Being your own advocate for your healthcare is important. It allows you to take control of your health and prevent unnecessary medical bills.
The first step in being your own advocate is to learn how to take care of your body in a way that promotes your long-term health and well-being. The second step is knowing what questions to ask. This includes asking your healthcare providers about treatments, medications, and procedures before agreeing to anything.
Staying Healthy
There are many ways to improve your health on a day-to-day basis. Eating a healthy diet, including fruits and vegetables that have been proven to have antioxidant properties, is critical to your overall health. Antioxidants limit the damage caused by free radicals. Your body uses antioxidants to balance free radicals and keeps them from causing damage to other cells.
Exercise regularly, even if it’s just going for a walk on your lunch break or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. According to the WHO, Adults aged 18–64 years should do at least 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week.
Getting the proper amount of sleep every night can improve your health by reducing your risk of heart disease and dementia.
Ensure you are getting enough sunlight each day by adding natural light sources, and open a window to get fresh, oxygenated air into your home or workplace.
Choosing a Doctor
Choosing a doctor is a big decision. You want to make sure that you are getting the best care possible and that you are comfortable with the doctor’s personality. Sometimes, it is also a matter of life and death.
When you’re not sure of the diagnosis or treatment, it is always a good idea to get a second opinion. This can be done by going to a different doctor or by asking your current doctor for a referral.
When choosing a new doctor, it is important to remember that they are not all created equal. It is important to find one who has experience in the same field and has received positive reviews from other patients by doing some online research.
Keep Track of Your Medical Records
Medical records are vital not just for people who have been diagnosed with a disease or injury but also for people who have not been diagnosed yet. When you’re healthy, doctors will want to see your medical history before they can recommend any new treatment plans for you. When you have your own medical records, you can keep track of what treatments and medications you are taking, how long they have been in use, and any side effects that may occur.
This is also an effective way to get your records to your medical professional in a timely manner. That way, you can get in for appointments as quickly as possible. You can scan your documents into PDF versions that you keep on your hard drive or in the cloud. By combining multiple pages into a single PDF, you’ll be able to keep them in one file, which makes them easier to share. It also makes it much easier to stay organized.
The best way to advocate for your own health is to start with caring for your body in a healthy, responsible way. It’s vital, too, to understand your insurance and treatment options and keep track of all your medical history in an easily accessible way. The best person to look after your well-being is you!
Energised Performance is a multiple award-winning mind-body coaching team. Whatever you would love to achieve in your life, however big or small, send a message and find out how they can support you to make this happen.
Image by Pexels, content by Lucille Rosetti (thebereaved.org)
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The following link is a useful blog for early signs of dementia, note we have no affiliation with the company involved Early Dementia Signs Guide.