family primary care provider

The Importance of Hydration: How Much Water Do You Really Need?

Water is essential for life. It is vital for our body to function correctly. But how much water do we really need every day to keep us healthy? Let’s find out.

Importance of Hydration for Overall Health

Staying hydrated is crucial for maintaining optimal health. Water helps our bodies perform many essential functions, from regulating body temperature to keeping joints lubricated. Some of the key benefits of hydration include:

  • Supports cognitive function to help enhance concentration, memory, and mood stability.
  • Maintains blood volume and effective transportation of nutrients and oxygen to different tissues around the body.
  • Assists with digestion and makes saliva to break down foods.
  • Maintains healthy skin by keeping it moisturized and aids in the repair of skin cells.
  • Keeps the organs functioning properly, such as helping the kidneys to get rid of waste products.
  • Ensures that the cardiovascular system operates efficiently, reducing the likelihood of heart-related issues.
  • Regulates body temperature through sweat production and respiration.
  • Protects the brain and spinal cord (and fetus during pregnancy), acting as a shock absorber.
  • Makes up the synovial fluid that lubricates and cushions the joints.
  • Keeps the eyes lubricated and healthy.

In addition to promoting good health, keeping hydrated also helps prevent headaches and fatigue (common symptoms of dehydration) and the development of urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney stones, and constipation. It can also improve sleep quality.

For athletes and those engaging in physical activity, staying hydrated improves performance and endurance, while also aiding in post-exercise recovery. Ultimately, good hydration is a cornerstone of a healthy lifestyle, benefiting both the mind and body.

Signs of Dehydration to Look Out For

Dehydration occurs when your body loses more water than it consumes. The color of your urine can be used as a good indicator of when you need to drink more. Here are the main signs to watch for:

  • Dry mouth
  • Dark and strong-smelling urine
  • Feeling thirsty
  • Fatigue
  • Headache
  • Dizziness

If you notice any of these signs, it’s time to drink more water.

Daily Water Intake Recommendations

The quantity of water you need depends on various factors. However, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that the adequate daily fluid intake for an average healthy adult living in a temperate climate to be:

  • Approximately 3.7 liters (15.5 cups) of fluids a day for men
  • Approximately 2.7 liters (11.5 cups) of fluids a day for women

These recommendations include fluids from drinks and food, with approximately 20% of daily fluid intake usually coming from food. Although plain water is best, all fluids (apart from alcohol) count towards the recommended daily intake, helping to keep you hydrated.

What you eat also contributes significantly to your daily water intake. Many fruits and vegetables, like watermelon, cucumber, and spinach, are composed of almost 100% water by weight.

Factors That Affect Your Hydration Needs

According to the Mayo Clinic, your hydration needs can change based on factors, such as:

  • Physical Activity: When exercising, a significant amount of water is lost through sweat. If you exercise, you must drink more to replace lost fluids.
  • Health Conditions: Certain illnesses and medications can affect how much water you need. Experiencing vomiting or diarrhea can lead to dehydration (especially in young children) due to loss of fluids. During illness, it is essential to increase water intake to compensate for this fluid loss and maintain proper hydration levels.
  • Age: Older adults are more vulnerable to dehydration due to physiological changes that occur as a part of the aging process, such as a reduction in renal function.
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: Causes you to lose more fluid, therefore, you may need additional fluids to stay hydrated.
  • Weather: Hot or humid weather makes you sweat more, so you need more water during the summer.
  • Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol leads to an increase in urine production, which can result in dehydration. It is important to limit alcohol consumption and drink water to maintain hydration when consuming alcohol.

Tips for Staying Properly Hydrated

The key to staying hydrated is to start drinking in the morning and continue drinking regularly throughout the day. Here are some simple tips to help you stay hydrated:

  • Carry a water bottle with you all day.
  • Drink water before, during, and after exercise.
  • Eat water-rich foods like vegetables and fruits daily.
  • Set reminders to drink water throughout the day.
  • Always have a glass of water with meals.

Myths About Hydration

There are many myths about hydration. One prevalent myth suggests that everyone requires eight glasses of water a day. While it’s a good general guideline, individual needs may vary. It’s also a myth that caffeinated drinks dehydrate you. While they can have a stimulating effect, causing the body to produce urine more quickly, they can still contribute to your daily fluid intake.

Family Doctor in Wellington, Florida

At Advanced Medical in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida, we care about your health. Our experienced and compassionate internal and family medicine providers offer personalized treatment. With a focus on preventive care, we will work with you to keep you and your loved ones in optimal health.

