{"id":20100,"date":"2023-01-10T10:36:13","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T15:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=20100"},"modified":"2023-03-03T14:50:42","modified_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:50:42","slug":"5-things-id-never-do-as-a-primary-care-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-primary-care-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things I’d Never Do as a Primary Care Doctor"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a new year! If you already have some health resolutions, grab your pen, you\u2019ll want to add these to the list. We\u2019ve asked some doctors for their insight on what you should NOT do in 2023.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\n

An apple a day may not keep the doctor away, but there are plenty of evidence-based lifestyle practices that can help protect your long-term health. Whether you see a family medicine doctor, internist, or someone else, one of your primary care doctor\u2019s most important jobs is to help you learn about and adhere to those habits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While we talk a lot about what we should do health-wise, we don\u2019t talk enough about harmful things you should nix from your routine. We spoke with Dr. Nora Lansen, a primary care physician and virtual clinical director at <\/span>Galileo<\/span><\/a>, about five things she\u2019d never do as a PCP.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

1. Never skimp on sleep.<\/h2>\n

One bad night of sleep can leave you feeling miserable the next day, but a lifetime of poor sleep can drastically impact your health. <\/span>Studies<\/span><\/a> show sleep deprivation can increase a person\u2019s risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, heart attack and stroke.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Your busy schedule may not make it easy to prioritize sleep, which Lansen understands \u2014\u00a0she worked 100+ hours as a medical resident and once considered sleep a luxury. \u201cNow, as a primary care physician with normal work hours, I see how impactful a lack of sleep is on overall health, and how infrequently people recognize sleep deprivation in their own lives,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While it’s recommended you get <\/span>at least seven hours<\/span><\/a> of quality sleep per night to avoid various health problems, you might need more. You can determine your individual needs by setting aside a couple consecutive nights and mornings on which you can go to sleep when you\u2019re tired and wake (feeling refreshed) without an alarm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Never stop exercising.<\/h2>\n

You likely already know that exercise is important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But for it to be effective, you need to make it a consistent habit. The <\/span>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/a> recommends adults get at least 150 minutes of physical activity every week to prevent the risk of disease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lansen recognizes this much physical movement can be tough to accomplish. She recommends finding a type of fitness you really enjoy, as you\u2019re more likely to keep up with it over time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo whatever you can to hang on to a good exercise habit if you have one in place, and if you don\u2019t, take it easy on yourself as you start,\u201d she says. \u201cFind whatever movement you like, whatever works best for your body, and try to make it fit into your routine.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Never smoke or vape.<\/h2>\n

Lansen would never ever take up smoking. \u201cIt increases the risk of pretty much every bad health outcome, including cancer, stroke, chronic illness and more,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s also expensive and makes your breath smell terrible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t smoke or vape, don\u2019t start. Quitting can be hard if you\u2019re already dependent on nicotine, but there are treatments to help. Talk to your primary care provider for options.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Never skip screenings.\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Although Lansen says you don\u2019t typically need a physical annually, you do need to check in with a primary care provider regularly to make sure you stay consistent with various preventative tests, like <\/span>important cancer screenings<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCancer screenings save lives not because they prevent cancer but because early detection improves the likelihood of successful treatment,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Individual screening recommendations vary, depending on contributing factors like family history, lifestyle, age, and gender, and your PCP can help determine which ones are right for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Never take medical advice from the internet.<\/h2>\n

The internet can be a great place for sourcing information and learning about different medical conditions, but it\u2019s not a substitute for medical advice from a licensed professional.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Before going down the rabbit hole of self-diagnosis, contact your PCP or specialist as needed to discuss any concerns you may have. This goes for taking new medications, trying trending \u201cremedies,\u201d and taking other advice you see floating around. <\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cMedical advice can and should be personalized to you as an individual,\u201d Lansen says. \u201cBear that in mind when you see generic advice online.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Need a primary care doctor? Find one<\/a> on Zocdoc.<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A primary care physician lists her don’ts for the new year. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":20108,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Things I'd Never Do as a Primary Care Doctor - Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A primary care doctor offers some advice on choosing healthy habits for 2023.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/5-things-id-never-do-as-a-primary-care-doctor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Things I'd Never Do as a Primary Care Doctor - 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