Blog Archive
Your physical exam establishes your health baseline. It offers you peace of mind about potential health concerns and is a safe space to ask any nagging questions and make sure you’re on the right path regarding your well-being. Preventive care is always the best idea. After your physical exam, you...
Asthma is a lifelong condition that can have life-threatening consequences if not properly managed. At Healthy Life Family Medicine, John Monroe, MD and his team offer a wide range of asthma treatments and customized prevention plans to lower your risk for asthma attacks. We also continue to monitor your health...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that nearly half of all American adults have high blood pressure (hypertension). Blood pressure refers to the force exerted by blood against the walls of arteries as it travels from the heart to various parts of the body. This pressure naturally fluctuates...
Women have unique health concerns. Physical, biological, and genetic differences mean that women face different health challenges and experience some of the same challenges differently than men. One health concern that’s particularly common for women is chronic pain. Women are not only more likely to experience chronic pain than men,...
Vaccines are a ritual of childhood, and for good reason: They play a key role in helping your child avoid serious diseases and the deadly complications they can cause. Still, many parents are confused about the vaccine process — why these shots are important, and which ones their child needs....
Hypertension affects about half of all American women and men, according to the CDC. That means they’re also at risk of blood pressure-related complications like kidney disease, heart attack, and stroke. Hypertension is treatable but ideally prevented in the first place. The good news is many people can maintain a...
Maintaining a healthy weight is a struggle many people are familiar with. In the United States alone, the weight loss industry is worth $66 billion, yet something isn’t working. Americans want to lose weight, but many fail to do so. It’s estimated that 160 million Americans are overweight or obese....
Fall is a time for cooler weather, changing colors, and the beginning of school. It is also the time for everyone to be on the lookout for the viruses common to the season, as allergies, colds, flu, bronchitis, and a number of other illnesses become more of a problem. The...
A sore throat is never fun, yet it usually resolves with at-home care. But not all sore throats go away on their own, and some may lead to serious health complications if left untreated. How do you know when it’s time to see a medical professional for your sore throat?...
If you have chronic joint pain, you’re not alone. Nearly 1 in 4 people in the United States have stiffness and pain in their joints that limit their leisure and work activities. Ongoing pain in your knee, hip, or shoulder can make daily tasks, like putting away groceries or getting...
Over 80% of children have an ear infection by age three. Middle ear infections (otitis media) are common, but they also carry the risk of long-term issues. Many ear infections resolve independently but can spread and cause serious problems, including hearing loss. Dr. John Monroe and our team here at...
Each day, the average human produces anywhere from 800 to 2,000 milliliters of urine, which is about 27 to 67 ounces. While urine may be a waste byproduct, it can reveal quite a bit about what’s going on inside your body. As a diagnostic tool, the team here at Healthy...
Did you know that COPD is a serious pulmonary disorder that, when not controlled, can be deadly? In fact, COPD is the third leading cause of death by disease in the United States. At At Healthy Life Family Medicine, Dr. John Monroe, MD, and his team in Goodyear, Arizona, offer...
Blood pressure refers to the internal force that your blood exerts on your blood vessels as it travels through your body. When this force measures above the normal range, it indicates high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. High blood pressure is a dangerous condition that can lead to heart...
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered dramatic changes throughout everyday life — and in the medical community as well. Not only are providers across the country postponing elective procedures, but many are also encouraging people to avoid in-office appointments to reduce their risk of exposure to this highly contagious coronavirus.But what...
Nearly three-quarters of older Americans struggle with joint pain, including millions of people with arthritis. At Healthy Life Family Medicine, John Monroe, MD, and his team help patients in Goodyear, Arizona, improve joint health and prevent joint pain with tailored medical treatment and lifestyle guidance based on each patient’s needs....
You know you need to lose weight. Carrying around extra pounds is uncomfortable and unhealthy. What you may not know is that losing weight could be the best treatment for your sciatica. Dr. John Monroe and our Healthy Life Family Medicine team in Goodyear, Arizona, understand the link between your...
Making an appointment for a tetanus booster vaccine can seem easy to put off. That tetanus shot you had years ago probably has you covered, right? You might not be as safe as you think. Tetanus boosters require an update every 10 years, maybe sooner if you suffer a contaminated...
November is National Diabetes Month, so what better time to focus our attention on helping those with diabetes reduce their risk of serious health complications? John Monroe, MD, and our talented team at Healthy Life Family Medicine in Goodyear, Arizona, want to help everyone living with diabetes get the care...
Routine physical exams are an essential step in maintaining good health and preventing chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. During an annual physical at Healthy Life Family Medicine in Goodyear, Arizona, founder and board-certified family physician John Monroe, MD, evaluates your overall health and well-being so he...
Nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. That amounts to about 120 million American adults. Because high blood pressure is often asymptomatic, it’s known as the silent killer and contributed to about 700,000 deaths in America in 2021 alone. Read on as board-certified family physician John Monroe,...
