Jeetendra Kumar

10 Things to Ask Your Family Medicine Provider

Being open with your family medicine provider is essential. They can help assess and evaluate you for any symptoms and allow you to understand your body better. The more comfortable and transparent you are with them, the easier it will be to achieve better health.

Here are ten things to ask your family medicine provider about when you visit them for a consultation or check-up:

1. Questions About Medical Tests And Assessments

Medical screenings are crucial tools for detecting illnesses. Your family medicine provider may require you to undergo various ones during your check-up.

While assessments and screenings are not uncommon, it’s still good to know what will happen during the procedure. Before you proceed, ask them to explain how you’ll benefit from the medical test.

Your family medicine provider should tell you the procedure’s details, how the findings will help their assessment, and how much it will cost.

X-rays, blood exams, and urine tests can help your family medicine provider inspect any abnormalities in your body. Some procedures, such as glaucoma tests, mammograms, and Pap smears,can aid in diagnosing serious illnesses.

2. Questions About Diagnoses

Once you’ve gone through all the needed medical assessments, your family medicine provider will arrive at a diagnosis for your condition. Ask them to provide as much detail about it as possible.

Your family medicine provider should also tell you how they arrived at a conclusion based on your test results. They will then talk to you about the nature of your condition, its treatments, and how to keep symptoms at bay.

You should ask about how long your condition could last, what steps to take, and how to prevent it from worsening.

3. Questions About Medications

If your family medicine provider has given you a prescription for a medication, you can ask them to discuss its dosage and side effects. Your family medicine provider will prescribe the correct dosage, the interval of hours for taking it, and the total duration of treatment.

Ask your family medicine provider for possible contraindications if you take other medications, like over-the-counter drugs, birth control pills, and vitamins, to ensure non negative interactions occur.

4. Questions About Surgery

For patients scheduled to undergo surgery, a visit to a family medicine provider can help with preparation. Ask your family medicine provider what they know about the specific surgery you’re about to go through.

Since your family medicine provider knows your medical history, they can talk to you about possible side effects or risks. You can also ask them to coordinate with your surgeon to ensure a smooth procedure. If steps need to be taken to make you healthier prior to surgery, your family medicine provider can help with that.

5. Questions About Diet Changes

You can ask your family medicine provider if you plan to change your diet. Your provider can help you plan a balanced nutrition plan to ensure you’re not cutting out any essential nutrients.

They can also let you know whether or not you need to make a diet change in the first place. Severely underweight or overweight patients will be encouraged to do so. However, your family medicine provider may not recommend it if you’re already at a healthy weight.

Patients with specific conditions like diabetes and high blood cholesterol may need to avoid particular foods. Ask your family medicine provider to discuss in detail what you can include in your new diet plan.

6. Questions About Sleep Habits

If you’re experiencing sleep issues, you can ask your family medicine provider about safe intervention options to take. They may prescribe aids like sleeping pills or over-the-counter melatonin. Calming teas and hot beverages may also help.

Your family medicine provider can help you plan a nighttime sleep routine, too. Ask them about the science behind getting long, uninterrupted sleep to understand why healthy sleep habits are vital.

7. Questions About Exercise

Your family family medicine provider can recommend an appropriate exercise plan for your specific health conditions or state of health.

For example, if you’re an office worker who spends long hours sitting down, your family medicine provider may prescribe at least 30 minutes of daily exercise. Overweight patients might be encouraged to do more workouts to reach their weight loss goals.

People who suffered from an injury or are recovering from surgery can also consult their family medicine provider for exercise recommendations. Make sure to ask questions about what specific exercises you should do, and how to prevent injuries when exercising.

8. Questions About Your Family Medical History

Your family medicine provider knows all about your medical history, including that of your family. Ask them what illnesses and sicknesses you may develop due to being high risk as a result of your family medical history.

Ask them about precautions to take to avoid the same medical conditions your family members have. If you already have them, you can ask your family medicine provider about proper management.

9. Questions About Pain

Consult your family medicine provider if you’re experiencing any discomfort or pain. Even if it’s just mild pain, it could indicate something going on in your body, especially if it is unexplained or is chronic.

Your family medicine provider can help you get to the root cause of the pain and recommend treatment options. Most of the time, they will prescribe over-the-counter drugs or minor lifestyle changes to help you recover.

