Category: Blog

Are you aware getting sufficient sleep is scientifically proven as improving every area of our lives, including increasing productivity and cognitive function? After a good night’s sleep, you feel more energetic when playing with your kids and have an overall happier and calmer mood all day.

Find it challenging to believe us? A comprehensive study conducted in Finland in 2007 revealed sleep-deprived people had reduced reaction time coupled with the inability to pay attention. The participants also had challenges with both short-term and long-term memory and critical thinking because they were managing with just five hours of sleep.

How Much Sleep Is Essential Every Night?

Seven to Nine hours of sleep for young adults and adults is recommended by the National sleep foundation. At the same time, the foundation recommends seven to eight hours of sleep every night for seniors. To understand whether you are on the longer or shorter end of the spectrum, you can see how long you sleep without an alarm. For example, if you wake up after seven hours, the number is adequate for you on most occasions.

How To Determine Whether You Are Getting Quality Sleep?

Trying to determine whether you are getting quality sleep is at best challenging and difficult to manage. However, you can either do an audit of your sleep hygiene or contact Germantown’s primary care physicians for help. Obtaining professional service to determine whether you are getting sufficient quality sleep gives you a professional assessment of your condition. In addition, it helps decide whether or not you are affected by conditions like insomnia, teeth grinding, snoring, narcolepsy, et cetera.

The Germantown physicians create a sleep care plan specifically for you by diagnosing and treating all sleep disorders in adults. When you contact this facility, you are accessing care from board-certified sleep specialists accredited by the American Academy of sleep medicine. The primary healthcare facility uses state-of-the-art technology along with a team of medical specialists, psychologists, and registered sleep medicine specialists, devoting their careers to sleep study and treatment of sleep disorders.

When Must You Seek a Sleep Care Plan from the Specialists?

If you experience an occasional night of interrupted sleep because of stress or other causes, the condition is normal and occurs with everyone. However, if you are persistently struggling to achieve quality sleep for over 30 days, you must consider the problem as severe and seek treatment for the condition as soon as possible.

Do not assume a physical exam or a discussion with the professionals at the facility is all that is required to overcome the problem you experience. You also have to undergo various tests with sleep care products to identify the reasons for your restlessness and the lack of quality sleep. You are either required to undergo a polysomnography test in a sleep clinic or a home sleep apnea test (HSAT) to determine whether sleep apnea is the cause of your restlessness.

The Treatment for Sleep Care

Dr. Lakhvinder Wadhwa offers a comprehensive sleep care program for adults, including the gold standard CPAP therapy, sleep tips, sleep studies, et cetera to ensure the disorder affecting you is effectively treated.

The experienced team of professionals from primary care physician Germantown, MD, will work with you to analyze your sleeping patterns by examining them to uncover the underlying cause and develop a personalized treatment plan specifically suited to your condition.

Before determining a practical course of action, the professionals initially consult with you and perform sleep study tests at an observational sleep center. The studies are essential to determine the underlying causes of your condition and develop the most effective treatment to relieve you from the problem affecting you.

Sleep disorders are familiar in the United States, with nearly 33 percent of Americans reporting they have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. The lack of sleep doesn’t just affect the overall quality of life of the affected individual but also makes it challenging for them to perform everyday activities like going to work or school, operating machinery on motor vehicles because it makes them susceptible to accidents.

The lack of sleep also affects the overall health of people by making them susceptible to various health disorders such as hypertension, strokes, heart disease, cardiovascular issues, and others. Therefore, sleep disorders are better not ignored as a minor issue. Instead, they can assume significant proportions unless identified and treated in time by obtaining a sleep care plan from the specialists.

Among the common chronic health conditionsis diabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic condition that affects your blood sugar levels. Insulin hormone in your body helps in the conversion of blood sugars to energy. When you have diabetes mellitus, your body is incapable of making enough insulin or utilize the available one.

Chronic diabetes mellitus has no cure. However, your doctor can recommend management techniques to reduce the risk of complications. Some of the complication associated with diabetes include:

• Loss of vision
• Acute or chronic kidney failure
• Nerve damage

There are two common types of diabetes, which include:

• Type 1 diabetes, which is associated with a lack of insulin production due to damage pancreatic cells
• Type 2 diabetes, which occurs when your body becomes resistant to insulin, causing sugar build up in your blood

Other types of diabetes include prediabetes and gestational diabetes. Prediabetes is similar to type 2 diabetes. However, the blood sugar levels are not as high as in type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, gestational diabetes is a condition that occurs during pregnancy. The placenta can produce insulin-blocking hormones, causing this type of diabetes mellitus.

