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Health Matters

Spring: Time for Your

HEALTH INVENTORY

ith Spring approaching and ‘Spring Cleaning’ not the new thirty and actually is the time when most people
on our minds, it’s a wonderful time to take starting feeling their “true age” and have days when
W inventory of different things in our lives. Some everything hurts. Breast cancer screening begins for most
may also begin decluttering their minds and seek ways to women unless they have a significant family history of early
improve their overall happiness and health. This time of forms of cancer. Also, colorectal screening through rectal
exams, occult blood checks, and potentially colonoscopies
year is a great time to perform a “health inventory” and
are soon to begin in this age group. Again, having a
identify areas that can be improved.
trusted medical advisor on your side can help you make the
Do you “know your numbers”? My wife, Dr. Tiffany right choices for you.
Sizemore, has a great guide to women’s heart health that
can be readily applied to any patient. Do you know your It is time to do your
personal “health
blood pressure? Do you know your glucose and cholesterol
levels? Do you know your weight and body mass index inventory” and take
action. Along with the
(BMI)? These simple measurements are good predictors of
overall health and can identify patients that require extra new diet and exercise
regimen that you started,
care such as medication to reduce their levels of cholesterol,
blood sugar or their blood pressure. She says that “you taking a ‘health
inventory’ with your
should know your numbers like you know your shoe size”.
doctor can help you be
Do you have a medical advisor? Many see doctors as the the healthiest and
person in the white coat that orders some labs and gives happiest you can be for
antibiotics when you have a cold. The truth is that doctors 2020 and beyond.
should really be a medical advisor and voice of reason in
regards to your medical decisions. Doctors train for many
years and build a knowledge base through years of Camilo A. Ruiz,
practice. It is these seasoned clinicians that can provide DO, FACOI, FAASM
insight into murky areas when dealing with complicated Medical Director, Choice Physicians Sleep Center
medical cases that sometimes don’t seem to have a right or Choice Physicians of South Florida
wrong answer. A trusting relationship with your doctor is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine
built over years of care. Find a doctor that you can trust - Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine,
and if you have one already, visit him or her regularly. NSU-KCPCOM
Voluntary Clinical Assistant Professor, FIU-HWCOM
How old are you and what is your family history? Have
you had labs recently? Lab work, despite the fact that most Clinical Affiliate Assistant Professor,
despise yearly blood draws, provides early diagnostic FAU-Charles E. Schmidt COM
clues. Liver or kidney problems, thyroid issues, electrolyte Office (954) 523-4141. Fax (954) 523-4142
abnormalities, or low blood counts (anemia) are just a few www.choicephysiciansfl.com
conditions that can be picked up with blood testing. Forty is

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