What Do You Look For in a Family Practice Doctor?

When it comes to the health of your family, you want to find a doctor that you and your children can relate, find comfort in and who you trust. Many times we use a physician that is recommended by friends or family. The health care field benefits a great deal from word of mouth advertising. After all, you are more likely to go see a doctor that your friends or family would use for their children.

Using Outside Sources:

You may want to use a search engine like Google or Bing to locate the closest physician to your home. The maps feature will give you the closest office to your location and give you some additional information on the doctor. From there you can move on to their website or read some online reviews. While this method is easy to use and helpful when finding the locations of doctors in your area, you will still have to visit the office and meet with the doctor before you should make a decision.

When you are reading online reviews take each review with a grain of salt. Online reviews are not always the most reliable sources of information. Competitors have the ability to write bad reviews so take that into consideration.

Comparing Local Doctors:

Compare your current family practice doctor with a physician that your friends or family see. Ask them questions and get their honest opinion. They will likely be your most reliable source of information. Consider what you believe to be important in your family doctor. Do you want a doctor who is humorous or more serious? Older vs. younger? Is the staff friendly? Waiting room tidy? If necessary make a list of pros and cons when you are making the comparison.

In closing, when you find a doctor that you and your family like let everyone know about it. The best thing you can do to repay the doctor that is providing your family with the health and happiness they desire is to send more patients his way.

Finding a Pediatrician in Collin County

There are so many pediatricians and family doctors in the Collin County area that finding the right one for your family could be a tough decision. When you are seeking a new doctor it is always a good idea to ask your friends and neighbors for advice to see what doctor they see.

If you've been researching pediatricians in the Plano area you have come across Forest Lane Pediatrics, don't let the street name fool you because they have an office right here in Plano. Dr. Mitchell and his friendly staff focus on patient oriented care and establishing a rapport with families while they are in his office.

Being able to rely on your pediatrician to help your children to stay healthy is an important role and the doctors at Forest Lane pediatrics are just the pediatricians for that role.

What Does a Family Practice Physician Mean?

You may have heard the term, family practice physician before but what exactly does a family practice physician do?

A family practice doctor must successfully complete an accredited three-year family medicine residency in the United States in addition to their medical degree. The benefit to using a family practice doctor is that they deliver a wide range of acute, chronic and preventive medical care services, as well as, diagnosing and treating illness. One of the biggest jobs of a family doctor is to provide preventive care in the form of routine checkups, health-risk assessments, immunization and screening tests. Many physicians will offer guidance on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Family physicians also manage chronic illness and often coordinate their health care plans with other specialists.

One such chronic illness that requires the care of a family practice doctor is diabetic care. Diabetes is an affliction that requires monitoring of your insulin levels and may require a special diet.

Spring is Almost Here

Spring is one of the best times of the year. You begin to thaw out from the winter chill and begin to spend more time outdoors. With warmer weather, you children will also be outdoors more often. Below are a few things to keep in mind when your children are outdoors.

1. Remember the sunblock. Even on cloudy days children are susceptible to sunburns. Anytime your children will be spending an extended period of time outdoors make sure they are protected from the sun.

2. If they are playing sports or other outdoor activities make sure they have enough water to stay hydrated. Things like heat stoke and dehydration can occur quickly so make sure they are drinking enough fluids to stay hydrated.

3. Last, go over the safety rules with children again to refresh their memories. Talk about things like bike safety, what they should do in potentially dangerous situations, remind them about talking with strangers and looking both ways before crossing the street. It never hurts to go over bike and street safety rules again.

For more tips, visit Plano Pediatricians and read our helpful pediatrician blog.

Preventative Medicine: Avoiding Cold and Flu season

Late fall and early winter is the time when you may start to feel a cold or flu coming on. But there are a few tips to avoiding illness during cold and flu season. There are simple things you can do to prevent a cold or flu before it even starts. Things like upping your Vitamin C intake to moving your toothbrush. Follow these simple tips and you may be able to steer clear of a cold or flu.

The first thing you can do and the best way to prevent a cold or flu is to get yourself vaccinated. Anyone who will be in children should absolutely get an influenza vaccine.

If you do feel like you are beginning to feel sick, don't go to work. You are sick, you don't need to get your entire department sick along with you. You need to be resting to get over your illness. If you must go in, quarantine yourself in your office and e-mail people rather than meet them face-to-face.

Another simple tip that can keep you from becoming ill is to wash your hands before you eat. Remember that germs can live on surfaces for up to 36 hours. Before you dig into your lunch, take a few minutes and wash your hands for at least at minute with hot water.

Stop touching your face. Your eyes, nose and mouth are all open to bacteria and when you touch your face you may be introducing bacteria directly into your system.

Keep an eye on your toothbrush. If you live with children or have other housemates, check your toothbrush. If you keep your toothbrush in a communal area make sure the bristles of your brush are not touching any others or move your toothbrush to another location. Think about it. You use your toothbrush daily and germs could be directly introduced to your system through your mouth! If you are just getting over an illness, put your toothbrush through a cycle in the dishwasher to sanitize it or throw your old brush away and purchase a new one.

Lastly, do not cough or sneeze into your hand. You may think that covering your mouth with your hand when you have to cough or sneeze is good manners, but it actually the easiest way to spread your germs to other people. Try coughing or sneezing into a tissue that you will throw away or try coughing or sneezing into your elbow instead of your hand.

Follow these simple tips and you can increase your chances of avoiding illness during this cold and flu season.

If you begin to feel sick, visit your local Plano, TX pediatricians at Forest Lane Pediatrics.

Fall is Cold and Flu Season

When the weather starts getting colder kids start to get sick. It is just a fact of life. But there are ways to prevent some illnesses before they even start. Here are a few reminders of ways to keep your children out of the doctors office.

First, make sure your children are dressed appropriately when they are outdoors. Make them wear a hat when the weather gets colder. Something like 80% of body heat escapes from the head. Next, make sure your children wash their hands when they get home from school, before dinner, etc. By washing their hands they will remove any potential germs they may have contracted. Third, give your children vitamins and orange juice. Vitamin C can prevent a cold before it gets started. Lastly, make sure your children are getting a good nights sleep. Rest can do wonders and allows the body to repair and recover.

If your children do become ill do not wait, make a call to your Plano pediatrician and schedule a visit sooner rather than later.

Forest Lane Pediatrics: About the Practice

Forest Lane Pediatrics is a full-service pediatric office offering newborn care, routine well-child care, comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, and newborn circumcisions for the families of the greater Dallas area. We have grown out of a desire to be the best pediatric practice in Dallas, Plano, and Frisco. We can coordinate care for the most medically-complicated child, and we love helping first-time parents, too. We strive to provide outstanding pediatric care for the families of Dallas. Forest Lane Pediatrics strives to be the best Pediatrician in Plano, TX and Dallas, TX

Congratulations to Dr. Ron Blair -- a three-time selection by D Magazine as one of the best pediatricians in Dallas.

Congratulations also to Dr. Chris Straughn -- selected as the Section Chief for the Department of Pediatrics of Medical City Dallas Hospital.