Preventative Care Clinic in Santa Clara, CA

In general, preventative health care refers to the various tests, procedures, and treatments that help to not only monitor your overall health but identify or diagnose chronic or serious health issues. Preventative services are a crucial part of your overall healthcare, as they can often identify serious health conditions early on. Usually, the earlier an issue is identified, the better health outcomes you’ll have, which is why accessing regular preventative health care is so important. 

At Getwell Urgent Care in Santa Clara, CA, we offer comprehensive preventative health care as part of our services. If you need primary health care services that include preventative care, contact us today to get set up with an appointment, or for more information. 

Which preventative health services you receive and access may depend on your life situation. However, in general, preventative care services include things like: blood pressure, diabetes (type 1 and 2), cholesterol tests, screenings for certain types of cancer, such as mammograms or colonoscopies, or lifestyle support such as nutrition counseling. 

Regardless of their health status, most people should receive preventative care throughout their lifetime. However, the types of preventative care services that are right for you may depend on specific factors in your personal health history. For example, if you have a family history of breast cancer, your primary care provider or specialist may recommend more regular mammograms or breast exams than usual, as a preventative measure. Even something like a basic yearly physical, which most people are familiar with, is considered a preventative healthcare service. A yearly physical includes things like taking your height and weight, checking your joints and flexibility, your ears, nose, and throat, or checking your skin for moles or malformations that may be problematic. 

Part of preventative care is also having a chance to speak with your doctor about any concerns you may have about your health, or changes in your life that may impact you. For example, you may want to discuss whether you are thinking of or wanting to become pregnant, whether your job and stress levels have increased, or perhaps whether you have undergone a new diet or exercise regime. These are pieces of information that can affect your health and are important for your doctor to know.

There are many benefits to seeing a doctor for preventative health, the first one being that it is one of the most important ways to maintain and manage your health over your lifetime. However, preventative care is also crucial when it comes to managing risks that may present in your family history. Some chronic conditions can be hereditary, meaning they are passed down by family members. Having a specific disease or illness in your family history doesn’t mean that you will automatically develop the same thing, but in many cases, it does elevate your risk (to more than that of the general population). This is one of the reasons why primary care doctors, when meeting with a new patient, will typically ask about your family health history, such as whether certain illnesses like cancer, diabetes, or autoimmune disorders have been present. 

Once your physician knows and understands your family history, it can influence what type of preventative care you may need or benefit from. Depending on your situation, you could undergo testing anywhere from once every few years to more frequently. Again, it’s important to understand that while family history has an influence, it’s not a guarantee. In some cases, you can take preventative measures beyond medical tests and care, such as diet and exercise, that can also help reduce risk. Other things like your gender, race and family background are also factors that can affect your health, and these are pieces that your physician will also usually take into consideration when recommending preventative healthcare services. Contact us today or schedule an appointment online. Visit our clinic conveniently located at 2803 E El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA, 95051. We serve patients from Santa Clara CA, San Jose CA, Campbell CA, Cupertino CA, Sunnyvale CA, Milpitas CA, Fruitdale CA and surrounding areas.