How does preventive medicine help me stay healthy?
Preventive medicine can help you stay healthy by diagnosing and managing health problems before they have a chance to grow serious. During preventive care exams, Dr. Littlejohn screens for diseases like diabetes and serious health conditions like high blood pressure.
If you’re at risk for serious health issues, Dr. Littlejohn can help you take control and prevent the illness. In some cases, as with type 2 diabetes, you can prevent the illness by carefully managing your diet and exercise.
Depending on your needs, Dr. Littlejohn can also screen for STDs like HIV. If you’re at risk for HIV because of either sexual activity or injection drug use, Dr. Littlejohn may recommend a type of preventive care called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
PrEP treatment
When taken exactly as instructed, PrEP treatment is 99% effective in preventing HIV. The PrEP regimen involves taking a pill each day. When you take the pills consistently, the medication builds up in your bloodstream.
This can prevent the virus from affecting you, even if your partner has HIV or you’re exposed to the virus in another way (like IV drug use).
For preventive care to be successful, it’s very important to schedule regular physical exams. If you have new health issues, schedule an additional sick visit to treat the problem as quickly as possible.
What types of physicals are available?
Dr. Littlejohn offers physicals of all types as part of his preventive medicine services, including:
- General physicals to check whole-body health and screen for disease
- Sports physicals to verify eligibility for sports participation
- School physicals for your child
- Preoperative physicals to make sure you’re healthy enough for surgery
Dr. Littlejohn generally recommends an annual preventive care physical for all healthy patients, with other physicals as needed for other circumstances.
How do vaccinations fit into preventive medicine?
Vaccinations are an essential part of preventive medicine. Dr. Littlejohn provides influenza vaccines and all other types of vaccinations for children and adults starting at age 2, including travel medicine vaccinations for travel outside the country.
If you have a chronic illness, Dr. Littlejohn can help with disease management. He’s here to help you take charge of your health and wellness, so don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
Call the office of Ben Littlejohn III, MD, or book your appointment using the online scheduling tool.