Your family medicine provider will guide you through a treatment plan for severe cases. Be transparent with them regarding your symptoms, so they may evaluate you accordingly. Ask them what could be causing the pain and what steps you can take to reduce the pain naturally. You should also what signs to look out for that indicate you need medical attention regarding your pain.

10. Questions About Future Visits

Don’t forget to ask your family medicine provider about what to do until your next visit. They may recommend medications, therapy, or medical tests to do until the next appointment.

Also, ask them about the frequency of your visits. Regular check-ups are essential to staying healthy. People with chronic medical conditions may need more frequent family medicine provider visits.

Family Medicine Near You In Wellington, FL

When visiting a family medicine provider, patients should ask about all things related to their health. These include medical tests, diagnoses, treatment options, surgery implications, possible diet changes, changes to sleep habits, exercise plans, and much more.

We at Advanced Medical Clinic are proud to serve as a family practice in Wellington. Dr. Ishan Gunawardene is happy to answer all your questions about your health. Dr. Gunawardene is a board-certified internist who can help you stay on top of your health. Call us at (561) 434-1935for inquiries. You can also schedule an appointment with the best family medicine provider in Wellington by submitting an online request form.

3 Major Benefits of Walking

Walking requires no gym membership or special equipment. It’s no wonder walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise. Several studies show that it’s one of the simplest things you can do to improve your physical, emotional, and mental health. A 30-minute daily walk program can burn calories, reduce cholesterol, increase endurance, and improve depression, among many other things.

Here are three major benefits of this underestimated activity:

#1: Strengthens Bones And Muscles

Walking daily transfers weight from your joints to your muscles and helps increase bone density. This makes you stronger and more resistant to musculoskeletal injuries.

Osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to become weak and prone to breaking, can also be prevented through regular walking. This activity also tones your leg and abdominal muscles.

Additionally, older adults can lower their chances of impairment and arthritic pain by walking for at least 10 minutes daily.

If you’re looking for a simple, affordable way to get more movement, you can start with this!

#2: Improves Your Heart Health

Walking helps promote heart health in three ways. It does the following:

  • Improves circulation
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Decreases cholesterol levels

People who follow a daily walking routine have a 30% lower risk of heart attack or stroke. In addition, a walking program can help manage your blood pressure, resting heart rate, weight, body fat, and cholesterol. It can reduce days spent in a hospital and even increase your life expectancy compared to no leisure-time physical activity.

Do you have an existing heart condition and are thinking about starting a daily walking routine? Consult a primary care provider to know the most suitable way to introduce this into your lifestyle.

#3: Increases Cognitive Function And Boosts Mood

Adding a daily walk routine has notable mental benefits. You may experience increased brain function and improved mood compared to those who do not walk much.

Walking can also heighten creativity by an average of 60%. It enhances divergent thinking and increases brain flow by exploring many possible solutions quickly. Additionally, walking can improve memory and stop the loss of brain tissue with age.

Physical activities like it do more than boost cognitive function. They also encourage the body to release endorphins. This feel-good hormone can help:

  • Elevate mood
  • Stimulate relaxation
  • Lower stress levels

Starting A Daily Walk Routine

The first step to starting a walking routine is to consult your primary care provider for a general assessment. They can help you identify the risks and benefits of a suitable and effective walking program.

Once you have a schedule in place, all you need to do is be consistent with it. Here are a few notes to help you get started:

  • Warm up and cool down before and after your walking sessions.
  • Start at a relaxed pace and quicken as you go.
  • Interval is key. Try to vary your speed for small amounts of time.
  • Have a bottle of water with you and drink plenty of fluids.
  • Consult a primary care provider to ensure you are maintaining healthy walking habits.

Primary Care Near You In Wellington, FL

Daily walks can improve your quality of life by strengthening muscles and joints, improving heart health, and boosting brain function. Most people can safely engage in modest exercise, such as brisk walking. However, it’s best to check with a health professional, preferably your primary care provider, before you take on a new exercise program.

If you’re searching for a primary care provider in Wellington, Florida, consider us here at Advanced Medical Clinic. Our board-certified healthcare providers work hand in hand to bring patients’ goals to fruition. As the top Wellington family practice, we aim to provide the highest quality of compassionate health care. That way, our patients can focus on living their best lives.

To schedule an appointment with a primary care provider in Wellington, call our office at (561) 434-1935. You can also use our convenient online request form.

Bronchitis: What Happens in Your Lungs

Bronchitis is the inflammation of your bronchial tube lining – the air passage linking your mouth and nose with your lungs that carries air to and from your lungs. It can be either acute or chronic.

