Health Among the many restrictions in our daily lives resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, there may be significant limitations in our access to medical services to which we have become accustomed. For persons without any acute or chronic health conditions, especially younger individuals, the restriction of services might not be apparent but, for those who may have such medical issues, these restrictions may affect their health. We are aware of the limitations to our family physician visits for monitoring of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. We have seen in the press the concerns which emergency room physicians have noted concerning the profound drop in the number of persons who should be seen early and have waited to seek attention, thereby risking their health and life. Some hospitals report an almost 50% drop in the number of visits. Patients with heart attacks, strokes, appendicitis and other serious conditions are often waiting for days before going to the emergency department for treatment. Patients are worried about their exposure to COVID-19 infection, but evidence shows that this risk is minimal as hospitals have been exceptionally successful in their prevention protocols. Operating rooms have been closed for many elective surgeries and access to diagnostic procedures has become limited inmany cases. Even postponement of cancer surgeries has sometimes been necessary. Waiting times for hip surgeries and other elective cases are increasing. For all of these well-recognized factors which may affect some of us, there are many ways to take charge of our health care more proactively. We are well aware of the health benefits of exercise, and walking for 30 minutes a day for seniors most days of the week (and when weather is suitable) has always been recommended for those who are able. Unfortunately, for snowbirds who may not be going south this winter, that won’t be as easy. With the sedentary life whichmany of us experience, our diet may have to be modified. With less activity, we will have to watch our calories and consumption of alcohol a little more closely. The routine monitoring of certain chronic conditions performed by our health-care provider has been seriously impaired. As a result, we will have to take more responsibility in monitoring our conditions personally. Home self-monitoring of blood pressure has been recommended for years, but is not commonly practised. Doing this now is even more important than ever, inasmuch as monitoring in the doctor’s office has been curtailed and pharmacy machines for measuring blood pressure have been shut down for hygienic reasons. The American Heart Association and the AmericanMedical Association have just released a joint major scientific analysis Self-Monitoring Your Health During COVID-19 By: Dr. Robert MacMillan MD 34 | www.snowbirds.org
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