By Leland E Pulley
It is easy to take health for granted, especially at a younger age or when you have been healthy up to the present time. After all, why worry about something that does not seem to need attention? This is a common trap for many people. When something does go wrong, they become all concerned. They want the fastest and cheapest solution. This is not the best approach. In contrast, smart people appreciate health and take action to protect and preserve it throughout their lives. Which person are you?
I want good health and so do other people. There are some things we can do to increase the chances of having the best health possible for our circumstances and environment.
First, seek to sustain physical and mental health, and find ways to do this effectively. Here are some suggestions.
- Get some medical insurance, even if it does not cover everything you want. Have some ability to pay for the deductible, or your portion of the bill for a specific problem. Save some money for medical emergencies or large medical bills.
- Take care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet. Get plenty of exercise. Do not smoke or drink, nor take illegal drugs.
- Limit the intake of prescription drugs. Do not overuse them or become dependent on any of them. This can lead to an addiction.
- Control your weight. Keep your BMI (Body Mass Index) well below 30 if at all possible. If necessary, go on a diet. Pick an approach or plan that is right for you today and stick with it until you reach your weight goal. Then have a strategy or plan for staying at that weight.
- Pay attention to your body. Self-examination becomes more important with age. So does sensitivity to aches and pains, and being stiff or sore. Remember, your body changes with time and you must take these natural changes into account.
- Get a medical examination or physical, along with certain tests, on a periodic basis. With age, some tests should be done more frequently. Check with your doctor about the frequency of exams, and the specific tests to done. Utilize vaccinations that are appropriate for you.
- Watch for lack of sleep. Do not consume stimulants to keep you going during the day, and then end up keeping you up at night.
- Monitor stress. If it is in your life more than it should be, find out its sources and work to reduce it to acceptable levels.
- Avoid over exposure to sunlight. Too much tanning is not good for the body.
- See a dentist regularly, and take care of your teeth.
- Have your eyes checked, and utilize any prescription for glasses.
- Avoid getting tattoos. They are easy to put on your skin, but almost impossible to take off later.
Besides doing all the things above, you will still need the help of others at one time or another. Have a good support system in family and close friends. They can encourage you in many ways and help you when problems occur. Husband and wives, and grown children, can be real forces for positive reinforcement and support for you during times of medical problems.
When you see medical personnel, be prepared for appointments. For example, I keep a medical notebook on myself. I know who I saw, when, and what happened. This goes back to young adult years. Based on my personal medical records, as well as those kept by the doctor, I make sure health appointments are made and kept.
Before seeing the doctor, I review past notes and make up a list of present concerns or questions. Then when I see the doctor, I make sure he answers all my questions or addresses my concerns before the visit is over. In this way, nothing is forgotten.
Also, I have found that for certain things, the doctor needs my input as much as I need his professional judgment. This is especially true for things like pain or mental health issues. For example, I have a minor case of epilepsy. For this, certain tests can provide some accurate data. But only I can tell the doctor exactly what my thought patterns are, or what I see in my mind without proper medication. My descriptions help him to select the best medicine for me.
Some people get medical care, but are noncompliant. They will not follow instructions for using medicine or taking care of themselves after leaving the hospital or doctor=s office. Problems return and they are back again. Often, the problem is now worse. Do not do this. Take charge and accept responsibility for doing your part in taking care of yourself.
Another important factor is health insurance to pay for care provided by others. My wife and I have lived in several places and changed employers too. We have had health insurance consistently, but it has been different plans through different companies. This means we have been able to get healthcare at a reasonable cost because part of the bill was paid by insurance.
You too should obtain some medical insurance. Even with this, you will have some bills to pay. Strive to pay these on time. Keep a good track record with your medical insurance company and employer. Then the people administering healthcare are easier to deal with. They will strive to understand your needs and provide answers for your questions.
Today a lot of people are uninsured or under insured. This means the rest of us are paying for part or all of their care through higher rates or premiums for our healthcare. This is a financial fact that we all have to live with.
Health costs are going up faster than wages. There are reasons for this. More research is being done and people want more wonder drugs to cure everything. More drugs are being used by more people. Equipment has become more sophisticated and expensive. Treatments have gone up too. Everyone wants the latest things and the best treatment possible. If anything goes wrong, the patient starts a lawsuit.
Insurance companies try to control costs by limiting what they will pay for, or how much they will pay for a particular problem or disease. They limit their payments to both hospitals and doctors. This leads to cutting corners in care, or limiting how long of stay you have in a hospital or how much time you actually see a doctor during an appointment. For these reasons and more, you must learn to become your own advocate to gather accurate information and stand up for your rights.
Some of the reasons HMO=s were organized was to provide reasonably good healthcare to more people, and at a reasonable rate. This has not fully solved the problem however.
Some people want universal healthcare through the government. This takes the burden off of employers and the self-employed who buy insurance that is offered to businesses. In contrast, most people still get medical insurance through private companies. The private route is the most efficient and best way to offer medical care.
In summary, pay attention to your physical and mental health. Focus on prevention or Wellness. Get regular examinations and tests via medical personnel. Be a compliant patient. Take care of the financial aspects of medical care. Even with all these efforts, have some common sense. Do not expect to do at age sixty all the things you did at thirty.
Key words – health, diet, exercise, prescription drugs, weight, self-examination, medical examination, sleep, stress, teeth, eyes, support system, appointments, personal medical records, non-compliant, health insurance, healthcare, advocate, prevention, wellness
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