Preventive Care

Avoiding illness and disease makes far more sense than getting sick and undergoing expensive, stressful treatment. We are firm believers in preventive care and are happy to develop and implement healthier lifestyle treatment plans for their patients. To find out how you can benefit from preventive care, call Upper Echelon Medical today or book an appointment online.

What is preventive care?

Preventive care helps you enjoy better health and stops many medical conditions from developing. Upper Echelon Medical offers numerous preventive care services, including:

Immunizations

Immunizations work with your immune system to stop you from getting severe and potentially life-threatening illnesses such as:

• Measles
• Mumps
• Hepatitis
• Rubella
• Diphtheria
• Pertussis (whooping cough)
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Meningitis
• Tetanus
• Pneumonia
• Poliomyelitis (polio)
• Varicella (chickenpox)

These immunizations typically last for life or might require an occasional booster in some cases. Other immunizations, like flu and COVID-19, require regular shots to reduce your risk of infection.

Annual physical

Annual physicals and women's health exams are yearly health reviews with the Upper Echelon Medical team. Your provider checks your vital signs and looks for developing maladies or failing health. Treating diseases early on reduces their impact on your life, and treatment is typically more effective.

Screenings

Screenings are tests to check for signs of disease before they start causing symptoms. Common screenings include Pap smears for cervical cancer, fecal occult blood tests for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer, blood tests for diabetes and high cholesterol, and blood pressure measurement to identify hypertension (high blood pressure)

Your provider can also check for lumps and abnormalities that could be signs of breast, prostate, or other cancers and look at your skin to spot early stages of skin cancer.

Another vital aspect of preventive care is improving your lifestyle to reduce your risk of chronic disease.

How do lifestyle changes help with preventive care?

Many of the most widespread and serious medical conditions develop or worsen because of unhealthy lifestyles. These diseases include:

• Coronary artery disease (CAD)
• Peripheral artery disease (PAD)
• Atherosclerosis
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Stroke
• Heart attack
• Osteoarthritis
• Kidney disease
• Some cancers
• Fatty liver disease and cirrhosis
• Sight loss from diabetic retinopathy and other preventable diseases

These conditions are sometimes a direct result of unwise lifestyle choices, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, lack of exercise, chronic stress, a high fat, high sugar diet, and poor nutrition. Addressing these issues with the Upper Echelon Medical team’s help can often reverse the effects and restore your health.

What lifestyle changes might I need to make?

Putting on excess weight is often the first stage in the progression of conditions like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, so weight loss is one of the primary goals. 

The team can also help you improve your diet, get more exercise, find ways to relieve stress, and help you quit smoking and drinking.

To find out how you can benefit from preventive care, call Upper Echelon Medical today or book an appointment online.