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms can vary between women and men. However, there are common signs of diabetes mellitus in both genders, which include:

• Loss of weight
• Frequent urination
• Increase in hunger and thirst
• Sores that take long or don’t heal
• Fatigue and general body weakness
• Blurry vision

Men with diabetes might have erectile dysfunction, low sex drive, and poor muscle strength. On the other hand, women with diabetes might portray symptoms such as dry and itchy skin, urinary tract, and yeast infections.  In case you experience such symptoms, you can contact any of our primary care physicians at 20874.

Signs and Symptoms

For effective diabetes mellitus management, your doctor will recommend diagnostics. During the diabetes diagnostics, the physician can review your family’s diabetic history and the warning signs. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor might recommend the following tests:

• Glucose screening test
• Random blood test
• Fasting blood sugar test
• Glucose tolerance test

Diabetes Mellitus Management

Diabetes mellitus treatment guidelines vary depending on the type. However, most treatments for diabetes are medications. Diabetes medications can be oral or injections.

Type 1 Diabetes

After diagnosing type 1 diabetes, your doctor will recommend insulin. Insulin will replace the hormone that the body can’t produce.

However, there are four types of insulin, depending on the period of action. Below are the four different types of insulin:

• Rapid-acting insulin. This type of insulin works in fifteen minutes, and its effects can last up to three hours.
• Short-acting insulin. The short-acting insulin acts in 30 minutes and stays for 6-8 hours.
• Intermediate–acting insulin. It starts working after two or three hours. However, the insulin can last for 12-18 hours in your body.
• Long-acting insulin.  When you use such a type of insulin, it takes a few hours to start working. However, the effects of long-acting insulin can last a whole day or more.

Type 2 Diabetes

To treat non-insulin-dependent diabetes, our Germantown primary care physicians can recommend diet and lifestyle changes. Regular exercise can help in the consumption of glucose to produce energy and prevent type 2 diabetes complications.

If lifestyle and diet changes don’t work, your doctor might recommend medications. There are several types of diabetes medications. Therefore, you might need to take more than one type of medication. However, some type 2 diabetes patients can use insulin.  For prediabetes and gestational diabetes, you can make lifestyle and diet changes.

Diabetes Prevention

Type 1 diabetes is unpreventable since it is an autoimmune condition. Also, you might not have control over type 2 diabetes since some of the causes are genes and age. However, if you have prediabetes, you can prevent type 2 diabetes.

In our primary care clinic, we believe in prevention than cure. Therefore, Dr. Lakhvinder Wadhwa recommends the following to prevent type 2 diabetes if you already have prediabetes.

• Physical exercise for at least 150 minutes every week
• Cut refined, trans, and refined fats out of your diet
• Increase fruits and vegetables in your diet
• Consume your food in small portions
• Lose some of your bodyweight if you are obese or overweight

For more guidelines on the prevention and management of diabetes mellitus, you can visit us at Germantown Primary Health Care.

Losing weight can improve your overall health and minimize the risk of having certain conditions. Diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are linked with weight gain, and your physician can enlighten you on how to lose weight naturally. Changes to your diet, lifestyle, and exercise are vital aspects of weight management.

Diet Plan for Weight Loss

Intake of a low-calorie diet is ideal for weight loss. Dr. Lakhvinder Wadhwa recommends you take high fiber foods, lean meat, fruits, and vegetables. Processed and sugary foods have a high level of calories. Remaining hydrated and taking a balanced diet ensures that your body cells work at optimal levels. Eating more calories than your body requires may lead to the formation of body fats. You can burn calories by remaining proactive in physical exercises and embracing an ideal dietary lifestyle. Other weight loss-friendly foods may include:

• Legumes and beans
• Tuna and salmon
• Boiled potatoes
• Chicken breast and lean beef
• Cruciferous and fresh vegetables
• Leafy greens

Your nutritionist may recommend you adopt various tips to improve your dietary lifestyle. Some of the nutritional guidance you should follow may include:

• Drinking adequate fluids that have low-calorie and are unsweetened
• Avoid fatty diet and processed foods
• Intake of whole foods, including whole grains, dairy and lean meat products.
• Eat when hungry and avoid skipping meals, which may compel you to overeat during the next meal or lead to poor food choices.

Your body takes time to absorb food, and you should regulate the intervals of food intake. It’s crucial to make periodic BMI checks to ensure your body cells function optimally and your weight is ideal.

