Preventive medicine or preventive health care consists of measures taken to prevent diseases, (or injuries) rather than curing them or treating their symptoms. This contrasts in method with curative and palliative medicine, and in scope with public health methods (which work at the level of population health rather than individual health). Occupational medicine operates very often within the preventive medicine.

Prophylaxis

Prophylaxis is any medical or public health procedure whose purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure a disease. In general terms, prophylactic measures are divided between primary prophylaxis (to prevent the development of a disease) and secondary prophylaxis (whereby the disease has already developed and the patient is protected against worsening of this process).

Examples

Some specific examples of prophylaxis include:

·Many vaccines are prophylactic, vaccines such as polio vaccine, smallpox vaccine, measles vaccine, influenza vaccine, mumps vaccine and others have greatly reduced many childhood diseases.

· Birth control methods are used to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Condoms, for instance, are sometimes euphemistically referred to as "prophylactics" because of their use to prevent pregnancy as well as the transmission of sexually transmitted infections.

· Daily and moderate physical exercise in various forms can be called prophylactic because it can maintain or improve one's health. Cycling for transport appears to very significantly improve health by reducing risk of heart diseases, various cancers, muscular- and skeletal diseases, and overall mortality.

· Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables each day may be prophylactic. It may reduce the risk of heart disease.

· Fluoride therapy and tooth cleaning, either at home or by a professional, are parts of dental prophylaxis or oral prophylaxis.

· Antibiotics are sometimes used prophylactically: For example, during the 2001 anthrax attacks scare in the United States, patients believed to be exposed were given ciprofloxacin. 

In similar manner, the use of antibiotic ointments on burns and other wounds is prophylactic. 

Antibiotics are also given prophylactically just before some medical procedures such as pacemaker

insertion.

· Risk reducing or prophylactic mastectomies may be carried out for carriers of the BRCA (Breast Cancer) mutation gene to minimize the risk of developing breast cancer.

· Early and exclusive breastfeeding provides immunological protection against infectious diseases and well as reduced risk of chronic diseases for both mother and child.

2. A patient is probably sick, write the symptoms and give advices.  (Use SHOULD, MUST, WHY DON’T YOU…, or to HAVE to give advices)

Ex. A. Mary has a headache. Maybe she should take an aspirin.

  B. My brothers have the mumps. They have to go to the doctor.