to find out the primary cause of mild cognitive impairment however, the most common risk factors and causes associated with MCI are –

• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• Increased age
• High blood pressure
• Depression

The above-mentioned are some of the common risk factors that can lead to mild cognitive treatment. However, no specific treatment for MCI is found but here are certain tips that can reduce the risk for mild cognitive impairment.

• Healthy lifestyle- One must follow a healthy lifestyle which may include regular exercise. This can help to reduce your risks for different health problems. Walking is the best exercise that should be done regularly. Additionally, make sure to remain active, whether it means physically or socially. 
   
• Blood pressure- Blood pressure is a common problem, which can lead to mild cognitive impairment. Low or high blood pressure can lead to MCI considerably. Therefore, if you have any problems associated with Blood pressure, make sure to address them properly with your doctor and take the specific blood pressure medicines to keep your BP under control.
  
  
• Do not overstress- Make sure to practice certain relaxation techniques such as meditation to limit the stress. In addition, to lower the risk of MCI, the best you can do is to avoid different stressful situation. 
   
• Healthy and balanced diet- Apart from a healthy lifestyle, healthy and balanced diet is equally important. This not only prevents from MCI but also keeps one healthy and fit. Do not forget to include the fresh vegetables and fruits in your daily diet.

However, if you are looking for Mild Cognitive ImpairmentTreatment in NYC, look for the place that has renowned and experienced physicians that specializes in the particular treatment.

Top qualities to look for while choosing a primary care physician

A primary care physician or PCP is a health care professional who takes care of the people with some common medical problems. Usually, a PCP works as a doctor but he may also be appointed as a physician assistant or a nurse practitioner. As the primary care physician is responsible for taking complete care of the individual’s health, so it becomes very important to select one with whom you will work well.

Choosing a primary care physician in Mt Sinai or any other place where you reside is not an easy task. As it the matter of your health, so make sure you choose the best physician keeping all aspects in mind. 

 

However, if you are looking for a primary care physician, here are some of the essential traits the physician you choose must possess-

• Non judgmental-It is very important for you to feel comfortable while taking to your doctor so that you can talk about your illness or health issue in detail without any hesitation. Therefore, the doctor needs to non-judgmental so that the patient can clearly explain his health history even about topics like alcoholism, drug addiction or cigarette smoking. Revealing all your health related information to the doctor in detail is very important so that the doctor is able to provide you with proper diagnosis, medications, as well as treatment plan.
• Active listener- Besides being non-judgmental, the physician you choose should be able to listen to your problems carefully and understand them. For example, the doctor prescribed you a particular medicine three times a day and for some specific reason it does not fit your lifestyle or does not suit you. So in this case the doctor should listen to your problem and should prescribe you with some alternative option that works well with you.
• Coordinator of your care- Your primary care physician should manage with your medical care history. This means he should calmly coordinate with any doctor that is involved in your health plan and make sure that your are regular with each specialist.

However, choosing a good physician completely depends on your own efforts and ways. You can consult newspapers or you can ask for references from family or friends. Whatever way you follow, just make sure to choose the best among all.

Medical Associates
5499 Nesconset Hwy
Mt Sinai, NY 11766
Phone: (631) 928-2600, (631) 928-9355