Engaging in Physical Exercises

Routine physical exercises aid in keeping your body fit, and it’s vital for your mental health. Frequent physical activities are crucial in achieving successful weight loss. A moderate to intense physical activity regularly is ideal for weight loss. If you don’t engage in physical exercises, you can gradually start and increase its intensity with time. Remaining physically proactive is a sustainable approach in regulating our weight.

Your primary care physician near you may help keep track of your physical exercises to balance calorie levels. You can also check on your diet to balance the intake of calories and remain with optimal weight. Some of the weight-loss management tools that can track your progress include:

• A body-mass index calculator
• Food journal
• Measuring tape or scale
• An application to record your physical exercise and diet

Your therapist can determine an ideal weight loss plan for you and ensure you achieve your desired body weight within a specified time. Losing weight is not easy, but you need to have a positive mindset and concentration. Your physician can also teach you how to lose weight fast.

Vital Weight Loss Tips

Are you wondering whether there are tips on how to lose weight fast? Your therapist can provide you with vital approaches for weight loss, and some include:

• Drink water before meals since it reduces intake level. Remaining hydrated ensures that your body systems function optimally.
• Intake of caffeine boosts your metabolism.
• Take soluble fiber-rich foods that promote weight loss
• Avoid sugary beverage that may add calories to your body
• Get enough sleep since poor sleep is a risk factor for weight gain
• Opt for weight loss-friendly foods
• Eat healthier whole foods that are preferable for optimal weight than processed foods.

Successful weight loss can be achieved by the intake of fewer calories and a lifestyle that fosters the reduction of calories in your body. At Germantown Primary HealthCare, we enlighten you on losing weight naturally by adopting a suitable dietary lifestyle and being physically active. An ideal weight loss program offers health benefits by minimizing your body mass within a short time frame. You can achieve your weight goals by reducing the calorie intake regularly and following all the guidelines provided by your nutritionist.

A weight maintenance program involves healthy eating and regular exercises to avoid regaining weight. If you have a high BMI with no obesity health issues, your physician may recommend taking weight loss medication. The medications are a viable option to support your lifestyle modifications if the other weight loss programs are unsuccessful. It’s essential to seek your specialist on the ideal diet plan for weight loss and suitable lifestyle changes.

Despite the constant call from the physicians and doctors to have annual physical checkups, only a percentage of the population does that. Most people tend to visit the doctor when there is a problem.

This is not only dangerous but can increase the risk of you developing life-threatening conditions. Getting a physical examination near you offers more benefits for your overall wellness. Here are five reasons why you need to consider visiting a primary care physician in Germantown 20874.

1. Update Your Medical History 

Your medical history is important and it reveals details about your health that you may not even know you had. The doctor will ask you several questions in regards to your health and family history. This will make it easy for Dr. Lakhvinder Wadhwa to detect any hereditary problems that you may be at risk of developing.

Having an annual health assessment gives you a chance to talk to the doctor about any concerns you may have about your health. The doctor will probably inquire about your lifestyle habits. He will also check on your vaccination status.

2. Get A Comprehensive Assessment

On your routine physical exams, the doctor will do a series of tests to assess the condition of your health.

• Vital sign checks

As part of your examination, the doctor will take your blood pressure reading, heart and pulse rate, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels.

Some tests are specific to men and women. For women, a pap smear and mammogram may be done to check for any signs of cancer.

Other tests done on women include osteoporosis and pelvic exams.

In men, the doctor will do a testicular exam to check for lumps and tenderness and prostate cancer screening. 

• Visual exams 

The doctor will check for signs of any conditions. He will examine the different parts of the body like the head, eyes, chest, and abdomen.

It is important to have your eyes examined regularly, especially if you are above 60 years or have preexisting conditions like diabetes.

Most eye problems occur as we age like cataracts. Diabetic retinopathy is also a common occurrence among people who have diabetes.

• Laboratory tests 

The doctor will draw blood to conduct further tests. These include a complete blood cell count to check your blood count. Your red blood, white blood cells, and platelets are examined. The tests help the doctor to diagnose conditions like anemia, infection, or even cancer.

A complete metabolic panel is done to check your blood plasma. The test can indicate issues in your kidneys, liver, immune system, and blood chemistry.

The doctor can request a diabetes and thyroid screen. Your blood can also reveal your vitamin and mineral levels to determine if you have a deficiency.

3. Focuses on Prevention

Physical examination is a great way to detect health conditions early and begin treatment on time. After determining your risk level of any medical health conditions, the doctor will share information on how to prevent the disease or slow its progression.

