General health and wellness questions versus specific health issues

Although many excellent health-and-wellness resources are available to help you learn more about certain conditions, when an urgent or emergency health issue occurs, it is best to immediately seek professional medical treatment at an urgent care or emergency facility, depending on the severity of the situation. Biologically, every person is unique, so general treatment advice that can be found online cannot take into account individual factors, such as medication use and chronic conditions.

When to seek medical attention?

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Body aches & fatigue
  • Sore throat
  • Sinus congestion or runny nose
  • Change in appetite or hydration status

Antibiotic Therapy

Antibiotics have been used since the 1940s and have greatly reduced illness and death from infectious diseases. However, the use of antibiotics for infection control requires careful consideration, education, and appropriate administration.

Here’s what you need to know about antibiotic stewardship and the appropriate use of antibiotics to manage infections.

 

What is antibiotic stewardship?

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), antibiotic stewardship is the effort to measure and improve how antibiotics are prescribed by clinicians and used by patients. It’s among the current hot topics we’re hearing about from experts, colleagues, and even politicians.

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance is a serious public health concern that affects patient care, safety, and healthcare costs; it’s driven by the inappropriate use of antibiotics in humans, animals, and agriculture. Antibiotic resistance resulting from the inappropriate prescribing and use of antibiotics needs to be addressed in all medical settings, including urgent care clinics.

Why does this matter to you?

Drug resistance occurs when microbes survive and grow in the presence of a drug that normally kills or inhibits their growth, which means that the current antibiotics are not as effective and will not work as well, not just for the individual patient, but for all patients. Antimicrobial resistance is a growing health issue because more resistant microbes are being detected. This means that previously simple-to-treat infections may become untreatable.

What do healthcare professionals, patients, and their families need to know about antibiotic prescribing and use?

Antibiotics have transformed our ability to treat infections; however, they do not work against all infections, and they do not work as well as they once did against some infections. The CDC urges healthcare professionals, patients, and families to learn more about the prescribing of antibiotics and their use.

The CDC provides these seven facts you should know to Be Antibiotics Aware:

  1. Antibiotics save lives. When a patient needs antibiotics, the benefits outweigh the risks of side effects or antibiotic resistance.
  2. Antibiotics aren’t always the answer. Everyone can help improve antibiotic prescribing or use.
  3. Antibiotics do not work on viruses, such as colds and flu, or runny noses, even if the mucus is thick, yellow, or green.
  4. Antibiotics are only needed for treating certain infections caused by bacteria. Antibiotics also won’t help some common bacterial infections including most cases of bronchitis, many sinus infections, and some ear infections.

5. An antibiotic will not make you feel better if you have a virus. Respiratory viruses usually go away in a week or two without treatment.

6. Ask your healthcare professional about the best way to feel better while your body fights off the virus.

7. Taking antibiotics creates resistant bacteria. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.

8. If you need antibiotics, take them exactly as prescribed. Talk with your doctor if you have any questions about your antibiotics, or if you develop any side effects, especially diarrhea, since that could be a C. difficile (C. diff) infection, which needs to be treated right away.

How do patients know when antibiotics are and aren’t needed for common infections?

Common infections, whether caused by bacteria or viruses, are often painful and can get in the way of our well-being and everyday lives. Your healthcare professional is the best resource to advise whether or not a specific condition needs an antibiotic.

Bronchitis: Antibiotics are not indicated to treat acute bronchitis (chest colds), which is rarely caused by bacteria. They may only be indicated by your healthcare professional when appropriate for chronic bronchial conditions.

Common cold & runny nose: Antibiotics cannot cure a cold, but your healthcare professional may prescribe other appropriate medicine to treat your condition. More than 200 viruses can cause the common cold, and antibiotics do not work against these viruses.

Ear infection: Antibiotics can help some ear infections, but only your healthcare provider can tell you when it’s appropriate to treat your condition with an antibiotic.

Influenza (flu): Antiviral drugs, not antibiotics, are used to fight the flu viruses in your body.

Sinus infection (sinusitis): Sometimes antibiotics may be needed if your sinus infection is bacterial. Once your healthcare professional evaluates you, they can determine the best course of action.