About 60% of Americans have at least one chronic disease or condition, like diabetes, heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, asthma, and arthritis, leading causes of death in the United States. Chronic diseases can take a toll on us physically and emotionally. Without proper care, they can cause serious — even life-threatening...
Before you can be diagnosed with the metabolic disorder of Type 2 diabetes, you’ll first have a condition called prediabetes, when blood glucose levels are elevated, but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. You’d have plenty of company at that stage. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 96...
Have you ever seen a pregnant woman with her hand on her lower back as she moves? Pregnancy commonly causes discomfort, aches, and pains, particularly during the second and third trimester. Board-certified physician John Monroe, MD, at Healthy Life Family Medicine, encourages his pregnant patients to understand their risk for joint pain and offers...
Almost half of American adults have high blood pressure or hypertension, yet less than a quarter have their condition under control. That means more than 115 million men and women are at increased risk of serious complications, like heart disease, heart attack, stroke, vision loss, kidney failure, and dementia. While...
Throughout your life, your primary care provider is there to provide detailed evaluations and ongoing support for your health. They evaluate you when you’re sick and healthy, learning more about your health and habits with every visit. A family practitioner is an excellent choice of primary care provider because they’re...
Around 16 million adults in the United States report chronic back pain that limits their activity levels and can be a frequent cause of missed work and troubled sleep. Managing your back pain may or may not involve clinical care, and the first recommendations for treatment are usually lifestyle changes...
Physical exams typically focus on your health and wellness, aiming to prevent future illness and monitoring past problems or existing conditions. A common part of your exam includes a blood draw. Various tests can be run on your blood sample, usually focusing on aspects of health relevant to you but...
From sprains, strains, and injuries to herniated discs, sciatica, and spinal stenosis, your back faces all sorts of pain sources. And with all those potential problems just waiting to attack, it’s no wonder back pain is the top cause of disability around the world, responsible for 264 million missed work...
A multiple sclerosis diagnosis will change your life, and you likely won’t be sure what to think. Numerous questions will come up, like, “Will my life be shorter?” “Can I still live a normal life?” “What changes will be necessary?” All these and more are questions you will want to...
Children pass through many health hurdles for the first several years of their lives, such as colds, growing teeth, and ear infections. About 50% of infants will have at least one ear infection before their second birthday. Since communicating the issue is difficult for infants, it comes down to recognizing the signs...
Pain in your back can have a number of different causes, including nerve irritation. One of the biggest nerves that’s affected in your back is known as your sciatic nerve. When it becomes irritated, the pain in your back and legs is intense and sometimes debilitating. Getting treatment can help you...
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in men. It doesn’t have noticeable warning signs, but it can be detected with a simple prostate exam and blood test. The earlier cancer is identified, the easier treatment will be. Prostate exams are an effective method of screening for prostate cancer, and...
About one in three adults in the United States have high blood pressure, or hypertension - that’s about 75 million adults. The problem is that many people don’t even know they have the condition, which is sometimes called the “silent killer” because there are no warning signs or symptoms. If you have...
Type 2 diabetes is one of a few different types of the metabolic condition. It’s the most common type and is closely associated with lifestyle factors like your dietary choices and (lack of) exercise. Leading up to a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, your body becomes increasingly resistant to a hormone called insulin....
In any 30-day window, about one-third of Americans experience joint pain. Because this pain is so common, especially as you get older, far too many people dismiss it as a normal part of life. It’s not. Whether you’ve got pain in your knees, hips, hands, elbows, or somewhere else, you’re not stuck...
You may think of a Pap smear as just a quick swab that happens during a regular OB/GYN appointment, but when the results come back “abnormal,” the screening takes on a whole new importance. Pap smears give John Monroe, MD and the team at Healthy Life Family Medicine important information...
Diabetes is a modern-day health scourge that impacts millions of people each year. Most of the over 30 million diagnosed have type 2 diabetes, while another 84 million are considered prediabetic, or on the threshold of developing full-blown diabetes. There is good news — you do not have to become part of...
If you’re one of the 80 million Americans with high blood pressure, you’ve probably resolved to make positive health and wellness changes in the new year. John Monroe, MD, Natalie Lake, MD, and their expert team assist patients in the Goodyear, Arizona area to live healthy, full lives all year...
High blood pressure causes countless health complications. Whether yours stems from genetics, obesity, age, drug or alcohol use, or something else, you know that the consequences of high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, are heart disease, stroke, aneurysms, and other serious conditions. However, unlike so many health issues, you...
When you or a family member is sick or suffers an injury and needs immediate medical care, it’s not always easy to know if the emergency room (ER) or an acute care facility is the best place to go for help. At Healthy Life Family Medicine, our team of care...
The preventive power of vaccinations has been known for a long time. Accounts exist of crude attempts to protect people from disease by exposing them to just a bit of disease in this way that go as far back as the 11th century in China and India. Fast forward a...
