We, at ImmediCenter Family Practice believe that preventive medicine is the best medicine. We are posting this Medical Index of Common Ailments to help you to decide if a call to your Doctor or Urgent Care Center is necessary.
If you are unsure, you can always call a medical professional at ImmediCenter and ask whether your symptoms need immediate medical attention.
Allergies (Hay Fever)
Allergies mostly occur in the spring and fall.
Symptoms include:
••••runny nose
••••congestion
••••sneezing
••••itchy and watery eyes
••••dry throat.
Allergies can be caused by:
••••pollen
••••house dust
••••feathers
••••animal dander
••••cigarette smoke
••••air pollution.
Treatment:
••••The best treatment is doctor-prescribed medication.
••••Do not use decongestant pills, nose drops or nasal sprays. These usually do not work well, and in some cases they can make the condition worse.
••••Make your home as dust-free as possible.
••••If you react to pollen, avoid going outside when the pollen count is high.
••••Rubbing your eyes or wearing contact lenses usually causes more irritation of the eyes.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••fever
••••increasing headache
••••face or ear pain.
••••thick yellow-green nasal discharge.
Some over-the-counter medications (other than nasal sprays and decongestants) are very good.
Useful medications:
Antihistamines are the best choice:
••••Atarax 3x/day sedating
••••Claritin 1x/day not sedating
••••Benadryl 4x/day sedating
••••Hismanal 1x/day not sedating.
Drug interactions: heart, liver and kidney disease.
Takes a few days to work.
••••Reactine 1x/day sedating - also helps with skin rashes.
••••Seldane 2x/day not sedating.
Drug interactions: heart, liver and kidney disease.
Safe prescription nasal sprays:
••••Beconase
••••Flonase
••••Rhinalar
••••Rynacrom
••••Atrovent.
Prescription eye drops:
••••Livostin
••••Opticrom.
Over-the-counter eye drops:
••••Naphcon-A.
Bleeding in Early Pregnancy (Threatened Miscarriage)
Bleeding or spotting during pregnancy is common, and most women go on to have healthy babies.
There is a chance, however, of losing the pregnancy. A miscarriage is the way the body deals with a pregnancy that is not developing normally.
A miscarriage does not occur because of something that you did. It is not the result of exercising, working hard, stress, or having sex during the pregnancy.
The more the bleeding and cramping, the greater the chance ofmiscarriage. Clots will form as the bleeding gets worse. The fact that one pregnancy ends in miscarriage does not mean that this will happen again.
Instructions:
••••Do not take medication unless your doctor tells you to.
••••Rest.
•••• Keep track of the bleeding. Record how many pads you use each day.
•••• Do not:
••••••••engage in sexual activity
••••••••douche
••••••••use tampons until two days after the bleeding has stopped.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••your bleeding or cramping becomes worse.
••••the bleeding is greater than your period
••••you need more than one pad per hour
••••you feel faint
••••you have a fever
••••you have pain that is steady and does not go away
••••you pass tissue- put the tissue in a clean container or plastic bag and bring it with you.
Chest Pain (Adult)
Most of the time, the chest pain is not caused by a serious health problem. Sometimes, however, the cause is serious and life threatening.
Chest pain in adults can be caused by:
••••heart problems
••••lung problems
••••intestinal track problems
••••chest wall muscle, ligament, cartilage or bone problems
••••stress and anxiety.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••your chest pain gets worse
••••your chest pain does not start to get better within 1one day
••••you get a fever
••••you faint or become very dizzy
••••you are breathing very rapidly, are gasping, or feel you are not getting enough air
••••you start to sweat a lot
••••you have numbness in, or cannot move, your arms or legs.
Go to a Hospital Emergency Room immediately if:
••••you have severe chest pain, especially if the pain is a heavy pressure or crushing, and spreads to your jaw, neck, arms and/or back
••••you have severe chest pain with sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.
Call 911!
Do not drive a car yourself with these symptoms.
Chicken Pox
Chicken pox is an infection caused by a virus. The incubation time is 2 to 3 weeks. Chickenpox is contagious from just before the rash, to 5 days later or until the blisters are crusted, whichever period is shorter. Scabs take about 2 weeks to fall off.
Symptoms:
••••fever
••••an itchy rash
••••the rash starts as a small red bump, then turns into a small blister
••••new blisters form for 3 to 4 days.
Fever Control:
••••Tylenol, unless there is an allergy
••••Do not use Aspirin or medicines containing (acetyl)-salicylic acid- this could lead to Reyes Syndrome which causes brain and liver damage.