Sore throat: A sore throat almost always gets better on its own without antibiotics.

Urinary tract infection (UTI): Bacteria are often the cause of bladder, kidney, and other UTIs, and antibiotic treatment is usually helpful in treating a bacterial infection. Your healthcare professional will be able to determine if you have a UTI and whether antibiotic treatment is appropriate.

Antibiotics cannot treat infections caused by viruses; symptomatic treatment is recommended.

Preventive healthcare

Daily hygiene, exercise, and a balanced diet are the keys to good health. But preventive healthcare is not limited to the body. The mind must be constantly stimulated with information and challenges, such as memory games, reading, and problem-solving.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) outlines healthy eating, physical activity, taking personal health precautions,

managing stress, and seeing a healthcare provider as the baseline steps for a healthy life (www.cdc.gov). By following these guidelines for good health, you will become actively involved in preventive healthcare, which can reduce the number—and costs—of visits to your doctor or emergency room.

Eating habits

Of your three meals each day, breakfast should be the most substantial and dinner the lightest. This allows the body to properly digest and use this nutrition before you sleep, and prevents the body from storing it, which can lead to unhealthy weight gain. The United

States Department of Agriculture has developed a MyPlate guide for all the categories recommended for daily eating (http://www.choosemyplate.gov/).

Sleep

Sleep is an important part of our health and wellness, and a major factor in preventive healthcare. Maintaining a consistent schedule for when you go to bed and wake up trains your body and results in a more restful, fulfilling night’s sleep. Adults should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, but teenagers and children need more sleep as part of their

normal growth and development. Eating habits, exercise, and the quality of sleep are interconnected (see “Eating habits” and “Exercise” below). Studies show that eating just before sleeping prevents restful sleep, because your digestive system continues to work and process food.

Your healthcare provider should listen

When seeing any healthcare provider, make sure they understand the details related to your visit. Give them a full understanding of what you are feeling, for how long, and all the events leading up to

your medical condition. The healthcare provider should always spend time asking you questions of this nature.

Reliable Resources

Some of our reliable references if you are  seeking medical information:

Mayo Clinic: The Mayo Clinic website provides comprehensive and reliable information on various medical conditions, including acute illnesses commonly seen in urgent care settings. Their articles are written and reviewed by medical professionals.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The CDC website offers information on a wide range of health topics, including infectious diseases, flu, and other acute illnesses. You can find helpful resources, fact sheets, and guidelines.

American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP): The AAFP website provides patient-friendly resources and fact sheets on common acute illnesses, along with tips for managing symptoms and when to seek medical care.

First aid

Taking a first-aid course is an excellent way to protect you and your family if a sudden event threatens your health. Being prepared and knowing the actions to take in a medical first-aid situation can affect the outcome of the situation, and provide precious minutes to provide help until you can get the individual to a medical facility for

professional treatment. For example, if the signs of breathing distress occur, being trained in CPR and knowing how to administer it, along with having directions to the nearest emergency department, could save a life.

Keep emergency phone numbers handy

One in five Americans has a mobile phone, and although they are a great place to store your emergency phone numbers, it is important to have a hard copy prominently placed in your home, should you or your family members not have use of a mobile phone. Your refrigerator door, bulletin board, or another frequently used access point are great places to keep emergency phone numbers, including

the local fire department, police, urgent care, ER, and poison control. If you don’t have a landline, prepare for the possibility of a mobile phone not being available in an emergency, and plan to go to a trusted neighbor’s home to call, or have a pay-as-you-go mobile phone stored in a convenient place in your home.

Physicals

Your annual physical will give a superficial indication of your health and allow you and your doctor to discuss any other health-related concerns or questions. Changes in lifestyle, activities, and environment can change the state of your health from year to year.

Your annual physical provides an opportunity to discuss any minor, but chronic, conditions and determine if they could become more serious, or whether treatment is needed.

Exercise

Regular physical activity, specifically cardiovascular exercise, conditions and strengthens muscles. When muscles are not regularly challenged and used, muscular atrophy—the wasting away of muscle—occurs over time. Exercise also has other health-and-wellness

benefits: it contributes to your body’s ability to regulate your hypothalamus, which controls hunger, fatigue, and the quality of your sleep. Exercise also has positive effects on body weight, the heart, and many other organs.

