Internal Medicine
Primary & Preventive Care
Primary and preventive care fit together perfectly because good full-body health is the goal of both. The team of medical professionals offers comprehensive primary and preventive care at one office.
What are primary and preventive care?
Primary and preventive care are two different kinds of care. Comprehensive Internal Medicine & Cardiology Associates of Huntington believes that they work best together. By offering both in one place, you can get all the medical care you need while preventing new health problems.
Primary care
Primary care focuses on maintaining your health. As your primary care providers, the specialists offer all general medical care, like annual exams, sick visits, and chronic disease management.
Usually, primary care facilities send you to another provider when you have more complex medical needs.
But because the team includes general medicine doctors and cardiovascular specialists, advanced care is available to you at the same place you receive primary and preventive care.
Preventive care
Preventive care diagnoses and treats diseases before they grow severe. This care includes screenings and tests based on your age, risk factors, and health.
Preventive care also counsels you to make lifestyle changes, like losing weight and managing your diet. This helps you change the course of your health problems. For example, you can avoid diseases like Type 2 diabetes by following your providers’ advice to eat better and exercise more.
In many cases, you’ll receive primary and preventive care during your annual physicals.
Does primary and preventive care include cardiology?
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in men and women today, so cardiology care is an essential part of primary and preventive care. Looking after your heart health and having problems diagnosed early can literally save your life. Preventive screenings are a significant part of that.
The team recommends cardiology screenings during physical exams. Available screenings include echocardiograms, stress echocardiography, and nuclear stress tests. Which one is recommended for you will depend on your individual needs.
How often should I have primary and preventive care?
The practice recommends annual physical exams for most people. This physical is a thorough health checkup that includes screenings like lab work and cardiovascular monitoring.
Most patients need yearly cardiovascular screenings. These tests can diagnose heart problems before they become severe, disabling, or deadly. The team can then take steps to help you prevent a heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications.