Steps to selecting a primary care doctor

Finding a good primary care doctor

One of the most important health decisions is selecting the right primary care doctor.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, MD is the perfect choice for primary care in Montgomery County.  Since it is difficult to find reliable and user-friendly information on specific practices or doctors, there are a few strategies you can use to help select the best primary care doctor for you. 

Choosing a primary care doctor

Many insurance plans require you to select one doctor to serve as your primary care physician.  This doctor will be your primary health care provider, not only treating common medical problems, but also making referrals to specialists when needed.  

Insurance coverage

Check the insurance company’s directory of approved providers.  These doctors will be part of the approved network of providers covered by your health insurance.  Germantown Primary Care Associates works with all the major insurance companies and will be happy to work with yours.

Check the doctor’s board certification

When a physician is board certified, it means they have earned a medical degree from a qualified medical school, passed one or more exams issued by the American Board of Medical Specialties, and are licensed by your state medical board.  Doctors are expected to participate in continuing education to remain certified.  Board certification means a physician is trained and qualified in that specialty.

Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD provides the best primary care in Montgomery County.  Give them a call to set up an appointment and choose them as your primary care provider.

There are certain people who need an immigration physical exam

When an immigration physical exam is required

There are certain categories of individuals applying for a visa to enter the United States who must first have an immigration physical exam.  This physical exam must be conducted by a doctor appointed as a U.S. Civil Surgeon.

Adjustment of status or immigrant visa

Applicants for an adjustment of status or for an immigrant visa must undergo an immigration physical exam.  This type of immigration physical exam must include a vaccination assessment.   Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, MD has certified physicians who can perform the immigration physical exam.  Anyone in Montgomery County can make an appointment with one of our doctors for an immigration physical exam.

V and K nonimmigrant visas

A K nonimmigrant visa and a V nonimmigrant visa both require an immigration physical exam. While these individuals must all undergo an immigration physical exam, they do not need to comply with vaccination requirements during the physical. 

Refugee status

Individuals who reside outside of the United States and who are applying for admission as refugees must undergo an immigration physical exam.

Refugee adjustment of status

Individuals who are granted refugee status in the U.S. become eligible to apply for Adjustment of Status one year after they are granted refugee admission.   When applying for their Adjustment of Status, these individuals will not have to undergo another medical exam, unless an issue resulting in inadmissibility was discovered during their initial exam

Germantown Primary Care Associates and their staff are qualified to perform any type of immigration physical exam.  Dr. Manbir Takhar, the medical director at Germantown Primary Care Associates is a certified U.S. Civil Surgeon.  Call her today to make an appointment for an immigration physical exam.

When to see a doctor if you have a sunburn

When to see a doctor about sun poisoning or a bad sunburn

Summer is on the way and with it come days of laying in the sun.  When we indulge too long or too much in sun worship, we can end up with a sunburn.  This is especially true of our children or those of us who have fair skin.  A sunburn should be avoided if at all possible since too many sunburns or bad sunburns may result in skin cancer down the road.  If you or your family member does get a bad sunburn, the physicians at Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, MD will provide the best medical treatment in Montgomery County and help ease that sunburn pain. 

When to see a doctor about your bad sunburn

If a sunburn is severe, you should call a doctor.  When you call the primary care physicians of Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, MD, they will discuss with you if treatment at home is possible or if you should come into the clinic.  Symptoms of a bad sunburn include:

·         Severe blistering

·         Severe pain

·         Confusion

·         Headache

·         Vomiting or nausea

·         Dizziness or fainting

·         If the sunburn is associated with another medical condition such as HIV/AIDs, diabetes or cancer

Receiving sunburn treatment

If the sunburn is severe, the primary care physicians at Germantown Primary Care Associates may prescribe antibiotics, pain medication or other treatments.  When you’ve had too much fun in the sun and wonder when to see a doctor about your sunburn, call Montgomery County’s best primary care clinic, Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD. 

Health physicals important to every man

Men’s physicals should include an adult well male exam

Most men are reluctant to see a primary care doctor.  They find all types of excuses from “I can’t take the time” to “I don’t need to see a doctor for that”.  Even if a man is seemingly healthy, it is a good idea to get an adult male well exam at least every two to three years.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, MD can make an appointment and do the necessary exams and labs at one time, saving a busy man a great deal of time.  They are one of the best primary care clinics in Montgomery County.

