Medical Services

What is pediatrics?

Pediatrics is the branch of medicine that focuses on babies, children, and adolescents up to age 18. Small, growing bodies are different to treat than adult bodies, so they require specially trained care.

Pediatrics doesn’t only focus on keeping children healthy and treating them when they’re sick or injured; it also focuses on making sure your child is developing at a healthy rate. Each visit to your child’s  physician is an opportunity for you to ask questions and receive guidance for keeping them healthy.

How can I keep up on my child’s pediatric care?

Staying current on your child’s physician care is important, and there are a few things you need to be sure to do. You’ll need to bring your baby in for check-ups at least six times throughout their first year of life. Between ages 1 and 3, your child needs check-ups every 3-6 months. After that, once a year is enough.

Dr. Walker offers vaccines for children to prevent serious illnesses that would require lots of care and time away from school and play. Away from the office, you should keep an eye on your child’s eating and sleeping habits as well as their physical, emotional, and social development. The more information Dr. Walker has about your child, the better he can treat and interact with them.

Keeping up on pediatric care is an essential part of your child’s healthy development. For expert, compassionate pediatrics, call Dr. Walker or book your appointment online today.

What conditions are specific to women’s health?

Women have unique health challenges that require specific knowledge about their physiology.Conditions specific to women include:

• Menstruation
• Menopause
• Ovarian cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Female Exams 
• Birth-Control 
• Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement 
• Skin Care

Other conditions affect women differently than men and therefore require different management strategies. They include:

• Breast cancer
• Urinary tract infections
• Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
• Mental health
• Heart disease

Women’s health exams include pap smears, as well as screening for several of these conditions and others not listed. It’s vital for you to check in with Dr. Walker regularly to keep up on your health.

When should I get a women’s health screening?

You should get your first women’s health exam, often called a well woman screening. It’s a great opportunity for you to ask any questions that you have about puberty and other sexual health topics.

Starting at age 21, you should start getting an exam annually. Your exam may begin to include additional tests and screenings at different milestones in your life. For example, you’ll start getting annual mammograms (breast cancer test) around age 40.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by consistently high levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood. If you have diabetes, your body has trouble processing and using all of the sugar from your diet. If you don’t manage the disease, it puts you at a higher risk for serious health complications like heart attacks, strokes, nerve damage, and even dental diseases.

There are several types of diabetes. Your type depends on the cause of your high blood sugar levels, and treatments vary between the types.

How is diabetes treated?

Anyone with Type 1 diabetes and some patients with Type 2 diabetes needs to take insulin to keep their blood sugar levels within a normal range. You’ll also need to regularly check your blood sugar levels with a home test kit. There are several other medications that Dr. Walker may prescribe for you to manage your blood sugar, too.

If you have Type 2, Dr. Walker may also recommend that you change your diet and get some exercise throughout the week. He gives you nutritional counseling to help manage your blood sugar and weight. 

If you need expert diabetic education and treatments for any type of diabetes, call Dr. Walker or schedule your appointment online today.

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, develops when your blood puts too much force on the walls of your blood vessels. Over time, this weakens your circulatory system and puts stress on your heart. The tissues on the walls of your blood vessels become damaged, putting you at risk for many dangerous conditions and diseases.

Your blood pressure is signified by one number over another. The top number, the systolic reading, indicates the pressure of your blood against your vessel walls as your heart pumps, and the bottom number, the diastolic reading, indicates the pressure between beats. Ideally, your number should read 120/80. Numbers higher than 130/80 indicate that you should make some lifestyle changes to preserve your health.

What causes high blood pressure?

There are many different causes of high blood pressure. If your diet is full of bad cholesterol, the cholesterol builds up on your blood vessel walls in the form of a substance called plaque. Plaque buildup narrows your blood vessels, which raises your blood pressure.

High blood pressure can be a symptom of another disease or condition, called secondary high blood pressure, or it can develop without an identifiable cause over time (primary high blood pressure). Common causes and risk factors for high blood pressure are:

• Stress
• Age
• Kidney disease
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Lack of exercise
• Alcohol and tobacco use

Dr. Walker recommends lifestyle changes that can help you keep healthy blood pressure. If your blood pressure is high, he creates a personalized treatment plan to help you manage it.

During your regular physical exams, Dr. Walker notes your weight. If he feels that you would benefit from losing weight, he helps you explore your options for weight loss. Typically, a determining factor in the need for weight loss is your body mass index (BMI), a number calculated using your weight and height.

If your weight is affecting your self-esteem, you may want to explore your weight loss options. Even if you aren’t overweight or obese, Dr. Walker can give you tips for how to live a healthier lifestyle.