Category Archives: Family Health
Treatment for Strains & Sprains
by: José Zarzuela, M.D.
With the great summer weather, more of my patients are hitting the tennis court, biking, running or taking up water sports. But with more- or new- activities can come minor sports-related injuries.
The first-course of treatment I recommend for most minor sprains (twisted or wrenched ligaments) and strains (overstretched muscles or tendons) is the PRICE method:
- Protect the injured area
- Rest the affected limb or area
- Ice or apply a cold pack right after injury
- Compress lightly with an ace bandage or brace
- Elevate the injured limb to reduce swelling and speed healing
If you don’t feel improvement in a few days, follow up with your doctor.
Dr. José Zarzuela practices at the MPCP Pasadena office.
Is it a Cold or Flu?
Q & A with Neil Padgett, M.D., MPH
Q: How can I tell if I have a cold or the flu?
A: While the common cold and flu can have similar symptoms, they are very different illnesses in terms of how long they last and how severe they are.
The first sign of a cold is often a sore throat. Symptoms that follow can include a runny nose, congestion or a cough. A cold usually lasts a few days to a week. Adults don’t often run a fever with a cold, but children may.
Flu symptoms are likely to come on suddenly and be more severe. Common signs of flu are a sore throat, fever, headache, muscle and body aches, congestion and cough. Some people get vomiting and diarrhea. While the flu can last a week or longer, it can also result in more serious illnesses like pneumonia, particularly in the elderly or very young.
Q: How can I treat a cold or flu?
A: First, get lots of rest and drink plenty of clear fluids — water, broth and sports drinks. Next, treat your symptoms with over-the-counter medications to ease fever and aches, congestion and coughs. For the flu, your doctor may prescribe antiviral medications such as Relenza® or Tamiflu®. They can make flu symptoms less severe and help you recover faster.
Q: Should I take antibiotics?
A: Antibiotics will not help because they fight bacterial infections, not viral illnesses like flu or the common cold. Taking an antibiotic will not make you feel better or help you get better faster.
Using antibiotics when you don’t need them contributes to a growing problem: antibiotic resistance. Due to over-use of antibiotics, some diseases that were once easily cured by antibiotics have become resistant to them. So, if you have a cold or flu, antibiotics are not a treatment option.
Q: When should I see a doctor?
A: If you experience persistent coughing, fever, congestion, headache or painful swallowing (which may indicate strep throat), you should talk with your primary care provider. In general, if your symptoms aren’t getting better ‒ or start getting worse ─ call your doctor.
Q: How can I prevent getting colds or the flu?
A: Wash your hands often and avoid close contact with others who have a cold or flu. A cold is contagious during the first three days, while a person with the flu can be contagious a day before feeling the symptoms and up to 5-7 days after getting sick.
The annual flu vaccine is your best defense against the flu. After you get the shot, the vaccine takes 1-2 weeks to give you maximum protection, so the sooner you get vaccinated, the better.
Dr. Padgett is a Maryland Primary Care Physicians, LLC partner and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1984 and completed his residency program in Internal Medicine at University of Maryland Medical Center in 1987.Easing Back-to-School Anxiety
By: Jamie Harms, M.D.
It’s hard for most of us to see the more relaxed days of summer come to an end. For our children and teens, back-to-school time can be exciting, but it can also create anxiety and stress. Here are a few tips to make this transition easier for the whole family:
- Map out the morning routine. Discuss how the mornings will work, from wake-up times to setting out clothes the night before to whether your child will be making lunch or buying it at school, etc. Do a practice run—show them how long it takes to walk to the bus stop, or drive to school so they are prepared the first day.
- Early to bed. Kids need 9-11 hours of sleep every night, depending on age. Once you know how early they need to be up, plan a regular bedtime and start sticking to now so the first week of school is easier.
- Healthy food fuels the body and mind. Let your kids help you shop for healthy foods they enjoy and encourage them to start the day with a good breakfast, especially one containing some healthy protein.
- Prepare a “homework space.” Clear out a designated area, complete with supplies of pencils, markers, tape, etc. so your child has space to work. Depending on his or her age, you may want to make this space in a common area of the house so you can be available to help with homework.
- Be a bit empathetic. Adjusting to a new school, trying to make friends, dealing with a heavier work load—all of this can be very stressful for kids. Try to be a support during these first few weeks of transition back to school.
Concussions & Head Injury
Q: What prompted you to get certified by the CDC in diagnosis & treatment of concussions?
A: I was initially interested as a result of my children’s participation on travel lacrosse teams. I also wanted to expand my knowledge to include head injury assessment in my practice. I see this as key information that needs to be more widely understood by individuals of all ages. The CDC points out that head injuries occur in falls and accidents in young children and older adults, so it pertains to more than sports-related head trauma.
Q: What exactly is a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) or concussion?
A: It’s a complex process affecting the brain caused by a blow or jolt to the head that disrupts the brain’s function. It results in a constellation of physical, cognitive, emotional and/or sleep-related symptoms and may or may not involve a loss of consciousness. MTBI symptoms may appear mild, but can lead to significant, life-long impairment. Symptoms can last from several minutes, to days, weeks, months or longer in some cases.
Q: If I’m a parent of a young athlete, how can I help protect my child before a head trauma occurs?
A: To reduce the risk of concussion or traumatic brain injury, individuals should always wear a seat belt when riding in a motor vehicle, wear a properly fitted helmet when biking, skiing, etc., or when playing any contact sport. Athletes should also get a baseline screening every year before the start of the sports season. A set of simple cognitive tests will allow your health care provider to assess changes that may occur with any subsequent head trauma. Also, parents should check with schools or county sports programs to make sure there is a process in place for handling concussions.
Q: What should I know about the recovery process if a loved one is diagnosed with a concussion?
A: It’s important to limit physical and mental activity after a concussion (generally at least one week) until being reevaluated and cleared to return to normal activities by a health care provider.
Julie Henne-Reese, is a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner at our Queenstown office, who has been with Maryland Primary Care Physicians since 2001. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and her Master of Science in Nursing degrees from the University of Maryland School of Nursing. Ms. Henne-Reese is board certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in Family Practice, and has recently received her CDC certification in diagnosis and testing of MTBI (concussions).