Acute bronchitis is a prevalent condition that often develops from cold and respiratory infections, while chronic bronchitis (more severe form) usually occurs due to smoking.

Bronchitis can result in symptoms like:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chest discomfort
  • Production of mucus that can be white, clear, yellowish-gray, green, or sometimes red
  • Slight fever and chills

Let’s talk about what happens in your lungs during bronchitis and where you can go in Wellington to get treatment for your bronchitis.

What Happens in Your Lungs During Bronchitis?

Bronchitis is also known as an infection of the lower respiratory tract. Both viral and bacterial infections can cause bronchitis. Nearly 95% of bronchitis cases are caused by viruses, while bronchitis caused by bacteria is uncommon.

Besides bacteria and viruses, other factors trigger bronchitis, such as allergens and irritants like smoke, dust, and polluted air, can also irritate the epithelial lining of your lungs and cause acute inflammation of the bronchi. This swelling and inflammation of the bronchi occur when your body tries to fight the triggers.

When the walls of the bronchi get inflamed, you develop a cough. Initially, the cough is dry, but when the mucus-producing goblet cells of inflamed bronchi produce and excrete more mucus, your cough becomes productive with mucus. The swelling of airways also narrows them, allowing less air to pass through, and causes wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.

Acute bronchitis lasts for 10 to 14 days, and you feel symptoms for about three weeks. However, if the productive cough persists for three months in a year for at least two consecutive years, this is called chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis can further cause the obstruction of the airflow causing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

How does a Primary Care Provider Manage Bronchitis?

Typically, the treatment of bronchitis depends on the type of bronchitis you have. Usually, acute bronchitis may not need treatment or sometimes get better with over-the-counter drugs. However, chronic bronchitis – also considered COPD – is not curable but its symptoms can be managed with a variety of treatments. These treatments may include:

  • Medications, such as antibiotics, bronchodilators, anti-inflammatories, and their combination.
  • Pulmonary rehabilitation involving breathing exercise programs that manage breathing problems and improve lung strength and quality of life
  • Oxygen therapy
  • Surgery

Bronchitis Treatment in Wellington

If you think you or your loved one has chest tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, and other discomforting symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact our primary care providers at Advanced Medical Clinic. Our highly skilled experienced and compassionate providers will offer your proper treatment for your bronchitis so that it doesn’t develop into pneumonia. Our providers know that each person’s illness is different, so they offer a highly personalized and evidence-based treatment plan.

To make an appointment with our providers, call us at  (561) 434-1935 or request an appointment online now. We look forward to serving you!

Prevention Tips to Avoid Migraines

Migraine is an all-too-common source of misery among Americans: nearly 1 in 4 households in the United States include someone who has this debilitating neurological condition.

If you’re one of those people, you want to know what you can do to banish migraine for good. While there is currently no cure for migraine, the good news is that there are things you can do to stop it in its tracks. Below are a few tips to help you avoid migraine attacks.

Tip #1 Mind What You Eat and Drink

The following are some of the foods and drinks that are known to trigger migraines. It pays to steer clear of them:

  • Alcohol, specifically red wine
  • Chocolates
  • Coffee
  • Pickled and fermented foods
  • Processed foods, especially those that contain monosodium glutamate (MSG)
  • Soy and cultured dairy products

You can also take note of what time you ate the particular food and how much of that food you consumed.

In addition, don’t skip a meal, as fasting can also trigger migraine. It also helps to eat at about the same time every day.

Tip #2 Have a Good Night Sleep

Having too little or too much sleep can leave you susceptible to migraine attacks, according to the American Migraine Foundation. So, try to have just the right amount of sleep: seven to eight hours a day.

Here are some ways you can improve your sleep hygiene:

  • Being consistent – going to bed at the same time each night
  • Not sleeping for longer than 20 to 30 minutes during the daytime
  • Avoiding intense exercise, heavy meals, nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine at night
  • Shunning the blue light and noise
  • Not trying too hard to sleep – Instead, try to read or do a quiet activity until your feel drowsy.
  • Checking your medications and other stimulants that can interfere with your sleep

Tip #3 Know How to Tame Stress

Stress is a common migraine trigger, and migraine episodes can occur both during and after a stressful situation.

