Guardian Health Blog

Heart disease

One of the most common male health issues is heart disease. Men are more likely to develop heart disease than women, and the condition is the leading cause of death for men in the United States. Risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is another common male health concern. The prostate is a small gland in the male reproductive system, and prostate cancer occurs when cells in the gland grow out of control. This type of cancer is most common in older men, and symptoms can include difficulty urinating, pain in the pelvic area, and changes in sexual function.

Mental health challenges

In addition to physical health concerns, men are also at higher risk for mental health issues. Men are less likely than women to seek help for mental health issues, and as a result, they are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

How to manage male health issues

To protect their health, men should take steps to manage their risk factors for heart disease and other conditions. This can include eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption.

It’s also important for men to talk to their healthcare provider about regular checkups and screenings, as early detection can improve the chances of successful treatment. An annual wellness visit is vital to long-term health and well-being.

If medication and care management become overwhelming, you may wish to explore chronic care management services.

When to see a doctor for male health issues

Men should see a doctor for male health problems if they’re experiencing any unusual symptoms, such as:

• Changes in bowel habits
• Difficulty urinating
• Painful or frequent urination
• Lumps or swelling in the testicles

Men should also see a doctor if they have a family history of prostate cancer or other male health conditions, or if they’re over the age of 50 and have not had a recent physical exam.

In general, it’s important for men to have regular physical exams and to discuss any concerns they have about their health with a doctor. This can help to identify and address any potential health problems early on, when they’re most likely to be treatable.

By taking steps to protect their health, men can reduce their risk of developing serious health conditions and live longer, healthier lives.

Need to see a primary care provider?

Our doctors are accepting new patients. Schedule an appointment online or give us a call at (941) 303-5713.

The post Male Health Issues (and When You Should See a Doctor) appeared first on Guardian Health.

• Internal and family medicine
• Chronic care management
• Remote patient monitoring

Telemedicine or virtual appointments are also available.

Ready to get scheduled?

Schedule online today or give us a call at (941) 303-5713. We look forward to caring for you and your loved ones.

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In between regular doctor visits, it’s important to stay on top of medications, including regular prescription refills and taking your medications as indicated while also keeping your provider informed of any side effects or problems you might be having. Chronic care services can help organize your health management and minimize stress around your care while also ensuring you continue to receive optimal care for your health condition.

How chronic care services work

Chronic care services work by providing you with monthly phone access to a dedicated care coordinator. This is someone who helps oversee your health in between doctor visits. Your care coordinator will call you every month to:

• Help schedule appointments, labs, or other tests
• Explain your medications and how and when to take them
• Coordinate home health or medical equipment needs
• Introduce you to health education resources, services and programs
• Help you access community resources such as transportation
• Coordinate follow-up care after leaving the hospital or urgent care

With chronic care services you’ll also have 24/7 access to a care coordinator phone line to answer questions about your care management any time you need.

How to access chronic care services

To get started with chronic care services, talk to our chronic care management team. We serve the Venice, Florida, area and beyond. We’re here for you at (941) 303-5713.

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There was once a time you could call up your family doctor to speak clearly and briefly about medical issues and schedule appointments promptly. Still, nowadays, it can be difficult to even talk directly with your doctor on the phone. This failure of communication and customer service isn’t due to a lack of innovation or streamlining. In fact, the electronic health record has totally transformed how healthcare is documented and communicated. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough thought put into how this system affects the patient in the end.

The system uses a series of codes to quickly communicate diagnosis, treatment, and payment information to an insurance company or other healthcare institution. These codes and notes about a patient are available on the electronic health record, but in many cases, only one doctor knows the whole story of a patient. Every other person in the system only gets broad strokes from the record.

This means that even very cooperative people doing their best to communicate with patients can be hindered by the system. Visits can be lengthy and involve piles of confusing paperwork that is rarely explained, office staff is often overworked and given incomplete information, and doctors are rarely informed or in touch with how much a treatment will cost the patient. The system and nature of healthcare in America today prioritizes moving as many patients through the office in a day as possible and communicating those patients’ codes as efficiently as possible.

If healthcare professionals want to change the landscape to be more customer-focused, it will take a shift in attitude and attention to the individual patient. Doctors need to find the treatment that works best for each patient and make sure the course of treatment is clearly explained. Office staff needs clear and correct information to communicate with concerned patients. And if there are any hiccups along the way, there needs to be more than one person who has the necessary knowledge to resolve an issue.

The day of neighborhood doctors being just a phone call away may be gone, but the modern landscape can still evolve into a more inviting and friendly experience for patients. When patients are recognized and treated as more than codes to the system, there are more opportunities for people working within the system to communicate and serve patients.

It is patients’ responsibility to search out doctors that work the best for them and communicate well with both you and your insurance. It is the responsibility of healthcare professionals to remember that each patient is an individual, and any health issue can be a daunting challenge. Communication and individual care go a long way.

The post Customer Service and Convenience in Healthcare appeared first on Guardian Health.

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How do vaccines work and why should I get them?

Vaccines work by introducing antigens—which are toxins or other foreign bodies from viruses or bacteria—into the body. This helps train the body to recognize the antigens as foreign invaders and to go on full immune defense, producing antibodies to combat the foreign invader.

Once a person is vaccinated, usually within a few weeks after vaccination, the body is quickly able to recognize the infectious disease, whether it’s flu, COVID, or a vaccine-preventable childhood disease, and quickly fight off the offending bacteria or virus.

Because we have become accustomed to a certain level of health in the United States, it’s easy to fall into a way of thinking that certain infectious diseases aren’t so serious. Thanks to widespread vaccination, certain diseases are rarely as crippling, debilitating, or life-threatening as they once were. These include:

• Polio
• Measles
• Mumps
• Chickenpox
• Flu

While every person may react differently to receiving a vaccine, and it is valid to have concerns about the side effects of vaccines and medications, there is far more evidence showing the benefits of vaccination, to individual, family, community, and global well-being.

Why should I get a flu vaccine?

You should get the flu vaccine every year because the vaccine is updated annually to defend against the frequently changing virus. Also, because your immunity decreases over the year.

Although getting vaccinated for flu may not entirely prevent you from getting the flu, it will keep you from getting sicker. Even partial immunity helps. Without vaccination, your body will have to work a lot harder if you do get sick.

Plus, you’re much more likely to be a spreader of the flu virus, including spreading to older adults and others who are immunocompromised.

The importance of vaccines for COVID

One of the main reasons to get vaccinated for COVID is to slow the spread of coronavirus. It’s also to minimize your own as well as the risk to others of getting severely ill.

The logic of “herd immunity” is no longer relevant. (Herd immunity is based on the idea that once enough people are vaccinated, the rest of the population can remain unvaccinated.) This is because we continue to see new variants of the coronavirus, like the Omicron and Delta variants, which are an ongoing threat to vaccinated as well as unvaccinated people.

Herd immunity now requires the entire herd—that means every one of us who is eligible for vaccination—gets vaccinated.

Need to schedule a vaccination?

Routine vaccinations can be done through your primary care provider. We’re here for you. Give us a call at (941) 268-4526.

#getvaccinated #vaccines #covidvaccine #fluvaccine #whyvaccinate #vaccination

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