What to expect during a wellness physical

Every adult male well exam should cover the individual medical history.  The primary care doctor will also ask about substance abuse, diet and exercise habits, risk factors for sexually transmitted diseases, and symptoms of depression.  They will conduct a physical examination which will include body mass index screening and blood pressure check. 

Important screenings as we get older

As men get older, they should be screened for colorectal and prostate cancer.  Their primary care doctor may also order screening tests for testicular cancer if deemed necessary.  The goal of adult well male physicals is to help a man remain healthy.  These physicals can also help determine if a man is at risk of chronic disease development and can ensure they receive the age-appropriate immunizations and screenings. 

Visit Germantown Primary Care Associates for all your required and recommended physicals.

The clinic is a one-stop-shop for all Montgomery County primary care, including diagnosis, lab work, and treatment.  Physical therapy and a sleep lab are also located in the same building.  Call Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown MD to schedule any of your physicals.

Germantown Primary Care Associates provides the best in clinical health treatment

Quality clinical health treatment

As a primary care clinic, Germantown Primary Care Associates focuses on the initial diagnosis and treatment of medical ailments.  Our primary care physicians are available to treat almost all medical conditions.  If we discover a condition which is serious or dangerous to our patient, we may refer you to a specialist.  Our clinic is an easy, one-stop shop for initial diagnosis and treatment.  Our physicians are clinical health specialists trained to handle a variety of medical conditions.  We also provide immunizations and physicals, including sports physicals, immigration physicals and annual wellness exams. We provide both initial and follow-up care for our patients.

Convenience

Germantown Primary Care Associates works with all major health insurances and since most insurances require a patient to begin treatment with a primary care physician, we offer the convenience of having everything in one place.  We can do all lab work, as well as x-rays and other diagnostic testing, meaning you, as the patient do not have to go anywhere else for additional testing or screening.  With everything in one place, your physician can concentrate on getting you better and keeping you that way.  

Prevention and wellness

One of the primary goals of Germantown Primary Care Associates is to help you stay healthy.  We provide preventive medicine to help you develop and sustain healthy living habits and good lifestyle choices.  We offer nutritional counseling for those patients who are having trouble with their weight.  We have a physical therapy and sleep clinic right on site to help our patients get to their best healthy state.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, Maryland provides quality, convenient clinical health care.  

Sports physicals are required for fall sports

Sports physicals for fall sports

If your child plays any type of fall sport, this is the time for sports physicals.  Almost every school requires a student have a current sports physical to play a sport.  This is to ensure the child is healthy enough to take part in the sport.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, Maryland can do sports physicals which meet all the requirements of the local school system. 

Sports requiring sports physicals

There are several fall sports which require a student have a sports physical before they can play.   These include football, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and cross country running.  Germantown Primary Care Associates can also do sports physicals for winter and spring sports, including volleyball, basketball, and wrestling. 

The parts of the sports physical

There are two primary parts to sports physicals.  These are the medical history and the physical exam.  During the medical history the doctor will ask both the parent and the child about any serious illnesses of either the child or any family member, any previous surgeries, hospitalizations or past injuries; any allergies or medications; and if they child has any trouble breathing, any chest pain or any episodes of dizziness.

During the physical exam, the doctor will typically take blood pressure and pulse, record height and weight, check lungs, heart, abdomen, ear, nose and throat, and evaluate posture, strength, joints, and flexibility.  The doctor will also ask about drug and alcohol use, about steroid use, and about weight loss supplements.  The physicians at Germantown Primary Care will perform very thorough sports physicals to ensure your child is ready to participate in their favorite fall sport.

Get your employees the best work injury treatment at Germantown Primary Care Associates

How to lower the need for work injury treatment

The business services and professional sectors tend to have a lower rate of workplace injuries, while the more dangerous industries such as transportation and manufacturing have higher rates.  Even though the less dangerous areas such as the professional services face fewer risks, they have experienced a rise in certain types of injuries such as repetitive motion injuries.  When your employees get injured at work, Germantown Primary Care Associates can provide the work injury treatment to get your employees back to work as soon as possible. 

How to minimize workplace injuries

There are certain steps employers can take to help reducethe incidence of work place injuries and minimize employee risk. 

Develop a safety checklist.  Companies can help reduce workplace injuries by establishing a list of potential hazards and implementing measures to minimize these risks.  This is the simplest and most cost-effective way for employers to minimize the possibility of employee injury requiring work injury treatment. 

Carefully select new employees.  It is important to not hire high-risk individuals.  It is a good idea to conduct background and criminal investigations, drug testing, and safety training.  These all help ensure only the most qualified employees are hired. 

