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