4. Learn About Lifestyle and Chronic Disease 

According to statistics, three in five adults in the United States develop a chronic disease in their lifestyle. Some even have multiple conditions at once. Conditions like heart disease and diabetes can cause life-threatening complications. The good news is these diseases are preventable. If you get them, the doctor can help you manage them and prevent complications if they are detected early.

Having regular physical examination will enable the doctor to review your risk of developing chronic disease. He will also give you strategies to manage or mitigate the risk.

Lifestyle conditions are preventable with proper diet, exercise regimen, and habits.

5. It Helps You Build a Strong Relationship with Your Doctor

Regular examinations help you build a solid relationship and trust with your doctor. This makes it easy for the doctor to collect and store medical information for future reference. You will also be confident and easy to share your reservation or health preferences if you work with a doctor you know.

Schedule an Appointment

Visit Germantown Primary Healthcare for your physical examination procedure and other assessments.

Thus far, our generation is the unhealthiest, yet we live in the most advanced time known to man. Our lives are much faster and yet sedentary. Obesity is a prevalent condition that affects nearly half of the American population.

However, this Christmas, you can decide to put a smile on your face by undertaking a weight loss program that suits your needs. There are a ton of benefits when it comes to losing weight. Also, there are many “experts” who can lead you astray. It would be best to look for something customized to suit your circumstances since what worked for someone else might not necessarily work for you.

Hence, the reason why you should seek the help of our physician in Germantown, Dr.LakhvinderWadhwa, to get a customized plan based on the options available for weight loss.

Weight Loss Options

Non-Invasive

Non-invasive options are the foundation of losing and maintaining a healthy weight. These are interventions that can be used all through your journey, obviously done under our doctor’s guidance. These are:

Diet Modifications

Regardless of other interventions throughout your journey, your diet takes a central position. It is counterproductive to undergo surgery, then go for unhealthy options or revert to bad eating habits. In other words, you need to eat right.

The principle of eating right is quite simple. If what you consume is more than what you burn, then you will never lose weight. While planning for your intervention, we try to check the calories you consume to advise you on how and what you should eat.

In a nutshell, you need to reduce your starch and sugar intake. Hunger levels drop when you reduce your sugar intake. Consider eating more protein, healthy fat, plenty of fruits, and vegetables.

Water is very critical in your journey because it keeps you hydrated and aids in burning fat. So, drink plenty of water.

Exercise

Activity is always essential. Exercise helps with losing weight since it helps in burning calories. It strengthens your cardiovascular system, improves your posture, and keeps you fit. It also helps mitigate the issue of muscle loss that comes with depending solely on diet modifications.

Minimally Invasive

Some of the minimally invasive strategies we can employ are:

Gastric Balloons

Gastric balloons are designed to occu

 

py some space in your stomach and confuses the stomach so that you think that you are full. This will make you eat less. The procedure typically takes less than ten minutes to complete.

Aspire Assist

This is a reversible procedure, which means that any changes that have been made can be restored. The procedure is designed to help patients who have an issue chewing food properly, leading to weight and digestion issues.

Lap Band

This is also another minimally invasive procedure that is reversible. This is a very safe procedure that can help patients who have a BMI of over 30. An adjustable balloon is placed near the junction of the esophagus and stomach. The band is typically placed on the outer part of the upper stomach.

You can have the band for years, but you have to really what you eat for it to work as it should. You will notice that you have started shedding some weight.

Surgical

Stapling the Stomach

This is a common procedure that entails gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. With sleeve gastrectomy, there is stapling off and then the removal of 80% of your stomach. What remains behind is a “sleeve” of the stomach that is nearly the size of a hot dog. The procedure is non-reversible.

On the other hand, the gastric bypass procedure bypasses the small intestine’s beginning by creating a stomach pouch the size of a golf ball.

These two procedures can be ineffective if you don’t take the diet modifications seriously since the sleeve and the bypass can stretch over the years.

What You Should Know When Considering a Weight Loss Procedure

Regardless of the options available for weight loss, there are things to check while choosing weight loss. You have to change your lifestyle so that the weight you lost doesn’t come creeping back on.

Weight loss surgeries are typically performed when you have lost some pounds rather than when you are at your highest weight. Many patients eat obsessively before the procedure, thinking that they might not eat again after the procedure. However, this is not true. You can eat, but not as much.

Regardless of your reasons for choosing to lose weight, it is always the healthier way to go. Contact us today if you need to schedule an appointment.