6 Reasons Why Getting a Flu Shot This Season is Particularly Important
Receiving a flu shot each year is the best preventative step you can take to ensure you do not come down with influenza. The CDC recommends that people 6 months and older get a yearly flu vaccine. Flu vaccinations prevent millions of people from developing the flu each year. The CDC states that during the 2018-2019 flu season, the vaccine stopped an estimated 4.4 million influenza illnesses, 2.3 million related medical visits and 58,000 influenza-caused hospitalizations, as well as 3,500 deaths. A case of influenza can be especially severe for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. Fortunately, you can help avoid this scenario by receiving an annual flu vaccine.
What to Expect at Your Annual Physical Exam with Your Primary Care Provider
It’s an alarming statistic: The Centers for Disease Control estimates that approximately six in ten adults in the U.S. are living with a chronic disease and four in ten adults have two or more chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Discovering the presence of a chronic disease is key to treating it in its early stages when positive outcomes are more favorable, which is why making an annual physical exam is important for delivering preventative health services and detecting problems before they start.
Everything You Need to Know About Coronavirus Antibody Testing in Connecticut
Antibody testing, also referred to as serology testing, can determine if a patient has produced an immune response to the COVID-19 virus. If you’ve gotten sick in the last few months since the emergence of COVID-19, you may be left wondering if you had the virus at one point or another. In addition, the virus can be asymptomatic (meaning the virus produces no symptoms) in some individuals, so you may have been previously infected without knowing. COVID-19 antibody testing can help answer some of these questions for you and your family.
The Best Heart Healthy Foods to Work into Your Diet
Heart disease is one of the most common diseases in men and women and causes 1 in every 4 deaths in the U.S. The term heart disease refers to any disorder or deformity of the heart, including congenital heart disease, arrhythmia, coronary artery disease and heart failure. While heart disease has often been perceived as an older person’s health condition, it has been occurring more frequently in younger populations, ages 35-64, making it all the more critical to be proactive about heart health.
How to Treat the Flu at Home and When to See the Doctor
Data from the past 30 years shows that US influenza cases typically peak in February, so the worst may be yet to come. While it’s not too late to get the flu immunization from your local primary care physician (PCP), you need to know which steps to take if you do end up with the flu this season. We’re here to help with advice on recognizing a case of the flu, how to treat the flu at home and when it’s time to visit your PCP for medical treatment.
Setting Realistic Weight Loss Goals in the New Year
A new decade is here, and a traditional part of celebrating the New Year is setting resolutions focused on becoming a healthier version of yourself and often, weight loss is the target of many resolution setters. With the health risks associated with carrying extra weight and obesity a major health concern in our nation, shedding extra weight can be a positive goal if it’s something you and your doctor have previously discussed. To achieve success with your efforts, the first step is to make sure that you are setting realistic weight loss goals, otherwise you are potentially setting up yourself for disappointment and potentially added health risks. Here is some useful information on setting and reaching realistic weight loss goals in 2020.
