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It is important to establish a primary care physician before a problem occurs so that someone who knows you, your health and your body can care for and guide you through such a problem. For the primary care physician, familiarity with an individual's baseline or normal state when they feel well helps in the evaluation of when they are ill. Often, it may take a couple of months to get in to see a PCP if you are a new patient; however, once established as a patient in a practice, it is easier to get an immediate appointment for an urgent issue.

How Do You Find and Choose a Primary Care Physician?

Choosing a PCP is an important decision that can be confusing. Remember, you are choosing someone with whom you hope to develop a long-term working relationship. So it's important that you choose a person you're comfortable with in regard to their style of communication, their language, even their gender.

And remember, you do have a choice about gender. When you ask for an appointment, ask if your provider is male or female, and let the office know what you prefer.

What you should know and bring to your visit

You should know your medical and surgical history so you can describe it to your doctor. This includes medical conditions you have and times you've been hospitalized with dates. Surgeries you have had with dates are also important. Bring a list of medications you take, both prescription and over the counter, including herbal meds, their names and dosages. Bring in bottles if you can. Any allergies to medications or foods and what kind of reaction you have had are important.

It is also helpful to write down your questions before the visit and bring them in, because in a busy visit it is easy to forget them. Bring your concerns up early in the visit, as you may run out of time if you leave them until the end. If you have a medical problem before your visit, pay attention to when your symptoms occur, how often and whether anything brings them on or makes them better. Keep a log and bring it to your visit.

Know your Family History.

A doctor's visit is not one size fits all; it should be tailored to your health. This includes health information about your close relatives. Family history is important because families share common genes and this plays an important role in one's risk for certain illnesses. For example, there is nearly a twofold increase in risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, heart disease and diabetes for individuals with at least one immediate family member with those illnesses. This may affect the treatment plan your provider devises for you, including additional steps that may be taken to reduce risk, such as additional screenings or lifestyle changes.

Your provider will want to know about close relatives, including biological parents, siblings and children, and also information about grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Important things to know are illnesses and age of onset. There are many illnesses that are relevant to family history, but some of the most common illness that primary care physicians are interested in knowing about in adults are diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease (heart attacks, bypass surgery) etc.

 

Town

A town is a large number of houses, schools, hospitals, theatres, factories, works and other buildings built near each other. All these buildings are divided into blocks by streets. Short narrow streets that join larger ones together are called lanes. On one side of streets the buildings have even numbers, on the other-odd numbers. The main streets are usually paved with stones or asphalt. Along the streets run carts, cars, buses and trolley buses. In large towns tramways are laid down the wider streets, along which tramcars rattle with great noise. On both sides of the streets are raised pavements on which people walk.

In very large towns, which are generally called cities, countless pedestrians walk along the foot-pavement forming two smoothly flowing ceaseless currents. In England walkers keep to the right, while vehicles on the road keep to the left.

People usually cross the streets at special places, called crossings.

When the traffic is very heavy, the policeman. Who regulates the movement of the cars and buses, has to stop the never-ending stream by raising one hand, thus affording the pedestrians a chance of crossing the street. On the footpaths, close to the gutter, stand dustbins into which refuse is put.

In large towns the ground floors and the first stores of the houses that line the principal streets consist of shops. These shops present most attractive features. The windows are very large and the plates of glass often reach almost to the pavement. It is interesting to look at the shop-windows where the articles on sale are displayed. In the centre and in important parts of a large town, there are squares, gardens and market places.

A town is generally situated near or on a river across which bridges are built. In almost all towns there places of interest, which a stranger would be invited to see – monuments, cathedrals, museums, etc. A town is governed by a council, the head of which is the mayor.