Direct Primary Care Can Help With Holiday Health Problems

Let us make sure that health concerns don’t take over your celebrations.

The holidays are a time of celebration, but they also come with certain health hazards. Whether it’s an injury during decorating or increased blood pressure from excess food, you need to be careful this holiday season. We’ve outlined 3 common health problems that may arise during the holidays and how we can help you stay safe and merry this holiday season.

1. Excessive Stress

The holiday season can be stressful due to the expense of gifts, food, and the pressure of meeting everyone’s expectations. You may think that being stressed is okay, but prolonged stress can affect both your physical and mental health. The season can be especially difficult if you’re already struggling with a mental illness like anxiety or depression. Many people go undiagnosed with depression and can feel helpless during the holidays because they don’t know why they feel the way they do. 

With Direct Primary Care, you can work with your provider to know your triggers and assist you through the holiday season. For instance, if you recognize that having your entire family around will put you on edge, you can plan for a few small gatherings rather than one big one.

When you can prepare for the holiday season, you can lower the possibility of high-stress situations. 

Here are a few tips from National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) that you can try to help you to reduce holiday stress:

• Accept your feelings
• Maintain healthy habits
• Set boundaries
• Make time to connect

2. Accidents and Injuries

Many people refer to the holidays as the most wonderful time of the year, but from Thanksgiving into the new year, there tends to be a sharp increase in accidents and injuries associated with the holidays. Injuries range from falls during decorating to strained back or neck from excessive bending and lifting, cuts from unwrapping gifts or preparing food or other food, or alcohol-related injuries. 

Many of these can be avoided with preparation and not getting distracted. In the case that you do hurt yourself, Direct Primary Care provides access to your provider and unlimited access to our 24/7 urgent care. Whether you are taking preventative measures or are already feeling some soreness, our providers can help you prevent further injuries this holiday season.

3. Spikes in Chronic Diseases

Temptations of alcohol, rich dishes, chocolate, and candy are everywhere during the holidays.  If you are living with a chronic disease like high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, and more, your symptoms may increase during the festivities. Not sticking to your exercise routine and letting up on your healthy diet can be a risk when you have a chronic health condition. 

As the holidays approach, Exemplar Care’s Direct Primary Care providers can help you practice preventative care and make sure you are prepared for the holidays.

We offer health exams and blood work to let you know abour your current condition and what risks you should look out for. With a clear understanding of your health and nutritional goals, you can plan for some healthy alternatives to supply at your celebration and know exactly what you should and shouldn’t indulge in.

Those with otherwise healthy hearts can develop an irregular heartbeat, known as a “holiday heart” which causes an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation (the most common type of heart arrhythmia). This is a serious condition and if you feel that your heart is racing during the holidays or you have shortness of breath, seek medical assistance. 

As long as you are prepared to take care of yourself, you will have a great holiday season. With Direct Primary Care, your provider is your advocate and is proactive about your health. They will assist you in practicing preventative care. Our providers are available to help make your holidays more fun-filled.

We believe in providing you with personalized care so that you remain as healthy as possible.

If you would like to explore membership options and schedule an initial consultation, give us a call at 515-650-4370 or contact us.