February 2018 - Elite Care Family Medicine

Since a cold and a sinus infection share similar symptoms. Knowing the difference and being able to tell which one you have can be tricky. We’ll make it a little easier on you with these questions you need to ask. What is a cold? A cold is a virus in the upper respiratory system. The common cold can be caused by many different types of viruses. A cold is usually harmless and symptoms usually resolve within two weeks. Symptoms include runny nose, nasal congestion,...

So it hits you right in the middle of the day. You start feeling sluggish. You get chills and a headache. Maybe you feel a little bit irritable. You reach for the thermometer, stick it under your tongue, and sure enough it reads 100.0° Fahrenheit. You have a low-grade fever. But what causes a fever? What is Fever? Fever is a natural response that helps fight off foreign substances such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and toxins. Body temperature is set by the...

One minute you’re fine. The next your nose is runny, your throat is scratchy and you have nowhere near the amount of energy you usually do. These are all signs you're coming down with something, but you don’t have to retire to your bed with a box of tissues yet. Nip that cold in the bud with these tips. Get plenty of sleep. You're tired for a reason. Listen to your body and get all the sleep you can. Sleep helps your body fight the infection that’s causing you to...

Are you one of those people who seem to only have high blood pressure while the nurse is wrapping the monitor around your arm? You might have white coat hypertension. White coat hypertension occurs when the blood pressure readings at your medical care provider's office are higher than in other settings, such as your home. It's called white coat hypertension because the health care professionals who measure your blood pressure often wear white coats. If you have white...