The COVID situation has impacted just about every aspect of our lives, from grocery shopping to maintaining relationships with family and friends. These challenges and uncertainties may also extend to decisions on how to handle routine health care needs like dentist appointments and medical checkups. Not to mention more serious issues that may arise.

In the earlier stages of the pandemic, it was recommended that physicians and hospitals limit or delay non-emergency and elective procedures to ensure capacity for handling an unknown potential volume of COVID cases.

On the other hand, people have been fearful about visiting healthcare providers and becoming exposed to the virus. The trend has even extended to emergency room visits for urgent care. The unfortunate result is that many people may be putting off attention to conditions that should be monitored or treated.

So what should we be doing to help ensure our long-term health in the midst of this crisis? Should we stay away overall? Should we skip regularly scheduled appointments?

As always, the first step should be consulting your personal or family doctor. They are familiar with your history and can guide you on how best to handle your current needs. If you are under a specialist’s care, you should stay in touch with that individual as well. Keep in mind that those contacts can be made by phone or computer before making a commitment to a visiting an office or lab. These professionals will also be familiar with any state guidelines, as well their own requirements for in-person contacts.

Let’s take a look at some specific examples that can apply to people of all ages:

Emergency Room

Don’t delay in taking action if the situation involves serious issues such as intense pain, an acute injury, heart attack, mild stroke or a condition such as appendicitis. These are health issues that could be life threatening or result in serious harm if not addressed quickly.

Call the Doctor

Less severe, yet important, conditions that may require contact with your doctor include abnormal swelling in the limbs, abdominal pain, unusual lumps or sudden gain in weight. Another reason would be the development of new or worse symptoms from existing conditions related to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart or kidney disease, recurring skin cancer, etc. Maintaining prenatal treatment as well as treatment for allergies, asthma and immunizations (for young and old) is also important. Adequately monitoring these kinds of conditions may require an in-person visit preceded by a phone consultation.

Telemedicine

This approach to streamlining care has been gaining ground as a way to increase access to health care and help reduce overall costs. It can be a great way to provide information and personal data prior to a visit as well as discussing any developments of concern. This approach can be especially helpful in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Home equipment like blood pressure cuffs, glucose monitors and weight scales are handy to have on hand. Mental health counseling sessions can also be conducted virtually.

Best Practices

When you do need to visit your doctor, dentist or hospital, there are a few things you should do. First of all, as we’ve said, call ahead and discuss the situation to determine the best way to proceed. Face coverings are recommended (or may be required) to protect yourself and others, as is frequent hand washing. Physical distancing will probably be required, too, which is a good thing.

You also may encounter some type of screening, such as taking your temperature or being asked some questions, when you arrive. Be aware of whether the caregivers in the facility are taking adequate precautions themselves. And don’t hesitate to ask questions of your own.

Overall, a good rule of thumb is to stay in contact with your physician or specialist to determine which issues can be addressed through “telehealth” and which are best handled through an office visit. That includes whether or not to postpone what would have been a recurring visit for, say, an annual physical exam or ongoing treatment schedule. Together, you can likely arrive at an approach that is effective, while reinforcing your individual comfort level.