Family practice is a specialty of medicine that focuses on the health needs of families, with particular attention to the physical, mental, and social development of children and adolescents. Your family doctor at Pompeyo C Chavez MD provides primary care for people of all ages.
The primary purpose of family practice is to promote and preserve the health of individual patients by providing comprehensive care based on effective diagnosis, appropriate treatment using specific procedures, appropriate referral patterns where necessary, and effective patient education as needed to achieve optimal health.
Family practice doctors diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, including:
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of Americans. It also accounts for nearly half of all hospital admissions in the United States. Cardiovascular disease is a broad term for diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, including coronary artery disease and heart attack.
A doctor of family medicine treats many different types of cardiovascular disease. These include:
Coronary artery disease: A buildup of plaque in the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle. The plaque can rupture, blocking blood flow to tissue or organs downstream. This can cause chest pain (angina) or pain in other parts of your body (rest pain).
Heart attack: A sudden blockage or obstruction in one or more major arteries supplying blood to your heart muscle. You will feel pain in your chest or arm, sometimes nausea and shortness of breath. Your risk of having another heart attack increases if you have had one within the past year.
Stroke: A temporary interruption of blood supply to part of your brain due to an injury or clot formation at some point outside the brain itself (thrombosis). This interruption can cause symptoms such as weakness on one side of your body, dizziness, and nausea.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a life-threatening condition. It affects over 200 million people worldwide and nearly 30 million in the U.S. The disease has become more prevalent as our population ages and becomes overweight or obese.
Diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar levels that cannot be controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. This can lead to heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Family practice doctors treat diabetes through diet, exercise, and medication if needed.
Obesity
Obesity is a prevalent problem globally. Obesity is having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. This condition can lead to serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease. The number one problem with treating obesity is that the majority of people who are obese are also diabetic. However, there are ways to treat both conditions at once. Family practice doctors treat obesity through diet and exercise. To lose weight, you need to eat less food and exercise more often.
Family practice is a medical specialty that includes the care of adults and children, including geriatrics. Family physicians are also trained to diagnose and treat common diseases and conditions that affect multiple family members, such as diabetes, asthma, or allergies. To create a more comprehensive approach to healthcare, many family physicians have expanded their scope of practice to include the treatment of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. If you are looking for a reliable family practice doctor, contact your trusted healthcare provider today.