Avoiding stressful situations is almost impossible, but there are things you can do to keep stress under control. Below are some of them:

  • Practicing relaxation techniques, such as yoga and meditation
  • Trying not to squeeze activities into your day – Instead, leave something out and divide large tasks into small, manageable chunks.
  • Taking a break, if you feel overwhelmed
  • Keeping a positive outlook on life – helps you take everyday challenges in stride.

Tip #4 Incorporate Exercise into Your Daily Routine

Exercise helps migraine sufferers by:

  • Promoting better sleep
  • Reducing stress and anxiety as well as improving mood by releasing endorphins – Exercise triggers the release of feel-good hormones and natural painkillers, and lowers cortisol levels (stress hormones).

Migraine Treatment in Wellington, FL

At Advanced Medical Clinic, our team is led by a board-certified internal medicine provider and a board-certified family nurse practitioner who have made a name for themselves for the high-quality care they provide to people living with migraine and many other conditions, helping them conquer pain and quality-of-life issues.

To arrange a consultation with one of our providers, contact our office at (561) 434-1935. Alternatively, you may request an appointment right here on our website.

Can Exercising Help with Arthritis Pain Relief?

If you’re living with arthritis and joint pain and stiffness due are already bogging you down, the idea of exercising or even just walking around the block can seem like a tall order. However, it is what you exactly need to effectively alleviate your symptoms.

Getting your joints moving helps improve their flexibility, stability, range of motion, and overall function, all of which translate into significant symptom relief. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of exercise for alleviating arthritis pain as well as improving the overall health of your joints.

Strengthens Your Muscles

Joints rely upon muscles for stability and support: the stronger your muscles, the more capable they are of controlling the movements of – and absorbing the forces that impact – your joints.

Resistance training, a type of exercise that makes your muscle groups work against external force or weight, greatly helps improve their strength, mobility, and ultimately, ability to support your joints.

Keeps Your Joints “Well Oiled”

Each of your joints is surrounded by soft tissue called the synovial membrane, which produces fluid that acts like oil in an engine (synovial fluid). Synovial fluid allows for frictionless movement of your joints and cushions your bones.

Physical activity exposes your synovial membrane to a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients and boosts circulation of the synovial fluid.  Better joint lubrication means less joint pain and stiffness.

Promotes Weight Loss

Excess weight can add to the strain on your joints. While exercise doesn’t reverse arthritis, it facilitates weight loss, which can help arthritic joints feel better and slow the progression of the condition.

Biking, swimming, walking, and water activities are all safe, nondrug ways to ease arthritis pain. What’s more, these forms of exercise can help improve joint function and brighten your mood.

Arthritis Treatment in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, FL

If you have arthritis and you want to reap the benefits of exercise, it is best to consult your primary care provider. Ask your primary care provider about a referral to a physical therapist, who can put together a targeted exercise program for lasting pain relief.

Exercise, when overdone, can also harm your joints. A physical therapist can help you stay on the safe side and advance through stages according to what goals you have already achieved.

If you’re in search of a primary care provider in the Wellington area in Florida, consider us here at Advanced Medical Clinic. Our team includes a board-certified internal medicine provider and a board-certified family nurse practitioner who work hand in hand to bring one goal to fruition: to provide the highest quality of compassionate health care, so patients can focus on living their best lives.

To schedule an appointment with one of our providers, call our office today at (561) 434-1935 or use our convenient online request form.

Tips for Managing Arthritis Pain

If you’re one of the millions of people who suffer from arthritis, you know that finding ways to effectively manage the pain that comes with your condition is central to maintaining your mobility and overall quality of life.

In this post, you’ll learn about a few strategies that can help you ease arthritis pain and live well with it.

Tip #1 Make Positive Lifestyle Changes.

While the medications and other treatments that your primary care provider prescribed can help manage arthritis pain, the very things that you do on a daily basis have a significant impact on the outcome of your condition.

Having a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet and regular exercise can help with gradual weight loss and reduce your risk for flare-ups. Weight is of particular concern because the additional strain on your affected joint can cause further damage to it. Excess weight and chronic inflammation also go hand in hand.

If you smoke, it’s time to snuff the habit. Cigarette smoke makes arthritis pain worse, as it triggers the body to release cytokines, which are key modulators of inflammation.

Tip #2 Work Closely with Your Primary Care Provider.

Your primary care provider is an integral part of your healthcare team. They are not only there to coordinate your care and monitor your condition; they also serve as your accountability partner – to provide you with support and guidance, ensure treatment adherence, and reinforce healthy lifestyle changes.

