Six Reasons You Should be Seeing a Primary Care Physician

Your primary care physician can not only help when you’re under the weather, they can also help to keep you healthy the rest of the time. Check out these six reasons you should be seeing a primary care physician or establish a relationship with a primary care physician, if you don’t already have one.

Ask anything

Your primary care doctor can help you work though a range of issues. Dealing with a persistent cough, feeling anxious or suffering from acid reflux? A visit to your primary care doctor can be your opportunity to ask about all the above. Your primary care doctor is trained in treating a wide variety of symptoms and can also help you coordinate care should you need to see a specialist.

Get help managing chronic care

If you’re dealing with diabetes, arthritis, migraines or other chronic conditions, your primary care doctor can help you keep track of all the care you need. Your doctor can help you manage your medications, identify emerging treatment options and perform routine tests to make sure you’re staying on track.

Get comfortable

Talking about your body and health can feel uncomfortable at times, but your primary care provider will get to know you and can help to break down any barriers to having an open, honest conversion about your healthcare.

Establish a medical history

Your primary care physician will also get to know your medical history to establish a base line for your care. If you’ve ever experienced that moment when you feel like you’re not explaining your symptoms well enough or you’re not sure if something is normal for you, your primary care doctor can help by knowing your medical history and understanding your specific needs.

Catch small Issues early

Your primary care physician can help to flag small issues through routine screenings and targeted questions to help prevent any health concerns from developing into larger problems. This can also help to lower your overall cost of healthcare as waiting too long or ignoring symptoms can lead to ER visits, hospitalization or extensive specialty care. Recent studies shows that those who have a primary care doctor save 33% on healthcare over their peers who only see specialists.

Trust your course of treatment

Your primary care doctor may be able to help prevent any unnecessary or harmful treatments or medication. Because your primary care physician understands your medical history and your body, he or she can help avoid unneeded testing or a course of treatment that won’t be the right fit. A primary care doctor can even flag medications that could be potentially harmful depending on your current prescriptions, specific needs or medical history.