Medical Centers And Internal Medicine:Your Key To Health Care

Never Underestimate the Importance of Your Annual Physical

Be honest – do you remember the last time you actually went to a doctor for a complete physical? Chances are, once you think about it, you’ll realize that it’s been a long time. Everyone goes to the doctor for problems or concerns they are having, but very few people actually go regularly for routine medical tests, including blood pressure checks and blood tests. Even though they may not be a fun way to spend an afternoon, getting a routine physical is vital for maintaining your health.

A routine physical can detect problems early on, while treatment is still an option, or while a diagnosis can be easily made. Putting off a physical can lead to serious complications, because many illnesses and diseases have no physical symptoms early on. This is why it’s so important to stay on top of your health, and make sure that you’re having regular check-ups. It can help to treat a problem if caught early enough, and can even avoid the problems from escalating into something more serious.
Sometimes a regular physical can detect warning signs for more serious disorders that without treatment could cause much more serious diseases or problems. To give you an example, a physical will often reveal high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Both of these conditions can be treated, but if left too long without treatment, can become more even more of a concern.
Are you experiencing a little problem that you feel is just “too small” to make an individual doctor’s appointment for? Well, a physical is a great time to mention some of the little concerns you have in regards to your health. Maybe you have really dry skin, a small rash, or maybe you’ve just been feeling very tired and run-down lately. This is the perfect opportunity to bring these issues up with your doctor, and bring you some peace of mind. Maybe some of the “little” things that you don’t think are important, can give a doctor some clue as to something more serious going on which requires attention.
Take the time during a physical to get up to date on some of the new medical information and technologies that are available today. So many times you hear about new treatments or research findings from a show on TV or from a magazine, and your physical gives you the perfect chance to discuss some of these new ideas with your doctor. If you feel that something may have been introduced which will be better suited to a treatment you’re receiving, bring it up and discuss your feelings with your doctor. A doctor can give you their opinions and information that you know you can trust, and may even be able to offer new ways to prevent disease or infection.
Women need to see a doctor every year. It’s necessary to have an annual pap smear and breast examination, along with all of the other routine medical tests of a physical. There will be other tests, such as mammograms, which will be needed from time to time as well, especially after a certain age.
Men, however, don’t need to have such frequent visits. Although it has generally been suggested that men go once a year as well, new research has actually pointed out that it isn’t necessary to have them as often. Now they are being told that they need to have a physical two times in their twenties, three times in their thirties, four times in their forties and every year from then on. Remember though that the more you go for a physical, the healthier you’ll be, so going every year wouldn’t do any harm.Obviously, we all want to live long, healthy lives, so why do we put off going for our routine physicals? These physicals are what can insure that we are doing our part to prevent illness, and receive treatment as early as possible if needed. So, don’t put off something as important as getting a check-up, when it just may save your life.

Medical Solutions For An Ailing Economy

Parents Who Become Cash-Poor, Laid Off Work Taking Harsh Look at Family Budget

 

Today's tough economic times can be felt across the nation's daycare centers as well as public and private schools, as cash-strapped parents must make changes in their family budget to keep food on the table.

Any working parent understands completely that the cost of child care can carve a large chunk out of a paycheck. The same is true for private school, before-or-after school care, and extracurricular programs. Job layoffs, work schedule reductions for hourly employees, and predictions of salary freezes and no bonus distributions have many families re-thinking every expense in their household budget. If you are trying to save money, here are some common child-related expenses to consider cutting, at least temporarily:

• Child Care. Parents who have been laid off or have had their hours reduced are pulling kids from daycare, and are either keeping their kids at home until another steady job is secured or finding a less expensive option altogether. Child care costs vary; but typical weekly daycare fees range from $100 to $400. Usually, there are enrollment and supply charges and even program or enrichment costs beyond that.
  
  Parents already struggling with higher food prices, job insecurity, cost-of-living increases and wildly fluctuating gas prices may just say "no" to the daycare their child has been attending. This enrollment withdrawal at daycare means that staff there in turn may face staff layoffs, a reduction in hours and a change in assignments. Some daycare centers are changing food offerings based on rising food costs, and have limited or even eliminated the number of field trips, special programs and optional extracurricular activities. Parents and providers alike are teaming together to find solutions to daycare options on a budget.
  
  Family child care is affected, as parents pull out their children until work situations improve. In-home family providers typically plan a certain number of kids at certain ages to balance their home care in terms of cost and profit. Openings in non-peak months may be hard to fill, and less kids means an early educator is working for less money, which affects that household budget as well.
• Private kindergartens or schools. Public schools offer free kindergarten programs, but they may not be at the level or hours that discriminating parents want. Some families may prefer private kindergarten with childcare over public kindergarten, because many free kindergarten programs may only be for one-half day or feature shortened hours. That may be changing. Private schools are very expensive, and supply lists, uniforms, and other so-called essentials add up for a family who may be currently struggling to pay the bills. Other parents are going ahead and sending their tot to kindergarten rather than waiting a year for additional maturity, in part due to saving daycare expenses. Some public schools are seeing an increase in enrollment at all levels due to a change from private to public, although the numbers spike most at kindergarten and younger elementary ages.
• Extracurricular activities. It's great for your child to take private piano or golf lessons each week or to be on the select soccer team or dance company, but you might want to consider reducing some of the expenses. Most parents aren't necessarily pulling kids altogether from extracurricular offerings. Instead, they are removing kids from the elite (a.k.a. "expensive") programs and placing them in community programs or rec leagues, normal dance classes, and reducing or eliminating "privates."

Working parents who are facing tight budgets and mounting bills may also be relying on relative-provided child care, babysitter co-ops (where time is the only thing exchanged) and having older siblings watch younger ones instead of using after-school care. Some kids become latch-key children until parents can get home. Many times these are temporary solutions until better times can be had.

While current economic news is sobering, consider using these tough times to teach your kids valuable lessons about saving money, charity, and finding family fun activities that are free or don't cost a lot of money. If kids understand why the family needs to change certain lifestyles or make different financial decisions, they are usually much more supportive and eager to find solutions together.