| A major theme throughout this text is that | | | | A second important way to balance health care |
| you can control many factors that influence | | | | is to trust your instincts. Nobody knows when |
| your health. An outgrowth of this attitude is | | | | some thing is wrong with your body better |
| the self-care movement, which is the trend | | | | than you do. Health and illness are subject |
| toward individuals taking increased | | | | to a wide variation in interpretation. If you |
| responsibility for prevention or management | | | | are attuned to your body, you are your own |
| of certain health conditions. Armed with | | | | best expert for recognizing signs and |
| correct information, you can manage many | | | | symptoms of illness. |
| aspects of your health care that were once | | | | |
| thought possible only with the help of a | | | | Several signs and symptoms warrant medical |
| physician. | | | | attention without question. Internal |
| | | | bleeding, such as blood in urine, bowel |
| Answers to the following questions provide | | | | movement, sputum, or vomit, or blood from any |
| clues to the use of health-care services, | | | | of the body's openings requires immediate |
| providers, and products and facilitate the | | | | attention. Abdominal pain, especially when it |
| self-care approach to wellness: | | | | is associated with nausea, may indicate a |
| | | | wide range of problems from appendicitis to |
| When should you seek health care? | | | | pelvic inflammatory disease and requires the |
| | | | diagnostic expertise of a physician. A stiff |
| What can you expect from a stay in the | | | | neck when accompanied by a fever may suggest |
| hospital? | | | | meningitis and justifies immediate medical |
| | | | intervention. Injuries, many first aid |
| How can you select a health-care | | | | emergencies, and severe disabling symptoms |
| professional? | | | | require prompt medical care. |
| | | | |
| When To Seek Health Care | | | | There is debate as to when medical care is |
| | | | needed in the case of fever. An elevated |
| Many people tend to fall into two extreme | | | | temperature may be a sign that the body's |
| groups regarding health care: those who seek | | | | immune system is responding to an infection |
| health care for every ache and pain and those | | | | and working to destroy pathogens, or |
| who avoid health care unless experiencing | | | | disease-producing organisms. On the other |
| extreme pain. Both groups unwisely use the | | | | hand, if left untreated for an extended time, |
| health-care establishment. Those in the first | | | | a fever may cause harm to sensitive tissues |
| group fail to understand that too much health | | | | in the body, such as connective tissue found |
| care can be ineffective or even harmful. They | | | | in joints and tissues in the valves of the |
| also fail to recognize the powerful | | | | heart. |
| recuperative powers of the body. An estimated | | | | |
| 80% of patients who seek medical care are | | | | The normal body temperature of 98.6° F was |
| unaffected by treatment, 10% get better, and | | | | studied at the University of Maryland. |
| 9% experience an nitrogen condition in which | | | | Findings involving 700 temperature readings |
| they get worse because of the medical | | | | of 148 adults over a 3-day period suggest |
| treatment. Those in the latter group fail to | | | | that the normal body temperature is 98.9° |
| recognize the value of early diagnosis and | | | | F. The study attributed the difference to |
| detection of disease. This is especially true | | | | less accurate techniques when the earlier |
| for men; 30% of men have not been to a doctor | | | | standard of 98.6° F was established. Body |
| in a year or more, one-third have never had | | | | temperature varies with exercise, rest, |
| their cholesterol checked, and three fourths | | | | climate, and gender. Fever means a reading |
| have not been checked for prostate cancer | | | | over 99° F. It is not usually necessary |
| during the previous year. | | | | for an adult to seek medical care for a |
| | | | fever. Home treatment in the form of aspirin, |
| Perhaps the best way to find a balance | | | | acetaminophen, and sponge baths usually |
| between too much and too little health care | | | | lowers fever. You should consult your |
| is to establish a physician-patient | | | | physician if fever remains above 102 0 F |
| relationship with a general practitioner. The | | | | despite your actions or, in the case of a |
| general practitioner may be a family practice | | | | low-grade fever (99 0 to 100 0 F), if there |
| physician or an internist who specializes in | | | | is no improvement in 72 hours. You should |
| internal medicine. | | | | consult a physician if fever lasts more than |
| | | | 5 days, regardless of improvement. Symptoms, |
| It is important to visit your doctor while in | | | | such as sore throat, ear pain, diarrhea, |
| good health. This permits your doctor to | | | | urinary problems, and skin rash, may be the |
| serve as a facilitator of wellness and | | | | cause of the fever and should be treated as |
| provides a benchmark for interpreting | | | | such. Fever in young children should be |
| symptoms when they occur. | | | | discussed with a physician. |
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