Hypertension

What is high blood pressure?

Blood pressure is the force exerted on the vessel walls when your heart pushes blood through your arteries and veins. When your blood pressure is measured, there are two numbers that come up: diastolic and systolic. A blood pressure chart shows you whether these numbers indicate low, normal, or high blood pressure. In most patients, there are no high blood pressure symptoms and few low blood pressure symptoms.

What is considered high blood pressure?

If your blood pressure readings are regularly above 120/80, you have risk factors for developing hypertension. The blood pressure range of 120–139 and/or 80-89 is considered prehypertension; 140–159 and/or 90–99 is stage 1 hypertension; and 160–179 and/or 100–110 is stage 2 hypertension. Blood pressure numbers any higher than that may be a hypertensive crisis, and require immediate medical attention.

What are the signs of high blood pressure?

In general, high blood pressure does not have any symptoms. It can be present for a very long time before it is caught, or before a person will seek treatment. Untreated hypertension is the number-one risk factor for heart disease, which may lead to heart attack, sudden death, heart failure, strokes, or kidney failure. Regular physical checkups can diagnose hypertension early. Your FastMed care provider will typically test your blood pressure when you come in for care. In order to have your blood pressure evaluated at FastMed, the patient must complete an office visit.

What causes high blood pressure?

Many different factors often combine to cause hypertension. Some of these factors are preventable, and some are not. The non-preventable causes include genetics, race, gender, and age. For example, hypertension is twice as likely to occur in an individual who has one, or both, parents with hypertension. High blood pressure is more likely and is often more severe in African-Americans. Males are more likely than females to develop hypertension, and increased age is also a risk factor.

 

There are many other factors that are completely preventable. These include obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, physical inactivity, and a high-salt diet. Smoking and alcohol cause the blood vessels to constrict or become smaller, causing the pressure to increase. High-salt diets cause water retention, which increases the volume of the blood that moves through the body, which increases the pressure. Obesity causes hypertension in many ways; it increases the surface area over which the blood must circulate, causing the heart to work more strenuously.

 

Hypotension, or low blood pressure, is also a medical condition. A blood pressure reading of less than 90/60 indicates hypotension. Though it is usually not regarded as a serious problem, it can cause dizziness, nausea, fatigue, fainting, blurred vision, and other symptoms. Chronic hypotension can also be a sign of more serious medical conditions. If you are concerned about your low blood pressure symptoms or readings, talk to your healthcare provider.

How to reduce high blood pressure

There are many blood pressure medicines available. Your healthcare provider can prescribe one that will work for you. There are many classes of blood pressure medications; while the first medication you try may cause unwanted side effects or may not be effective, there are others that may work better for you. Your healthcare provider will listen to your feedback and will work with you to find the best medication. Clearly, adopting a healthier lifestyle is also very important to high blood pressure management. Some of these lifestyle changes are harder than others, but they all will make a positive difference.

Stop smoking, limit alcohol intake

Smoking is a major contributor to high blood pressure and a number of other health conditions. Cessation should be an immediate priority when you are being treated for high blood pressure. Reducing or eliminating your alcohol intake can also help you lower blood pressure.

Diet

For patients with high blood pressure, diet adjustments are necessary. One of the best courses of action is to decrease your intake of salty and heavily processed foods. The addition of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts, and the elimination of sugary foods and beverages, will make a positive impact on your blood pressure, and your overall health.

Weight loss

Along with dietary changes, weight loss is one of the best ways to manage high blood pressure. For every pound lost, there is an average decrease of about one point in your blood pressure. So, even just a five-pound weight loss can mean a huge difference in blood pressure. *Ask us about our weight loss programs!

Exercise

Independent from weight loss, exercise is another great tool for managing hypertension. Forty minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times per week can reduce blood pressure by up to six points. Incorporating weight training can drop it three more points.

Where can you get your blood pressure tested?

You can get a quick and accurate blood pressure test at FastMed. Our experienced healthcare professionals will perform the test and make recommendations based on the number. High blood pressure and low blood pressure are both very manageable, and early detection is key.

* The content presented on this page is not intended to diagnose health problems or take the place of professional medical care.