We value the patient-provider relationship and aim to provide exceptional service. If you seek evidence-based medical care, request an appointment or call us at (561) 434-1935 today. We offer walk-in and same-day appointments for your convenience.

Keeping hydrated can improve your overall health and well-being. Keep these tips in mind, and remember, if you have any health concerns, we are here to help. Stay healthy and hydrated!

 

Family Practice vs. General Practice: What’s the difference?

With so many advanced types of family medicine providers and medical specializations, it’s no wonder people get them confused so often. You probably know what kind of provider you need for heart disease or joint pain, but what about those times when you don’t have an idea what’s causing your symptoms? Do you go to your family practice or general practice? What exactly is the difference between these two practices?

Let’s explore the difference between family practice and general practice, the types of services they provide, and the patients they attend to.

Family Practice vs. General Practice

Family practice is a clinic of providers that offer primary medical care. To get family practitioner services, you register with a family practice. Your family primary care provider gets to know your entire medical history, as well as your family’s, and becomes your partner in maintaining overall health and wellness. Family medicine providers provide care to all patients irrespective of their age.

General practice is similar to urgent care or a general health clinic. General practitioners offer general medical services to patients of all ages but do not typically specialize in a particular area. Besides treating your medical condition, your GP also identifies the areas that need continued care from a specialist.

Specialization and services from family practice vs. general practice

In medicine, family practice is a specialty field. Your family medicine provider receives specialized training in diagnosing and treating the entire range of medical conditions that affect all family members. Since family medicine providers focus on the whole family’s needs, they often receive training in pediatrics, geriatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology. They offer a wide range of urgent care, sick, and preventive care services, including:

  • Asthma and allergies
  • Chronic conditions, including high blood pressure, bronchitis, and diabetes (type 1 and type 2)
  • Physicals for school, sports, camp, employment, and insurance
  • Coughs, colds, and flu treatments
  • DOT physicals
  • Tonsillitis
  • Strep throat
  • Weight management
  • Health-risk assessments
  • Family planning
  • Immunizations
  • Whiplash and other auto-accident/workers’ comp trauma
  • Women’s health, including gynecologic exams and preventive care

A general practitioner is a provider who works in clinical settings such as urgent care centers, hospitals, and clinics.  They diagnose and treat a wide range of medical issues. General practitioners do not specialize in any particular area. Your general practitioner will keep your clinical record, which helps him refer you to a specialist. Your general practitioner can also perform minor suturing and wound treatment.

General practice clinics have labs and diagnostic machines to perform medical testing to further diagnose certain conditions. Their main goal is to treat you and keep you out of the hospital.

Types of patients

A family practice offers care for your entire family unit: male and female adults and children of all ages. Family medicine providers offer care to patients of all ages throughout their lives. They offer care to multiple generations at the same time.

A general practitioner also sees patients of all ages but for milder diseases, such as the common cold, affecting the entire body. Once treated, you are less likely to visit a general practitioner over and over again.

Wellington Family Practice, FL

Seeing a family medicine provider frequently is linked to better health outcomes. If you don’t have one yet, Wellington Family practice is accepting patients. At Advanced Medical Clinic, our board-certified family practitioners are dedicated to delivering compassionate, patient-oriented, and evidence-based care to you and your family.

To learn more about the services we offer, or to arrange a visit, call us today at (561) 434-1935, or you can request an appointment online. We offer same-day and walk-in appointments for your convenience.

Insider Tips for Choosing the Best Primary Care Provider

What Qualifications are You Looking For? 

A primary care provider is your most personal contact to the healthcare system. He or she is your partner in health as well as your advisor, your confidant, and the one professional you can turn to when you have a problem with your health. However, this role can be filled by a number of different types of specialists.

An internal family medicine provider specializes in the care of all adults. They are often considered the detectives of medicine, because they are experts at identifying, diagnosing, and treating adult illnesses. However, they are also very qualified in helping you prevent illness and improve your health.

On the other hand, a family practice specialist is board certified to provide primary care for patients throughout their lifespan. This means that they treat infants, children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. You may be looking for a primary care provider that can care for your entire family, and stay with you throughout your life. If that is the case, you may want to research family practice providers.

Some providers decide to get additional training to treat a specific population. A geriatrician is a specialist who is board certified in the treatment of patients 65 years of age and older. If you are looking for a primary care provider that has a deeper understanding of the unique needs of an older adult, than you may be looking for a geriatrician.

