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.
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and can lead to serious diseases, such as cervical cancer, penile cancer and oropharynx cancer. The CDC estimates that more than 79 million people in the U.S., most in their late teens to early 20s, are living with HPV. Most people with HPV do not exhibit any symptoms so it is difficult to know if you or your partner have come into contact with the virus.
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We’ve seen the headlines and have heard the rumors, but what are the facts when it comes to the connection of deodorant and antiperspirant to breast cancer? Should you be concerned? And if there is no connection to deodorant/antiperspirant and breast cancer, how did this myth get started?
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Although most people may not enjoy discussing their stomach problems to their friends or family, it is important to be transparent about these issues to your doctor, as you are definitely not alone. In fact, according to the CDC, there are more than 22.4 million visits to the doctor for diseases of the digestive system as the primary diagnosis each year.
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It’s a fact: Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack. Experiencing chest pains, a rapid heartbeat and a numbness or tingling sensation should not be taken lightly.
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If you’re one of the 29 million American adults living with high cholesterol, you may be wondering what steps to take to reduce these levels and live a healthier life. While cholesterol is necessary for some important functions in your body, consuming too much of it can have many harmful side effects. Having high cholesterol levels, specifically low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, can put you at risk for health complications and diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and diabetes. Fortunately, there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce LDL cholesterol and take control of your health.
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Migraines are extraordinarily common; the Migraine Research Foundation states that nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households have a family member who has suffered from a migraine before. Moreover, approximately 12% of the population suffers from migraines. The truth is, a migraine is much more than just a bad headache; it is actually a neurological disease that can be extremely debilitating and disruptive to your life.
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Did you know that diabetes and kidney disease are often connected? In fact, 1 in 3 people in the U.S. living with diabetes is also diagnosed with kidney disease. Diabetes is considered one of the biggest factors for increasing your risk of developing kidney disease. Over time, high blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in the kidneys. As a result, kidneys can become damaged and not perform necessary bodily functions as efficiently. Your kidneys remove wastes and excess fluids from your body; when they become damaged, these wastes can accumulate and eventually harm other organs in your body. This is also known as Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD).
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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.
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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.
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