Itch Control:
••••over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl plain, or Benadryl Elixir for children
•••• plain calamine lotion on the rash, but not on any sores in the mouth
••••use 30 minute lukewarm water baths for the first few days - add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the water
••••oatmeal bath products like Aveeno many help
••••keep cool and dry; sweating and overheating will make the itch worse
••••avoid the sun.
Prevent Scratching:
••••cut fingernails short
••••wash hands with soap that kills germs
••••put socks on your child's hands at night.
If there are mouth sores:
••••use mouth wash or gargle with double-strength tea with a little sugar
••••popsicles may help soothe the mouth.
Give plenty of fluids:
••••use cool liquids like water, milk and apple juice.
••••avoid orange juice and salty foods.
See a doctor if:
••••the sores get bigger or have pus in them
••••if there are sores anywhere in the eyes.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••the patient is vomiting
••••the patient is confused or too sleepy
••••there are convulsions or seizures
••••there is trouble breathing or rapid. breathing.
Constipation in Adults
Constipation is caused by dehydration (not drinking enough water) or by a lack of dietary fiber. Some medicines and illnesses can also cause constipation.
Treatment:
••••Drink 8 glasses of water each day
••••Drink at least one glass of fruit juice per day
••••Increase consumption of high-fiber foods such as fresh fruit, vegetables, whole-grain breads, oatmeal, bran cereal
••••Prune juice or prunes.
Over-the-counter short-term choices:
••••stool softeners like Colace - these make the stools easier to pass
••••laxatives like Milk of Magnesia - help empty the bowel
••••glycerine suppository
••••Dulcolax suppository (stronger)
••••Fleet enema.
Do not use the above laxatives or enemas day after day for a long time, as they cause "lazy bowel," a condition in which you cannot pass stool without the use of stronger and stronger laxatives.
Do not use mineral oil containing laxatives day after day, as these take away some vitamins.
••••Laxatives like Metamucil are bulk-forming laxatives. These are safe to use daily for long-term prevention of constipation. Take plenty of fluids with these.
••••Do not rush your bowel movements. Set aside a regular time each day. Try to establish a regular routine.
••••Eat a wholesome high-fiber diet, and cut down on junk food. Fiber helps make stools soft and easier to pass, and helps prevent cancer of the colon.
Avoid constipating foods like mild, dairy products, and foods high in sugar.
••••exercise regularly. Walking is a good form of exercise.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••your constipation lasts longer than 2 weeks
••••you have a fever and abdominal pain
••••you have red blood in your stool.
Croup
Croup is the narrowing of the upper part of the windpipe as a result of a viral respiratory infection. Croup usually lasts three to five days.
The children of parents who smoke have more respiratory infections than those with non-smoking parents.
Symptoms:
••••a harsh, barking cough which is worse at night and may even disappear during the day
••••the child's breathing may be raspy and noisy, especially on breathing in.
Treatment:
••••Stay calm and comfort the child: anxiety makes croup worse
••••Take your child into the bathroom and sit outside the shower. Shut the door, turn on the hot shower, and open the window to let cool air into the room. Sit quietly with your child on your lap in the steamy bathroom for 20 minutes
••••If a hot shower is not available, dress the child properly and sit outside in the cool air for 15 to 20 minutes
••••If your child is getting better and breathing more easily, return the child to bed
••••Put a cool-air vaporizer next to the bed or open the window enough to keep the room air cool
••••Give the child a cold drink or a popsicle
••••Use Tylenol for comfort.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••your child does not improve with this treatment
••••the breathing is worse or the child appears "blue"
••••there is drooling or difficulty swallowing.
Diaper Rash
The skin in the diaper area breaks down when a wet diaper irritates the baby's skin.
Treatment:
••••Change the baby's diaper more often.
••••If using cloth diapers, try to avoid using plastic pants.
••••Try to go without a diaper during naps so that the air can get to the skin.
••••Wash the skin gently with warm water and midl soap when changing the diaper.
••••You can use a small amount of corn starch on the baby's bottom, but do not use talcum powder.
If the rash is severe and oozing, then use a cloth soaked in Burow's solution (Buro-sol powder):
••••Dissolve 1 packet of Buro-sol powder in 2 cups of water
••••Soak a clean cloth in this, wring it out, and place the cloth on the rash
••••Soak the cloth again every few minutes and place it on the rash again
••••Do this several times a day for several minutes each time
••••Rinse washable diapers well to remove soap
••••Do not use fabric softeners
••••Use over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream 1/2% on the rash
••••After the rash is cleared up, use a "barrier" cream like zinc oxide cream with every diaper change.
See your doctor immediately or go to an Urgent Care Center if you have:
••••the baby develops a fever
••••the rash seems more and more painful, and seems to upset the baby
••••the redness spreads around the rash
••••there are more blisters
••••there is pus
••••white spots develop in the baby's mouth.
