3 Reasons to go to the doctor before you get sick

It is recommended to go to the doctor at least once a year to perform tests such as blood or urine tests to identify diseases before they manifest symptoms, facilitating their treatment. It is also important to go to the doctor when you are in the habit of taking painkillers or laxatives more than 3 times a month to identify the cause and thus cure the disease quickly.

The 3 reasons to go to the doctor before feeling sick are:

1. To take exams regularly

The urine and blood tests that evaluate total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose, blood count and thyroid values, for example, serve to identify diseases that are silent and that only show symptoms at an advanced stage.

So it is recommended that:

Adults do this type of exams once a year; Elderly people undergo examinations every 6 months, and Chronic patients undergo examinations every 3 months or according to medical advice.

2. If you take pain reliever more than 2 times a week

Analgesics are useful for relieving pain and promoting well-being, but they should not be used without medical knowledge as they can damage the liver and kidneys. However, they can also mask symptoms that need to be diagnosed for proper treatment, such as arthritis or tendonitis, for example.

So, anyone who takes more than 2 painkillers a week, for headache, back pain, bones or sleeping pills should go to the doctor to identify the source of the pain.

3. If there is a family history of chronic illness

In the case of family members with high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol it is important to go to the doctor to diagnose the onset of the disease early, as there are more chances of having the same disease.

In addition, in the case of family members with cancer, it is essential to keep a watchful eye on the doctor, so that, in case of emergence, it is possible to detect it at an early stage.

Main symptoms to go to the doctor

Some signs that may indicate a need to see a doctor include:

Symptom	Doctor
Menstruation does not go down after a week	Gynecologist
Feeling tired making a little effort, like making a bed	Cardiologist
Have a cough for at least 15 days in a row	Pulmonologist
Cry daily and have difficulty sleeping	Psychiatrist
Have spots or signs on the skin that increase in size, shape or color	Dermatologist
Can't read subtitles for a movie	Ophthalmologist
Having to put the television on high and speak very loudly	ENT
Having frequent back or knee pain	Orthopedist
Drink lots of water and be very thirsty	Endocrinologist

In addition to these symptoms, there are others that may indicate some change in the body and, therefore, one should be aware of any changes that occur and that are not frequent.

Which doctor to look for

Although the person is healthy it is very important to go to:

General practitioner - to observe the patient and indicate a blood, urine or stool test; Cardiologist - to assess pressure and perform an electrocardiogram indicated to check the functioning of the heart and detect problems such as hypertension, atherosclerosis or heart failure; Gynecologist: to perform a pap smear and gynecological ultrasound that serves to monitor the uterus and ovaries and detect the appearance of cancer, in addition to performing a mammogram; Dentist: which allows you to observe the dentition and quickly treat the development of cavities. Proctologist: from 45 years of age it is important to take the PSA exam and assess the prostate.

In addition to consulting these doctors, if you have symptoms and suspect a disease, you should seek a specialist so that you can correctly treat the disease. For example, in case of frequent diarrhea or stomach pain you should go to the gastroenterologist. To learn more read: Which doctor treats each disease.