Primary care providers don’t all have the same training. While some specialize in certain age ranges or other patient groups, one type of primary care provider—a family medicine provider—cares for patients from newborns to the elderly. We asked Jerika Ortlieb, MD, a family medicine doctor with Kettering Health, to name five of the many services they offer. 1 One-stop care. Parents can take their children to the same physician they themselves see for vaccinations, minor illnesses and injuries, preventive care, wellness visits, and pre-participation exams for sports, workout regimens, and other activities. 2 Comprehensive care. Family doctors monitor not only physical health and chronic conditions but also your family’s mental wellbeing, dietary needs, and prescriptions. 3 Minor procedures. Many minor procedures such as biopsies or injections that once required a specialist can now be performed in the office. 4 Reproductive healthcare. As family members mature, a family practitioner can guide them through different stages of reproductive health. From HPV vaccinations and birth control through pregnancy and childbirth, your family doctor can serve as the foundation for reproductive care. 5 Convenient technology. Healthcare apps such as MyChart allow patients to send messages to the doctor’s staff, make appointments, and view test results. Too busy to get to the doctor’s office? Ask your provider about telehealth visits. What a family medicine provider can do for you FASTFIVE Does honey help seasonal allergies? Many people suffer from seasonal allergies caused by pollen. Bees collect pollen and turn it into honey. So could consuming local, unprocessed honey help alleviate seasonal allergy symptoms? “That idea sounds logical, but it’s just not true,” says Jerika Ortlieb, MD, a family medicine physician with Kettering Health. Immunotherapy (also known as allergy shots) exposes an allergy sufferer to tiny doses of the allergen to build up the body’s resistance to it. But the principle doesn’t apply here. The pollens that cause most seasonal allergies are airborne and come from weeds, grasses, and trees—which are not where bees gather pollen. They gather it from flowering plants. “Flower pollen isn’t airborne and thus typically doesn’t cause allergy symptoms,” Dr. Ortlieb explains. Therefore, consuming honey made from flower pollen has no effect on allergy symptoms. Moreover, while the processed honey found on supermarket shelves is safe to consume, unprocessed (“raw”) honey can be risky. Dr. Ortlieb warns that “unprocessed honey could contain botulism,” among other potentially dangerous bacteria. Like unpasteurized milk, raw honey is best avoided. So if you suffer from seasonal allergies, skip the honey and seek help from your doctor instead. FACT OR FICTION WELLNESS ALL YEAR-ROUND Having a primary care provider is important for your overall wellness. If you don’t have one, visit ketteringhealth.org/primarycare or call 1-888-726-2372. ketteringhealth.org 3
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