In the continuing wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it can feel like your general health needs to move aside to prioritize COVID-19 protocols.

In fact, a combination of telehealth options as well as in-person visits (choreographed entirely to protect your health and safety) are essential to ensure you keep yourself healthy through COVID-19 and beyond.

Check Your Health Care Providers’ Websites for Updated Information

The good news is that everyone from general physicians, OB/GYNs and fertility specialists, to dentists and eye doctors are open for business because we know that our patients general health is essential to their specialty health.

Visit your health care providers’ websites to keep informed regarding their current COVID protocols and preferred methods of contact, care, and treatment. You can also give them a call. The combination of masks, frequent handwashing, and maintaining 6-feet of social distancing are extremely effective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

If you are concerned or have an immunologic or health condition that puts you at greater risk, your doctors may opt to use HIPAA-compliant telehealth software or other options to prioritize your health during your visit.

Prioritize Emergencies and Honor Your Symptoms

The medical community is concerned about the lack of people visiting emergency rooms and urgent care departments. In their efforts to save space for potential COVID patients, many well-meaning people are ignoring symptoms of serious health conditions – particularly heart attacks and strokes – because they are afraid of being a nuisance.

However, the nation’s medical facilities are well-equipped to handle patients as necessary and can always direct you elsewhere if they are overcrowded or feel your health may be compromised. In the meantime, ignoring potential medical emergencies is never the solution. Call 9-1-1 or your insurance/medical provider’s 24-hour nurse line anytime you are worried or concerned about your own health or that of a loved one, so you get the timely care you deserve.

We promise you your local emergency departments (EDs) and urgent care facilities are diligent about protecting their patients and their staff from contracting or spreading COVID and your care will not suffer in the least as a result of our current health crisis.

Keep Up with Regularly Scheduled Appointments

Skipping regularly scheduled appointments can do more harm than good. In the case of fertility treatments cycles and timing of medications and other treatments are essential to give you the best chances of success.

Similarly, your general health and wellbeing depends on regular visits with your physicians. Proactive healthcare is proven to catch potential issues before they develop into more serious conditions with potentially fatal results.

Take Care of Yourself and Your Fertility

This is a stressful time for everyone, and that is especially true for our patients who are already coping with the stress of infertility. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend visiting our post, Coping With Infertility During the COVID-19 Crisis, which is full of good tips for keeping yourself healthy and sane in these baffling times.

As you can imagine, the more physically and emotionally well you are, the healthier you are in general and the less susceptible you will be to the coronavirus or other health conditions. Remember to:

• Eat well, concentrating on healthy meals that include lots of lean protein, colorful veggies and fruits, as well as whole grains
• Exercise regularly (at least 30 minutes per day, at least five days per week)
• Get outside as often as you can to enjoy Mother Nature and benefit from the sun’s natural doses of vitamin D (an excellent anti-inflammatory and immunity booster)
• Maintain healthy sleep habits

The team here at Fertility Solutions is so happy to see our patients in person on a regular basis – even behind the masks! Contact us to schedule an appointment or to discuss any concerns you may have about keeping yourself healthy during COVID-19 so we can help put your fears to rest.

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