Preventing health issues now can help you avoid health emergencies in the future. We joined at Ally Medical Emergency Room at their newest location in Dripping Springs to talk to Dr. Sims about preventative care.

What exactly is preventative healthcare and why is it important?

“Preventative healthcare includes everything you do that helps your body feel good before a health issue emerges. Maintaining a balanced diet, reaching out to a healthcare professional if your body feels off, keeping a list of important medical information on hand, and scheduling regular checkups with your doctor are all ways to practice preventative healthcare.

“By doing all that you can to promote a healthy lifestyle, you can prevent medical emergencies and long-term health problems. Practicing preventative healthcare is a great idea!”

What are the things you do every day to promote good health?

“Generally taking care of your body—making sure you’re sleeping enough, maintaining a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, and being conscious of your mental health—are all important ways you can help your body feel its best. It also helps your body be more resilient against germs, stress, and injury, which can help prevent against more serious medical problems.

“Keeping a list on you of your current medications, allergies, and potential side effects or reactions common with any medications you have taken in the past is another way to prevent more serious medical problems. In the case of an emergency, having this information on hand can help medical providers find the safest course of treatment for you.”

And what about the parts of preventative healthcare that you would need a doctor for?

“It’s good practice to visit your doctor regularly for checkups since early detection of medical issues can mitigate serious illness and impairments down the road. It’s generally recommended that adults under 50 visit their doctor at least once every three years and adults over 50 visit their doctor annually. But, health status, risk factors, and other considerations may mean that you should see you doctor more or less frequently, so ask them the next time you have a checkup.

“It’s also important to see a doctor whenever anything in your body feels funny or wrong. Using your judgement, you can either make an appointment with your normal doctor or go to an emergency room if you feel the issue is urgent and you don’t want to wait.”

How does Ally Medical help with preventative care?

“If something feels wrong with your body, don’t hesitate to visit us. Ally Medical is ready to provide medical care 24/7 at all seven of our Central Texas locations. With no appointments and short wait times, patients experience a better way to treat emergencies.”

Visit www.allymedical.com to learn more.

This segment is paid for by Ally Medical Emergency Room and is intended as an advertisement. Opinions expressed by the guest(s) on this program are solely those of the guest(s) and are not endorsed by this television station.