Tip #3 Learn to Cope with Stress.

Research suggests that stress compounds the discomfort associated with arthritis, as it can cause endocrine and immune system dysfunction, leading to sustained low-grade inflammation.

While it can be easy to be pulled down by your negative thoughts when dealing with arthritis pain, always keep in mind that focusing on them will only make things worse. It will not only exacerbate the pain but also contribute to the progression of your condition.

There are many things you can do to cope with stress. Employ relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing. Surround yourself with people you love and who support you. Additionally, consider talking to a therapist or joining a support group; your primary care provider may be able to recommend one for you. Respond to unwanted thoughts by taking positive action.

Primary Care Provider in Wellington, FL

At Advanced Medical Clinic, our team includes a board-certified internal medicine provider and a board-certified family nurse practitioner, who have helped scores of patients suffering from arthritis and many other chronic health problems live and thrive with their conditions.

Call us today at (561) 434-1935 or book an appointment online to arrange a consultation with Dr. Gunawardene or our family NP, Shariffa Gunawardene. We look forward to providing you with the high-quality health care you deserve!

A Checklist in Choosing the Best Family Provider

It’s important to find the best family medicine provider, whether for routine checkups or a major surgery. By doing so, you can be confident in the care you receive every time.

After all, your health largely hinges on the treatment they recommend and administer for you. Let’s talk about the key factors in finding an excellent family medicine provider, and where you can go in Wellington for top-notch medical care for you and your family.

How to Find an Outstanding Family Medicine Provider

Here’s what you should consider when choosing the best family medicine provider:

Get Referrals and Recommendations

Your family medicine provider will be your primary care provider, so you can start looking by asking the people you trust. Talk to your family, friends, or colleagues about family providers they recommend. You can even ask other providers you’ve worked with for referrals, such as your endocrinologist or your eye family medicine provider.

You can go online and read the provider’s patient reviews posted on various websites to get a feel for what they’re like. There may also be testimonials from some of their current and previous patients.

Consider Your Insurance

Once you have names of provider’s to consider, check your health insurance coverage to make sure they’re covered by your insurance policy. If you’re interested in a family medicine provider who is not on your list, then call that provider’s office and ask them whether they do indeed accept your particular insurance – and be sure to write down the name of the staff person you spoke to.

Check the Family Provider’s Qualifications and Experience

When looking for a healthcare provider, the lead family medicine provider in the practice should ideally be board-certified. Board certification means that a family medicine provider is staying on top of the latest in medical technologies and methods, and this involves continuing education at medical conferences and seminars.

Being board-certified indicates career-long learning, so you can rest assured that the provider continues to hone their skills. You do not want a family medicine provider who continues to perform the same tests and methods they learned in medical school if provider’s today are actually using much more advanced methods and technologies for more accurate and beneficial results.

Experience is also crucial. Your ideal family medicine provider will have spent much of their time caring for patients with similar conditions as you have, because family medicine provider by nature deal with patients who have myriad health conditions on a constant basis.

If you want to be sure, call the practice and ask them whether the family medicine provider handles patients who have chronic conditions like yours – whether it be arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and so on. Do not hesitate to make that call.

Think About Convenience

Choose a healthcare provider who has a convenient location and has office hours that work with your schedule. You do not want inconvenience to become an excuse not to go to the family medicine provider for a checkup.

Family Medicine Provider for Arthritis in Wellington, FL

It’s important to find a primary care provider in whom you can place your full confidence, especially if you have a chronic condition such as arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, a neurological condition, or anything else. If you’re looking for a trusted family medicine provider whose office is conveniently located in Wellington, look no further than Advanced Medical Clinic. We have a team of highly experienced, board-certified providers who can give you the comprehensive care you deserve.

Advanced Medical Clinic is located in the Palomino Park medical complex on the west side of Highway 441, between Forest Hill Boulevard and Lake Worth Road in Wellington. If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, call our friendly staff today at (561) 434-1935 or complete our secure online appointment request form now. We look forward to serving you!

What Tests Can Be Done to Diagnose the Cause of My Headaches?

There are various ways headaches inflict their misery—from a dull pain accompanied by pressure or tightness as though a clamp is squeezing your skull, to severe or explosive pain as though a clap of thunder has stricken your head.

