Archives for January 2022

What Is Unique About Family Medicine?

There are so many primary care providers today who specialize in specific areas of medicine – such as orthopedics (the musculoskeletal system), neurology (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), endocrinology (secretions, especially of hormones, such as insulin), and ophthalmology (the eyes). However, you will ideally have a general practitioner who will not only keep track of all your reports from your various specialists, but also administer vaccinations and perform bloodwork and a urinalysis to check for any new infections or diseases at your annual checkup.

General practitioners (GPs) for adults are called internists, and GPs for children are called pediatricians. Bringing it all together are family medicine practitioners, who can treat health issues of all kinds and in people of all ages.

The broad scope of family medicine is what makes it unique, and you don’t have to have a family to see a family medicine provider. Let’s talk about what is involved in family medicine, what sets it apart from other medical specialties, and where you can go in Wellington to see an outstanding family practitioner who can help you stay healthy.

Primary Care for All Ages

Family medicine providers can care for every member of the family, from infants to the elderly. They administer annual checkups, monitor chronic illnesses, and make sure that a patient doesn’t have new medications that have contraindications with each other – meaning that they counteract, rendering them unhelpful or even harmful to your body.

Comprehensive and Preventive Care

With their breadth of experience, family medicine practitioners are able to provide comprehensive care to patients throughout their lifetime. They are able to tailor each patient’s treatment plan according to the patient’s unique needs and preferences.

Family practitioners address various aspects of a patient’s overall health, such as:

  • Sleep
  • Energy levels
  • Nutrition
  • Blood pressure
  • Weight
  • Mental health
  • Mobility
  • Chronic conditions
  • Injury prevention
  • Pain relief
  • Memory

Family medicine practitioners provide preventive care, which includes health screenings, immunizations, and wellness checks. The healthcare provider will spend time with you and listen to what you have to say about health and wellness concerns.

Baseline Healthcare Practitioner

Medical specialists focus on their specialty alone, they don’t administer flu shots and check all of your vitals for other health conditions. However, primary care providers such as family practitioners act as coordinators of your overall care, making sure you get the treatment you need, and may refer you to specialists if necessary in order for you to reach optimal health and wellness.

Family Medicine Practitioner in Wellington, FL

Here at Advanced Medical Clinic, our staff is highly experienced and provides exceptional, compassionate primary care for the whole family. Our family medicine practitioner is Shariffa Gunawardene, and she treats patients with a preventive approach and a treatment approach – including helping you manage injuries and illnesses. She is known in Palm Beach County for her compassionate nature and her commitment to your health.

For any questions or to schedule an appointment with Nurse Practitioner Gunawardene, call our Wellington primary care clinic today at (561) 434-1935 or fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to being your family healthcare provider!

What Do You Talk About with a Primary Care Provider?

Making an appointment with a primary care provider is the first step to achieving optimum health. A primary care provider can help you keep your health issues under control, which may extend your life while also offering a better quality of life.

If it’s your first time seeing a primary care provider or it’s been a while since you’ve seen one, you may be wondering how to make the most out of it. Let’s talk about a few key things you should discuss with your primary care provider during your visit, and where you can go in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach for world-class primary care.

#1: Health Concerns and Symptoms

During your visit to your primary care provider, don’t hesitate to bring up anything concerning your health, such as:

  • Aches and pains
  • Digestive issues
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Reproductive issues
  • Sexual issues
  • Diet and lifestyle issues

Be sure to be honest with your primary care provider in order to help them develop a clear picture of your overall health and wellness. If you do not bring up something because it’s embarrassing, then the issue cannot be addressed – so don’t worry, your primary care provider has seen and heard it all.

#2: Current Medical Condition

During your annual or semiannual checkup, your primary care provider will perform bloodwork and a urinalysis. The primary care provider will also check your heart, blood pressure, breathing, eyes, ears, nose, and throat.

The family medicine provider will give you a prescription for any health condition you have if necessary. Let your primary care provider know if you have been experiencing any unusual health symptoms, such as abdominal pain or occasional dizziness.

Your primary care provider will also be the one who organizes and evaluates all of the reports from the medical specialists you see, such as an ophthalmologist, allergist, neurologist, gynecologist/urologist, and endocrinologist. Part of a primary care provider’s job is to ensure that you do not have any prescriptions that have contraindications, which means that they would work against each other or work against a different underlying condition you have. This is why every specialist will ask you who your primary care provider is.

#3: Health Goals

A primary care providers’ treatments are centered not just around maintaining your quality of life, but also helping you reach your health goals. Examples of health goals include:

  • More energy and stamina
  • Less pain
  • Better control of blood glucose (sugar) levels
  • Lower blood pressure readings
  • Improved cholesterol management
  • Losing weight
  • Better balance and mobility
  • Better sleep patterns
  • Stress management
  • Better mental health
  • Better sexual health

Primary care providers can help you improve every aspect of your life that relates to your health through a range of primary care services.

Primary Care Provider in Royal Palm Beach, Florida

If you are looking for a primary care provider who truly cares, choose the Advanced Medical Clinic. Our primary care providers are a husband-and-wife team that advocates for our patients’ health and serves the whole family.

Dr. Ishan Gunawardene and nurse practitioner Shariffa Gunawardene are with you every step of the way. To schedule an appointment, call Advanced Medical Clinic today at (561) 434-1935 or fill out our appointment request form online. We look forward to being your healthcare provider!