When to See Your Primary Care Doctor
It's important to have a primary care doctor who you can count on for your various healthcare needs. If you don't already have a good primary care doctor, now is the time to look for one. Once you have a good doctor, of course, you'll need to know when to schedule an appointment with them. These are some of the times when you'll want to see your primary care doctor.
You Have a Cold or Flu
If you find yourself suffering from a cold or flu, it's not a bad idea to see your doctor. If your symptoms are mild and only last for a few days, this might not seem necessary. However, if you feel really bad, are experiencing severe symptoms, are running a high fever or experience symptoms for more than a few days, you should definitely call your primary care doctor to schedule an appointment. They can help you with managing your symptoms and help you ensure that you don't have a more severe illness than you think.
You Need Vaccinations
If you didn't get all of your vaccinations when you were a child, it might not be too late to get vaccinated now. This is something you can ask your primary care doctor about. If you're going to be travelling or moving out of the country, it might be recommended or required for you to get certain vaccinations before you leave. There is also the chance that you need a tetanus booster or some other type of vaccine. Any time that you need a vaccine of any kind, your doctor should be able to help you out.
You Need a Referral for a Specialist
Even though you can rely on your primary care doctor for a lot of different types of healthcare, there will be times when you can benefit from seeing a specialist. You may want to see a podiatrist for a foot-related problem, or you might need to see a dermatologist for a skin-related issue. In order for the specialist to schedule an appointment — or in order to have your insurance cover the visit — you might need to have a referral from your primary care doctor. Additionally, you might want some advice about which doctor you should see. Your primary care doctor can help you with this, or they might actually be able to provide the treatment that you need instead, eliminating the need to see a specialist at all.