Other primary care providers include pediatricians and OB/GYN (obstetrics and gynecology) specialists. Regardless of your choice, you should make sure that your family medicine provider is board certified in their area of expertise. This means that they have not only completed medical school, a residency, and sometimes a fellowship, but also that they have had the required testing that certifies that they are experts in their field.

What’s Important to You? 

Once you have narrowed down your search to specialty, it’s time to take inventory of what is important to you. Depending on where you live and what kind of transportation is available, you may want a primary care provider whose office is close to your home or your work. How about office hours? Do you need to find someone who is available evenings or weekends, or that can see you in an emergency? And if you call after hours, will you talk to your provider or an associate, a covering family medicine provider, a nurse practitioner, a family medicine provider’s assistant, or a nurse? This might be something that will add weight to your decision. You may also have a preference for hospital facilities, so find out where they have affiliations or privileges.

You should also take personal needs and beliefs into consideration. If you have a chronic illness such as diabetes or heart disease, you may be looking for a primary care provider that specializes or has a focus in one of these illnesses. Everyone has different styles or approaches from a provider that they are comfortable with. Do you need a family medicine provider that lays everything out for you and spells out a plan, or would you prefer someone who gives you options and lets you choose? Personal style can be of great benefit, or can be a deterrent to achieving health, because if you are not comfortable the advice you are given, you probably won’t follow it.

Ask Around

Now that you have developed an inventory of what you are looking for in a family medicine provider, it’s time to get some recommendations. Ask your friends who they see, and why they have chosen their provider. Ask them to list their pros and cons, in their opinion, because remember that you might think differently. You can ask people other than your friends too. Ask your coworkers, your kid’s teachers, and even other family medicine providers like your specialists or your kid’s pediatrician. Once you’ve compiled a list, you should check with your insurance company directly because online and published lists are not always accurate. You don’t want to spend time inquiring about family medicine providers that are not on your plan, and you certainly don’t want to find out they don’t take your insurance after you’ve made an appointment. Finally, there are a number of websites that offer reviews of providers. Don’t just look at the numbers, but read the written reviews, because again, what is important to someone else may not be important to you.

Make Your Decision In Person 

When you are pretty sure of your choice, make an appointment. It is important that the impression you have formed is an accurate one. This is your opportunity to ask questions, discuss your health concerns, and see how well you communicate. In all likelihood, if you’ve done your homework, you will have a match, but take this opportunity to get to know your provider. When making the very important choice of choosing your primary care provider, you should feel comfortable in knowing that this is someone you can have a long and trusting relationship with, because your health depends on it.

We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our practice and the primary care services we provide. At Advanced Medical, PA, we pride ourselves in providing personal and individualized, quality health care. To learn more about us and the services we offer, or to schedule a visit, call us at (561) 434-1935 to request an appointment, or request one online.

The Importance of an Annual Wellness Exam

Everyone wants to live a long and healthy life. It takes conscious effort to achieve and maintain good health, and the effects can last your whole lifetime. Having an annual wellness exam is one of the most important things you can do for your body.

An annual wellness exam:

  • Is vital for the early detection and prevention of diseases
  • Provides time to review current medications and discuss side effects and benefits
  • Gives you an opportunity to work with your family medicine provider to change or adjust bad habits that can lead to poor health and long-term problems
  • Ensures you are current with vaccines
  • Offers the opportunity to measure cholesterol, blood sugar, and other indicators of potential problems through lab tests

Many times, we don’t seek medical help until a small problem has become a large one. Making the right choices for your body can eliminate a lot of pain and help extend your life! Prevention is the best way to avoid sickness. At your annual well exam, your family medicine provider gets a chance to learn about you and your health history, so that you have a baseline in case of illness or injury.

A wellness visit may include:

  • Weight and BMI
  • lood work and labs
  • Urine analysis
  • Discussion of lab results
  • Blood pressure check
  • Discussion of history and any concerns
  • New prescriptions to address health issues

As a primary medicine care provider, Dr. Ishan Gunawardene takes the time to get to know patients at their wellness exams, and is there throughout any hospital or rehabilitation stay to coordinate care and eliminate miscommunications among providers who don’t know your complete health history.

Advanced Medical Clinic provides comprehensive wellness exams with a family medicine provider who will get to know you and be there when you need him. Call (561) 434-1935 for an appointment in Wellington or Royal Palm Beach, Florida today. We offer same day appointments.