Primary Care in Buffalo, NY
Providing Primary Care Throughout Western New York
Your health plays an important role in your quality of life. You need to maintain your health so that you can enjoy time with your family, be productive at work, and so much more. If you want to maintain your health, regular appointments with your primary care physician are necessary.
Your primary care provider at Medical Care of Western New York at Buffalo is responsible for accessing and managing your overall health. Your provider can treat an assortment of acute and chronic conditions and help you get the most out of your life.
We seek to be your “medical home”. We aim to provide you with a broad spectrum of acute and chronic care, both preventative and curative, and to coordinate all care you receive. Medical Care of WNY, where healing happens!
To better service our patients, we offer:
- Preventative Medicine
- Routine Check-Ups
- Yearly’s
- Female Health and Wellness
- Prenatal Care
- Curative Care
- Health Screenings
- Care Coordination
What Conditions Do We Monitor and Treat?
Our primary care providers treat a wide range of acute and chronic conditions. They are responsible for maintaining your overall health and do it through proper diagnosis, treatment, and management. Look at some of the most common conditions treated at our office. Keep in mind that this list is far from all-inclusive.
Diabetes
Diabetes is becoming increasingly common in the United States. The CDC states that approximately 1.5 million adults were diagnosed with diabetes in 2015,and far more people are living with the condition without realizing it. It’s estimated that close to one in four adults in the United States had diabetes without knowing it in 2015. Possibly even more startling, only 11.6 percent of Americans with prediabetes realized they had the condition that same year. That means only a small percentage were able to receive treatment for their condition to prevent it from turning into diabetes.
A primary care physician can monitor your conditions and diagnose prediabetes or diabetes. Screening for diabetes includes more than administering blood tests. Your physician will also consider your lifestyle and family history to determine your likelihood of developing the disease. Then, the physician will closely monitor you, looking for signs that you have prediabetes or diabetes.
If you are diagnosed with diabetes, your primary care provider will be your treatment partner. Your provider will use education, medication, and other tools to treat your disease. We will help to stabilize your condition, and help you live a high-quality life. If your condition becomes more chronic in nature, we will make the proper referral to ensure you find the specialist you need.
Hypertension
High blood pressure is also common in the United States. Blood pressure falls into four ranges. You have normal blood pressure if your systolic pressure is below 120 mm Hg and your diastolic pressure is lower than 80 mm Hg. If your blood pressure falls within that range, you likely have a healthy lifestyle.
Elevated blood pressure refers to a systolic pressure between 120-129 mm Hg. The diastolic pressure is still below 80 mm Hg. Medical intervention is needed at this point since elevated blood pressure often turns into hypertension. Your health care provider will recommend lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure back within the normal range.
Stage 1 hypertension is diagnosed when the systolic pressure is 130-139 mm Hg, and the diastolic pressure is between 80-89 mm Hg. If this isn’t properly treated, it can turn into Stage 2 hypertension. This is diagnosed when the blood pressure is at least 140/90 mm Hg. This is the most dangerous stage, and medical intervention is necessary.
Untreated hypertension can cause a variety of serious health issues, including strokes and blood clots. Your primary care physician can prescribe medications to lower your blood pressure. He or she will also recommend lifestyle changes such as losing weight, reducing sodium, and increasing exercise. The right lifestyle changes will lower your blood pressure naturally. The end goal is to get you off medication, but this might take some time. Your primary care provider will be there with you every step of the way as you begin living a healthier life. You will work together to manage your conditions and get your blood pressure back to normal.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is an umbrella term used to refer to various heart conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart arrhythmias, and congenital heart defects. Heart disease symptoms depend on the disease you have, but you could experience chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or a racing heartbeat. Fatigue, swelling in the feet and ankles, and fainting are also symptoms of heart disease.
Certain risk factors can lead to heart disease. For instance, you are more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease as you grow older. You can also develop heart disease due to a poor diet, high blood pressure, stress, and high cholesterol. Your genetics can also make you more likely to get heart disease.
If you have heart disease, proper management is necessary. Otherwise, you could develop serious complications such as heart failure, heart attack, stroke, or aneurysm. These complications can be deadly, so it’s essential you get treatment for the condition.
Your primary care physician will go over lifestyle changes to lower the risk of heart disease. If you already have the condition, he or she will provide you with treatment options, such as medications. For more chronic conditions, we will make the proper referrals and get you to a specialist who can help manage your care.
Medical Care of Western New York at Buffalo can diagnose and treat heart disease. Most primary care providers send patients to offsite facilities for diagnosis, but we have everything in one place. This makes it much easier for you to manage your condition.
COPD
COPD stands for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and like heart disease, it’s an umbrella term. If you have emphysema or chronic bronchitis, you will be diagnosed with COPD. You also might have both of these conditions.
Emphysema is a disease where the lung tissue gradually becomes more and more damaged. As the disease progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe. Shortness of breath is the main symptom of emphysema. Unfortunately, there is no cure for emphysema, but proper treatment will prevent it from progressing and make it more manageable. Antibiotics, inhaled steroids, and bronchodilators are all treatment options. These treatments make it much easier to breathe, dramatically increasing your quality of life.
If your bronchial tubes are chronically inflamed, you’ll be diagnosed with chronic bronchitis. Symptoms include a cough that usually produces mucus. You also might experience shortness of breath, chest tightness, and wheezing. There is no cure for chronic bronchitis, but treatment makes the disease much more manageable. Patients typically respond to the same treatments that are used for emphysema.
If you are living with COPD, it’s normal to feel a little frightened. It can feel as if your body is fighting against you. A primary care physician at Medical Care of Western New York at Buffalo can help with both your mental and physical symptoms. You will gain a better understanding of your diagnosis and learn about innovative treatment methods. With our help, you can improve your quality of life.
Does Medical Care of WNY Accept Health Insurance?
You want to maintain your health, and paying for medical care should not get in the way of accomplishing that. Medical Care of Western New York at Buffalo accepts no-fault and workers’ compensation claims, as well as policies from a variety of insurance providers. If you are not sure if our office takes your insurance, please call us. We will go over your policy with you and help you understand the coverage you can expect.
Make an Appointment With A Primary Care Physician Today
Your health is our primary concern at Medical Care of Western New York at Buffalo. We look forward to being your health care partner for all acute and chronic conditions. Stop by our beautiful office as a walk-in patient or make an appointment today.
FAQ About Primary Care
What Is Included in Primary Care?
When you see a primary care physician you are seeing a doctor that provides assistance with a health concern that is undiagnosed as well as any care that needs to be continued with any medical condition. While they are able to treat patients, it is also a huge part of the primary care physicians responsibility to educate patients and their families as well. There are many different specialties primary care doctors can have such as public health, family practice, adolescent medicine, geriatric medicine and internal medicine. If your condition is more chronic in nature, we will refer you to the proper specialist for further care.
What Types of Doctors Are Primary Care?
There are many different types of doctors when it comes to primary care. Usually general practice, internal medicine or family practice. When you have a doctor, whose main focus is children then they are considered a pediatrician. They are still primary care doctors; they only see children. Internal medicine doctors mostly care for adults. They diagnose, treat and prevent diseases. At Medical Care of Western New York, we treat conditions from diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, COPD and more. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
How Often Should Adults See A Doctor?
If you are 30 or younger, it is recommended to see your doctor every two to three years for a checkup. This guideline is different for everyone depending on the status of your health. A healthy lifestyle and prevention of disease should be discussed with your doctor at your checkup. If you are travelling internationally or need any vaccines, you should also talk to your doctor prior to traveling.
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