Category Archives: Family Health
Helping Your Kids Deal with COVID-19 Anxiety
By: Jamie Harms, M.D.
Everyone is talking about the coronavirus, and you can be sure that little ears are listening. This can be a scary time for children. They may hear about COVID-19 deaths and worry what will happen if they or you get the disease.
Children and teens are influenced by what they see in their parents. If they see you dealing with the coronavirus calmly and confidently, they will feel more secure. Here’s how to help your children deal with COVID-19 anxiety.
Symptoms of anxiety
Anxiety is often expressed in your child’s behavior. Watch for these common symptoms of anxiety and stress:
- Returning to behaviors they have outgrown, such as thumb-sucking, throwing tantrums, engaging in baby-talk, or bedwetting
- New or recurring fears
- Inability to relax or calm down
- Excessive crying or irritation in younger children
- Irritability and “acting out” behaviors in teens
- Stomachaches, upset stomachs, or a loss of appetite
- Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or having frequent nightmares
- Difficulty with attention and concentration
- Unexplained headaches or body pain
- Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs in teens
Ways to support your child
- Talk with your child or teen about the COVID-19 outbreak. Answer their questions in a way that your child or teen can understand.
- Reassure your child or teen that they are safe. Tell them not everyone gets COVID-19 and discuss things your family is doing to stay safe, such as handwashing, cleaning and social distancing. See tips for fighting COVID-19 below.
- Let them know it’s ok if they feel upset. Tell them how you deal with your own stress so that they can learn how to cope from you.
- Limit your family’s exposure to news coverage of the event, including social media. A steady stream of COVID-19 news can raise your child’s anxiety level. Also, some information on social media is sensational or outright false and may frighten children.
- Try to keep up with regular routines to help your kids feel more “normal.” With schools closed, create a schedule for learning activities and relaxing or fun activities.
- Be a role model. Take breaks, get plenty of sleep, exercise, and eat well. Connect with your friends and family members.
Show them how to fight COVID-19
Children will feel better if they know there are things they can do to stay well and help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Help them practice these recommendations from the CDC:
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbow, then throw the tissue into the trash.
- Wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing, going to the bathroom, and before eating or preparing food. See this CDC video.
- If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
- Keep their hands out of their mouth, nose and eyes. This will help keep germs out of their body.
- Practice social distancing: When in public, keep at least six feet away from other people.
- Stay away from people who are coughing or sneezing or sick.
Feeling stressed yourself?
With all disruptions coming from the outbreak, it’s no wonder if you’re feeling more anxious. You can help your children by trying to be calmer. Listen to these simple mindfulness/relaxation exercises to relax and destress.
To learn more, see this CDC information on COVID-19, or contact your MPCP physician.
Telemedicine Q&A
What is telemedicine?
Telemedicine is health care that is done through the video feature of your cell phone or home computer. MPCP is currently using Doxy.me to connect with patients. With these features, you can see your provider and your provider can see you while you talk together.
Why is MPCP using telemedicine?
During this time of coronavirus, telemedicine is a way for us to give you medical care up close but from a safe distance. It lets us keep in touch with our patients, manage ongoing health issues, and address new concerns. Telemedicine also helps people get care in their own homes, decreasing the number who need to go to the emergency room or the hospital.
How can my doctor really know what’s wrong if I don’t see him or her in person?
Your doctor will listen to your symptoms and ask questions, just as if you were in one of our exam rooms. Using video, your doctor will be able to see things that will help make a diagnosis. Those two things work surprisingly well much of the time. But if there is a concern at the end of your telemedicine visit that something is still unclear, your doctor will have you come into the office in as safe a way as possible for a face-to-face evaluation.
What equipment do I need to do a telemedicine visit?
You just need your smartphone, an iPad, or a home computer with a camera and microphone. If you don’t have any of those things, we can simply talk with you by telephone instead.
Can I get a prescription filled from the visit?
Yes, your provider can send any necessary prescriptions to your pharmacy electronically. If you need blood tests, X-rays or other tests, your provider will arrange for you to get them safely.
How do I schedule a telemedicine visit?
