Doctor's visits can be categorized as either necessary or unnecessary, but it is hard for people outside of the healthcare industry to determine the difference.Unneeded visits are a burden on healthcare insurance and services which can cause rates and costs to increase over time.People make appointments because they don't know what to do about their symptoms.Monitoring your vitals at home can help you avoid unnecessary doctor visits.
Step 1: It's time to exercise more.
Regular exercise is an important factor in reducing your risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.Most visits are necessary, but some are unnecessary or unneeded for people who do not suffer from these issues.Less doctor visits and less burden on the healthcare system can be achieved by only 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise on a daily basis.If weather and personal safety permit it, you can start by walking around your neighborhood.If you have heart disease, avoid vigorous exercise, such as long-distance running or swimming.If you add in some weight training, you will be able to strengthen your bones and reduce your risk of osteoporosis.
Step 2: Maintaining a healthy weight requires eating well and exercising.
The typical American diet is high in calories, trans fat, and refined sugars.Obesity rates in the U.S. are at their peak.34% of American adults are obese.Obesity increases your risk of many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, various cancers, arthritis, auto-immune conditions, and frequent musculoskeletal complaints.Many of these problems require a lot of doctor's visits and treatments.The medical costs for Americans who are obese are more expensive than those of normal weight.Reduce saturated fat and eliminate trans fat by eating more plant-based oils and seeds.Don't drink soda and energy drinks with high fructose corn syrup.You can calculate and monitor your body mass index.If you're overweight or obese, it's a good idea to measure your body mass index.Divide your weight by your height to calculate your body mass index.A body mass index between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight, whereas 30 and above is classified as obese.
Step 3: Don't drink and smoke.
Cigarette smoking and heavy alcohol consumption are bad lifestyle habits that can cause diseases and lead to unneeded doctor's appointments.Smoking damages the throat and lungs.Smoking can cause asthma and emphysema, which are reasons for doctor visits.Alcohol is harmful to the body in many ways.Alcoholism is associated with cognitive problems.Nicotine patches and gum can be used to stop smoking.Too many side effects of stopping "cold turkey" can lead to unneeded doctor visits.Limit yourself to no more than one drink per day if you want to stop drinking alcoholic beverages.A high percentage of people who smoke also drink alcohol on a regular basis.
Step 4: It is a good idea to check your vitals at home.
It's easy to measure your vital signs at home and not have to go to the doctor.Blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate and even blood sugar levels can be measured at home with electronic devices.If your numbers are good and your vitals are within normal ranges, then a doctor visit is not necessary.It's a good idea to ask your doctor what the most appropriate ranges are for your vital signs.Pharmacy, medical supply stores and rehabilitation facilities have home medical devices.You can measure your cholesterol levels at home.The cholesterol kits are close in accuracy to standard lab tests, but they were not very accurate a number of years ago.Special dip sticks designed to turn different colors in reaction to certain compounds can be used to analyze blood and urine.
Step 5: If necessary, take medications.
Although medications are helpful to reduce symptoms such as pain and inflammation, all of them create side effects.Statins and antihypertensives are drugs that can cause a lot of side effects in a high proportion of users.Over-medicating and following directions for drugs can lead to other symptoms and additional doctor visits.Discuss the risk of side effects with your doctor.Alternative remedies that are plant-based can cause fewer and less serious side effects, and are often lacking scientific study or verification that they actually work.Statins can cause a number of health problems.Some herbal remedies may help lower cholesterol levels.Chronic coughing, dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, nervousness, tiredness, lethargy, headaches, and impotent are some of the symptoms caused by antihypertensives.There are remedies that can help lower blood pressure.
Step 6: You should schedule a yearly physical.
One way to reduce doctor visits is to schedule a yearly check-up for screenings, immunizations, and to identify any potential health issues and catch them before they become too serious.Ask your insurance agent if your health insurance will cover a preventative care visit when you are healthy.
Step 7: Minor issues can be handled by using your local walk-in clinics.
A more practical way of cutting down on unnecessary doctor visits is to use your local walk-in clinics more often for immunizations, renewing prescriptions, getting vital signs measured and getting basic physical exams.More and more pharmacy chains are offering these types of medical services and taking advantage of them reduces the burden on your doctor's office and the healthcare system in generalThese small clinics usually don't have medical doctors, but they do have qualified nurses and/or medical assistants.The flu and hepatitis B vaccines are offered at the pharmacy.If you have to wait, it's easy to go grocery shopping if the pharmacy is inside of a grocery store.