Did you know that 34 million Americans have diabetes, but one in five has no idea? These numbers become even more troubling when you learn that an additional 88 million adults — or one in three — have prediabetes, but 84% don’t know it. Diabetes is a blood sugar disorder...
You can get a flu shot at any time of the year, but, in the fall, as flu begins to circulate more widely at the beginning of flu season, a flu shot is essential, especially for children and seniors. At Healthy Life Family Medicine in Goodyear, Arizona, our team, under...
When your body can’t handle sugar from your food and drink correctly, the condition is called diabetes. Most people who are diabetic have what is known as Type 2 diabetes, which usually shows up in adulthood and affects nearly 30 million Americans. Another 84 million have what is known as...
The Arthritis Foundation identifies more than 100 types of arthritis that affect the health and wellbeing of your joints. So, you might be safe in assuming it’s the cause of your aching joints. But what if it’s not? The team at Healthy Life Family Medicine provides the highest quality health...
Your spine has an amazingly important job to do. It provides structure, support, and flexibility to your body so you can bend and move freely. As you age, changes to your spine increase the risk for problems like a herniated disc, also called a slipped disc or bulging disc. A...
In the beginning, high blood pressure typically doesn’t express noticeable symptoms. As a result, almost half of United States adults have high blood pressure, and many don’t know they’re affected. If you’re at risk of developing high blood pressure, you can’t afford to wait until symptoms occur. Having high blood...
Fibromyalgia comes with a range of painful and debilitating symptoms, from chronic body aches to persistent fatigue. To live with fibromyalgia, you need to make adjustments to your habits and expectations. If you can find the right balance for your condition, you can manage to still live a full and...
Scientists have long known that there’s a link between obesity and diabetes. In fact, the term “diabesity” was coined to describe the situation. Some 80% of people with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are obese, and recent research has demonstrated evidence that obesity also affects Type 1 diabetes. To answer...
Vaccinations are an important part of your child’s medical needs. In the last century, childhood vaccinations have almost wiped out many serious and life-threatening diseases, like polio and measles. Early vaccination helps your child’s immune system develop and strengthen. The CDC recommends children start receiving vaccines in the first years...
Just as you might get an oil change before a road trip or schedule air conditioner maintenance for your home ahead of the hot summer months, your body also benefits from preventive care. And what better time to schedule a preventive physical examination than at the start of a new...
From diabetes and high blood pressure to Alzheimer’s and Parkinsons’ disease, chronic illnesses plague more than 133 million people throughout the United States. In addition to the pain and disabling aspect of an ongoing condition, managing your own care heaps stress and complications on top of an already challenging situation....
Hypertension, better known as high blood pressure, is an extremely common condition. An estimated 46% of American adults live with hypertension. Although 95% of cases of hypertension don’t have a known underlying cause, certain risk factors make it more likely that you’ll develop hypertension. While many of these factors can’t...
If you suffer from diabetes, you’re not alone. More than 34 million Americans have diabetes, a group of diseases that hinder the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. Diabetes requires careful management to prevent more serious health problems, including heart or kidney disease. The American Diabetes Association says more than...
A physical is a comprehensive exam that evaluates whole-body wellness. From weight to blood pressure, various screenings detect changes in your body that could compromise your health. If you’re feeling healthy, it’s easy to let scheduling your yearly physical slip to the back of your mind — but getting an...
Arthritis is one of the most common ailments among American adults. Over 20% (about 54 million people) suffer from some form of arthritis in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Arthritis can cause debilitating joint pain and is the leading cause of workplace...
Every year in the United States and around the world, millions of people are infected by the flu virus. In the US alone, the CDC estimates as many as 11% of people are infected with the flu each year — that’s more than 30 million people. In some people, influenza...
We hear it all the time: I’m getting older, so it’s normal to have aches and pains. But is it really? At Healthy Life Family Medicine, John Monroe, MD, and our team can help you understand what’s normal when it comes to your back pain and how to reduce your...
If you’re living with joint pain, you probably think about it throughout the day. It can be hard not to focus on how moving or putting weight on an affected joint brings you discomfort. When certain movements cause you pain, it’s tempting to reshape your life to avoid those things,...
Your hips are incredibly active joints and no strangers to the occasional ache and pain, especially as you get older. But searing pain in one of your hips may have nothing to do with your hip at all, but a pinched nerve root in your lower back. At Healthy Life...
Some 75 million adults in this country suffer from high blood pressure. What’s more, an estimated 13 million don’t know that they have the condition. Even though elusive symptoms can hinder the condition’s discovery, successful diagnosis and treatment of high blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, are not impossible....
Our bodies change a lot as we get older. We may lose tolerance for certain foods, experience higher blood pressure, or have difficulty controlling our blood sugar. For some of us, a change in diet or lifestyle is all it takes to alleviate these symptoms. For others, we could be...