August is Preventative Health Care month, do not overlook your mental health
August marks the end of summer break for kids and teachers and other folks, and as such is a natural time to start thinking about preparation for the upcoming school year, and for the beginning of the cooler months and shorter days and the ringing in of the cold and flu season.
August is considered “Health Awareness Month”. It is a good time to set up your preventative wellness checkups and think about how to optimize your health for the upcoming Winter. It is a common time for kid’s check-ups but should include adults as well.
Common preventative health exams include:
- general physicals
- PAP smears
- prostate checks
- blood work
- mammograms
- colonoscopies
- eye exams
- hearing exams
- vaccines
Many of these exams aim to detect early diseases and cancers and to address underlying risk factors for disease such as high cholesterol, blood pressure, and high fasting blood sugars.
But preventative health is not just about doing check-ups and getting vaccines. It is also about mental health, stress reduction techniques, exercise and diet changes that can help prevent disease.
Mental health plays a key role in your health. Chronic stress is a major risk factor for many diseases and studies show that stress reduction and mindfulness improve physical and mental health and protect against dementia.
Not all stress is negative. Short term stress that motivates us into action, to improve our workflow or overcome lethargy is healthy and enhances the immune system, our hormones, our energy and moods.
Chronic stress is called distress. Stressors can be emotional (unhealthy or overly demanding relationships), physical (long hours, few breaks), Environmental (pollution, noise, poor lighting) and can be impacted further by poor diet, lack of sleep or time spent in nature. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately 75% of doctors visit are for stress related illnesses which can include pain, sleep issues, digestive problems, headaches, and more.
Prevention is two-fold:
Be proactive. Work on your health. Clean up your diet. Quit or reduce unhealthy habits like smoking or drinking. Practice Mindfulness. These are considered Primary Prevention: Taking the necessary steps to improve your health.
Secondary Prevention is getting the screening tests to identify and address underlying risk factors and treating disease early to prevent long-term disability and distress.
So, like Smoky the Bear I think said, “Even You Can Help Prevent Illness!”
Dr. Jennifer Means welcomes you for Primary Care for the whole family: Nutrition, IV Therapy, Naturopathy, and Acupuncture. Contact us at 503-641-6400.