You can simply call your MPCP office to schedule a telemedicine visit. If you prefer a particular video platform, just let the scheduler know when you make your appointment. Otherwise, a medical assistant will call you before your appointment to help you connect for your televisit. You may also be advised to collect your medication bottles, gather information such as your blood sugar or blood pressure logs, and to take your temperature or weigh yourself prior to your visit.
Will my insurance cover the visit?
Yes, insurance companies are encouraging doctors to connect with their patients through telemedicine.
Feeling Down? It May Be the Winter Blues
By: Jamie Harms, M.D.
It’s the coldest, darkest time of the year. It seems like spring will never come. For many people, this time of year brings feelings of sadness ‒ the “winter blues.”
Perhaps you recognize some of the symptoms in yourself: increased sleep; increased appetite, with cravings for starches and sugars; weight gain; emotional irritability; and a heavy feeling in your arms and legs. You may find yourself withdrawing from social activities or having difficulty concentrating.
What causes the winter blues?
Scientists think these symptoms result from a decrease in the activity of serotonin in the brain when days get shorter. Serotonin is a chemical that helps nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. It is important for mood and alertness, and it helps control your appetite.
How to beat the winter blues
For most people, symptoms are mild, and they end when the days get longer. Here are things you can do to feel better:
- Get enough sleep. Sleep and moods are closely connected, and many of us skimp on sleep in our busy lives. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a night.
- Get some exercise. Exercise increases serotonin in the brain, so it can make you feel better physically and emotionally. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. Bundle up and take some walks outdoors in the daylight if you can.
- Get some sun. Exposure to daylight can help boost your mood. Bundle up and go outside whenever you can, even if it’s just for a few minutes.
- Pay attention to what you eat. Decrease carbohydrates and caffeine, which may make you feel better for a short time but can make moods worse overall. Choose lean meats, fruits and vegetables.
- Pay attention to your thoughts. It’s easy to develop habits of thinking and reacting to life events that just make you sad or worried. Practice looking for a few good things every day, even if they’re small.
Some people have more severe symptoms of depression in the wintertime. This is called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you have more than mild symptoms, or symptoms that last more than a few weeks, contact your doctor. Treatments such as light therapy, anti-depressant medication, and psychotherapy can be effective for wintertime depression.
Help! The ‘Bug’ Bit Me
By: Tywanna Hamilton, CRNP
You’re coughing, sneezing and running a fever. You’ve been bitten by “the bug.”
Colds and flu are caused by viruses. There’s no cure once you’ve been infected – antibiotics don’t work on viruses — but there are things you can do to reduce the misery and speed up your recovery.
Stay home
Once you’re sick, it’s best to go home and wait it out. Trying to push through illness can make it last longer and put others at risk for infection. At home, you should:
- Get plenty of bed rest
- Avoid physical exertion
- Drink fluids to prevent dehydration. Avoid alcohol (it dehydrates you and may interact badly with medicine) and caffeine (it can keep you from resting)
Try home remedies
Some home remedies can help you feel better by clearing your nasal and throat passages, and easing headaches and sore throat:
- Use a neti pot or similar device to rinse the nasal passages with saline
- Drink hot green, black, or herbal tea
- Gargle with hot salt water for a sore throat
- Run a humidifier to moisten dry air
- Take a hot shower to let steam loosen congestion
- Put a hot compress on your forehead or nose for headache or sinus pain
Use over-the-counter medicine
Over-the-counter medicines can’t cure a cold or flu, but they can reduce your symptoms and make you feel better. There are dozens of options to reduce fever and pain, relieve congestion, quiet coughs, and ease a sore throat. Keep in mind, however, that some over-the-counter medicine may cause side effects, or they may react badly with other medication you’re taking. Be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist to make sure they’re safe for you.
Take antiviral drugs for the flu
Antiviral drugs don’t cure the flu, but they can help prevent it, ease your symptoms and shorten the time you have it. For antivirals to treat the flu, they need to be started in the first two days after your symptoms appear. They are only available by prescription, so ask your doctor if an antiviral can help you.
These treatments can really help when you’ve been bitten by the bug. Your doctor may have other suggestions, so ask about ways you can get better faster.
Tywanna Hamilton, Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Prairie View A&M University. Ms. Hamilton is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She cares for patients at the Arundel Mills office.