Almost everyone experiences headaches at least occasionally, but there are people who regularly suffer from a continuum of attacks. If you belong to the latter group, you want to get to the bottom of your headaches, so you can take the necessary steps to keep them from affecting your quality of life.

Let’s discuss the different tests that primary care providers typically use to diagnose the cause of headaches.

Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan

A CT scan is a type of imaging test that uses special X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of the inside of your head. Your primary care provider may order this test, if your headache is accompanied by other symptoms or has become frequent and debilitating, to confirm or rule out a tumor or other structural brain abnormalities.

During a head CT scan, the scanner’s X-ray beam rotates around your head, producing a series of images from different angles. The information then gets sent to a computer, which interprets the data and displays it in a two-dimensional (2D) form on a monitor.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

An MRI uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to create images of the structures in your head. Like a CT scan, an MRI creates detailed images of the internal structures of the brain as well as the brain stem. It checks for intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding), aneurysms, infection, stroke, tumors, and trauma, as well as congenital conditions and developmental abnormalities, among other problems.

It’s worth mentioning that these imaging tests are not always necessary. Unless your headache is disruptive, or occurs alongside other symptoms, such as sensory changes, nausea, fever, or confusion, your primary care provider may just review your medical history, diet and lifestyle, and current health condition in order to determine its cause or triggers.

Headache Treatment in Wellington, FL

If your headaches have become concerning, do not wait to seek medical attention. Turn to your primary care provider, who can thoroughly evaluate your symptoms and determine whether or not you need medical imaging tests and specialized care.

If you’re searching for a reliable primary care provider within the Wellington area in Florida, visit us here at Advanced Medical. Dr. Ishan Gunawardene, our board-certified internal family medicine provider, will carry out a comprehensive assessment to pinpoint the cause of your headaches and coordinate your care with a neurologist for effective management, if need be.

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Gunawardene today. Call our clinic at (561) 434-1935 or use our online request form.

Will My Migraines Get Better Over Time?

If you’re one of the millions of Americans suffering migraines, the term “debilitating” is rather an understatement. The disabling headache, along with the slew of distressing symptoms, can leave you to wonder when there’s going to be any reprieve and if it will ever get better over time.

The good news is that, while there’s no step-by-step plan to make migraine attacks stop, the condition can go into either a partial or full remission: partial means you have fewer than 15 days of migraine headaches, while full remission means you go an entire year without experiencing the symptoms.

Read on to learn about what can cause to migraines to worsen as well as the things you can do to avoid attacks and achieve remission.

Why Would Migraines Worsen Over Time?

One way a migraine can get worse is when it becomes chronic. This equates to having bouts of headache 15 or more days every month and of the other migraine symptoms on at least 8 days for more than 3 months.

This can be ascribed to the absence of a proper migraine treatment plan: how you treat your symptoms can have an impact on the frequency and severity of your symptoms.

Migraine headaches that persist and worsen need further medical evaluation, especially if you only started experiencing them after the age of 50, if they have occurred due to a head injury or a side effect of disease treatment, or if they are resistant to medication and lifestyle changes.

Heading Off Migraine Attacks

A commonsense strategy to stave off migraine attacks is to identify and avoid the very things that trigger them. Migraine headaches can be precipitated by smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep, caffeine, changes in schedule, hunger, strong fragrances, stress, and menstruation. Lifestyle changes, such as establishing a regular sleep and eating schedule, smoking cessation, reducing intake of alcohol and caffeine, using unscented products, and managing stress help head off attacks.

For women who have menstrual migraines, one way the attacks can be prevented is by taking medications before menstruation begins up until a few days after the period has ended. Medications used to treat migraines include triptans, gepants, and ditans, which belong to a class of drugs whose mechanism of action is to quiet down overactive pain nerves.

Primary care providers may also prescribe antidepressants, antiseizure’s, or beta blockers, to treat episodic migraines. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), when taken at the onset of a migraine attack, can also help with managing the symptoms. The earlier you take your medication/s, the better they work.

Migraine Treatment in Wellington, FL

Here at Advanced Medical Clinic, board-certified internal medicine provider, Dr. Ishan Gunawardene, along with the rest of our team, is dedicated to bringing one goal to fruition: keeping our patients healthy. Dr. Gunawardene can work closely with your neurologist or any other specialist contributing to your care to help you take full control of your migraine, so you can enjoy your life again.

Book your visit with Dr. Gunawardene today. Contact our staff at (561) 434-1935, or use our convenient online request form.