Create, implement and enforce safety procedures.  Businesses should create and implement their own procedures as well as enforcing OSHA standards and policies.  These should be communicated to the entire workforce and enforced.

Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, Maryland and their professional medical staff can provide work injury treatment for any and all types of workplace injuries.  

Recommended diagnostic testing for young women

The types of diagnostic testing

It is true that prevention is better than the cure.  Everyone should have certain diagnostic testing done periodically.  The physicians at Germantown Primary Care Associates can help determine which diagnostic testing is right for you. 

Essential diagnostic testing for young women

For all young women, there are a few screening tests which should be performed annually or every two years.  These tests help determine if a young woman is susceptible to certain conditions or illnesses. 

Breast cancer – This is an important diagnostic testing which should be done by all women once they reach their 20s. The primary care physicians at Germantown Primary Care Associates can provide guidance on when a woman should get her mammogram.

Cervical cancer – Diagnostic testing for cervical cancer is done by a Pap smear.  A Pap smear detects abnormal cells on the cervix.  Most women should have their first Pap smear by age 21 and then every two years. 

HIV – Everyone should undergo diagnostic testing for at least once.  Early detection and treatment of HIV cannot cure the disease, but can help the body fight off infection. 

Hepatitis B – Hepatitis B is a liver condition.  There are vaccines available for Hepatitis B which should be taken if the diagnostic testing results are negative. 

Skin cancer – Early detection of skin cancer helps make treatment more effective.  Any discolorations or changes in moles, freckles or other skin marks should be looked at by a primary care physician. 

In Germantown, Maryland, Germantown Primary Care Associates does all type so diagnostic testing right in their facility.  Give them a call today to get the diagnostic testing you need. 

Which vaccinations are important?

Why parents should get vaccinations for their children

There are confusing messages in the media about vaccinations.  First we are told that certain diseases have been eliminated because of vaccines, while at the same time we are warned that it is important to continue vaccinating our children, adults and the elderly.  The physicians at Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, Maryland will work with parents to provide the appropriate vaccinations to ensure their children are protected.  It is true that some diseases, such as diphtheria and polio are almost extinct in the United States because of vaccinations.  When we began vaccinating, these diseases killed many people.  While vaccinations have helped lower the incidence of these diseases, vaccines may not completely eradicate them.  Even if only a few cases of these diseases occur annually, anyone not vaccinated against the disease can become infected and then spread the disease to others.  If we stop the vaccinations, the disease will eventually return with the same intensity as before.

Vaccinations protect the future

When we vaccinate, it is not just to protect our children, but also our grandchildren and their grandchildren.  For example, we were able to completely eradicate smallpox within the United States with vaccinations and our children no longer need the smallpox vaccination.  Similarly, if we continue to vaccinate our children against diseases such as polio and meningitis, parents in the future may have the freedom of worrying about these diseases infecting, crippling or killing their children. Vaccinations are important to protecting the welfare of our children.  The physicians and healthcare providers at Germantown Primary Care Associates can provide all the vaccinations your children should have.

Recover more quickly with the right workout injury treatment

Recovery is easier with the right workout injury treatment

Injury is possible any time we workout.  When you are injured during a workout, getting the right injury treatment as soon as possible is very important.  Germantown Primary Care Associates in Germantown, Maryland can treat any workout injury and provide you the best injury treatment possible.

Warming up and cooling down before exercising can help reduce your chances of getting injured

There are steps you can take to help prevent getting injured.  The most common workout injuries include muscle pulls and strains, shoulder injuries, sprained ankles, shin splints, knee injuries, wrist injuries, and tendinitis.  To avoid injury during your work out, follow the below guidelines. 

Warm up and cool down – Each time you start your workout, you should begin with a warm up and then end the session with a cool down.  A good warm up exercise is to jump rope while walking for five to ten minutes following your workout is a good way to cool down. 

Stretch – Both before and after you work out, perform dynamic stretching.  This helps increase your flexibility which also helps prevent workout injuries. 

Ease into it – If you are just starting to exercise or are beginning a new workout program, begin slowly and ease into it. 

Cross-train – Change up your workout to prevent overusing one set of muscles.  Repeating the same exercise or muscle movements frequently can cause repetitive or overuse injuries. 

If you should get injured during your workout, it is important to get injury treatment as soon as possible.  Call Germantown Primary Care Associates to receive the best workout injury treatment in Germantown, Maryland.