PREVENTIVE CARE

An  important part of your health care is the prevention of illness.  When I see someone for a physical exam this is largely what we discuss.  Although the discussion is different for everyone, and depends on factors such as family history, there are issues that I discuss with everyone.

Of all the things that you can do to improve your health, lifestyle is most important.  The things I emphasize are:

Healthy eating

Exercise

Having strong relationships ( family, friends, community)

Coping with stress

Not smoking

Not drinking alcohol excessively

Enjoying life


Some things that I do recommend are:


COLON CANCER SCREENING

Recommended for all patients older than 50.

Ontario has one of the highest rates of colorectal cancer in the world. Fecal occult blood testing is a very effective way to detect colorectal cancer at an early stage.  The probability of curing colorectal cancer is 90% when it is detected early.                      

Even if you are not experiencing any symptoms, colon cancer may be detected using the Fecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT).
The test is simple to do and is done by yourself at home.  More information on the test can be found at   http://health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/coloncancercheck/.

 You can come in to pick up the testing kit at my office.  I recommend the test every two years.  If you have had a colonoscopy in the past 10 years, the test is not necessary.  If you have a family history of colon cancer, you should probably have a colonoscopy rather than the FOBT test.

 

PAP TEST

Recommended for women until the age of 70

The pap test is very effective in preventing cervical cancer.

All women who have been sexually active should have the test done regularly.  I recommend the test be done every three years.

 More information can be found here:

https://www.cancercare.on.ca/cms/One.aspx?portalId=1377&pageId=9550#cerv-link3


CHILDHOOD VACCINES

I strongly recommend the regular childhood vaccines.  They are very safe and effective in preventing serious illnesses.  All children should be immunized according to the recommended schedule.  To see a schedule for your child look here:

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/im/iyc-vve/is-cv-eng.php