Preventive health is the process of improving health and preventing disease by reducing the risk factors associated with them. There are a number of ways to prevent diseases, including things like wearing seat belts, eating fruits and vegetables, exercising, taking vitamins, not smoking, and other preventative measures. Preventive health is also the idea that an individual should have the ability to care for their own body without needing to contact or rely on medical professionals; this includes things such as self-monitoring for blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Benefits of preventive health
1.Reduce the risk of disease.
The use of preventive health services can identify risk factors for disease in time for treatment to be effective. Also, by preventing diseases, unnecessary and expensive treatment is avoided.
2.It helps to reduce healthcare costs
Preventive health can potentially save money spent on healthcare from reducing the incidence of disease and prolonging the life of people.
3.Improve personal health and well-being
Preventive health allows people to take charge of their own personal health issues in order to improve their overall well-being and quality of life. It can also help with self-esteem and relationship satisfaction because an individual has more control over their own life when they are proactive about their personal health care status (Self-management).
4.Improve the health of future generations
Healthcare is a major expense and as such, people have been, and will continue to be, concerned about the long-term financial costs associated with improving health. Preventive health programs are a great way to improve the health of future generations by preventing preventable diseases and thus reducing the costs of healthcare across one’s lifetime.
5.Decrease healthcare costs by providing care at an earlier stage of illness.
By predicting disease early, it is possible to create a treatment program that can minimize its impact on individuals through early diagnosis and treatment. This makes it possible for people to avoid unnecessary surgery, hospitalization, drug therapy or other expensive treatments.