Category: Advocating Healthcare

    Last flu season was an exceptionally bad season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classified it as “High Severity” across all age groups – the first time that has happened since they began designating a season’s severity in 2003.

    Despite getting flu shots and regular sanitizing in our offices, many of our staff succumbed to one, or both, of the virus strains that proliferated throughout the country. I was one of them. In fact, according to provisional reports published by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, there were 135,289 reported flu cases, 4,497 hospitalizations, and 272 influenza-related deaths in South Carolina between Oct. 1, 2017, and June 2, 2018.

    Was is worth getting a flu shot even though I still got sick? Absolutely – and I plan to get the vaccine again this year to protect not only my health, but also the health of my coworkers, friends, and family. After all, even being in general good health won’t prevent contracting the flu and I work in a community health center. It’s the very place where many people with the flu come to seek relief from their symptoms. That exposes me to the virus much more often than typical.

    Dr. Michael K. Foxworth, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist and pediatrician at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence said the best way to prevent getting the flu is to get the influenza vaccine. Last season’s vaccine reduced the risk of contracting the virus by about 36 percent, according to the CDC. And, while data for the 2017-2018 season is not yet published, estimates for the previous season indicate that flu vaccines prevented 5.29 million illnesses, 2.64 million medical visits, and 84,700 flu-related hospitalizations.

    Additionally, a study published in the May, 2017, Clinical Infectious Diseases journal indicates that if you do get the flu, the vaccination may reduce the severity of its symptoms. The same study also indicates that unvaccinated adults are two to five times more likely to die from influenza than someone vaccinated.

    This year’s flu season starts soon. In the U.S., it begins in October (occasionally earlier) and can last through May. Most often, the peak month of infection is February, followed by December, January, and March. Since it typically takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop sufficient antibodies to protect against the virus, getting your flu shot early is important. Dr. Julio Arroyo, an infectious diseases specialist also at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza, said the sooner you get the flu vaccine, the better. It is the most effective way to prevent the flu and is recommended annually for everyone age 6 months and older with rare exceptions.

    Was there anything else I could have done to prevent getting the flu last year? Probably not. Dr. Arroyo notes that most people contract the flu from their family members and both Drs. Arroyo and Foxworth recommend avoiding large gatherings and those who have the flu as measures to reduce your risk this season. If you can’t, other measures you can take include wearing a mask and common-sense actions such as washing your hands properly and frequently, avoiding touching your face, eating well-balanced nutritional meals, and drinking plenty of water.

    If you do get the flu, the best thing you can do is stay home to prevent passing the virus to coworkers and others, and rest. If you must leave, to get medical care for example, wear a face mask to prevent passing the flu to others.

    Flu typically causes symptoms such as fever and muscle aches, but can also develop serious complications such as pneumonia, especially for those at higher risk, including young children, people 65 and older, pregnant women, and people with certain medical conditions. If you are in a high risk group and develop flu symptoms, contact your primary care doctor for advice and possible antiviral treatment.

Those at risk for developing complications from the flu include:

· Children aged 6 months through 4 years

· People aged 50 years and older

· People with certain chronic conditions

· People who are immunosuppressed

·  Women who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season

· Nursing home and other chronic-care facility residents

· People with extreme obesity

· Health care personnel

To become a HopeHealth patient or to learn more about classes offered, visit hope-health.org or call (843) 667-9414.

     This year, the newest adaptation of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women premiered. The coming of age story about three young women has captured the imaginations of generations. Today, however, audiences can no longer truly empathize with the fears and concerns suggested by one plot element – Beth’s contraction of scarlet fever, a form of streptococcal infection.

     Vaccinations and improved medical care have nearly eliminated parents’ fears of childhood diseases and their debilitating impact. Pertussis (whooping cough) and diphtheria were major causes of illness and death among children as late as 1950. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 120,718 cases of pertussis and 1,118 deaths from the disease in 1950, as well as 5,796 cases of diphtheria resulted in another 410 deaths. Even if individuals recovered (the diseases impact adults as well as children), they often suffered life-long disabilities such as blindness, deafness, and paralysis.

     The only way to contain outbreaks before vaccinations was by quarantining those infected and their households. According to Journal of American Medical Association articles, these quarantines could last a minimum 42 days causing children to miss weeks of school and parents to miss work. Quarantine placards identified homes and businesses impacted by such diseases and were a familiar sight as recently as the 1950s – especially for polio. The CDC reports 33,300 cases and 1,904 deaths from polio in 1950 alone.

     With the development of a polio vaccine in 1953, however, these rates dropped dramatically. In 1954 there were 18,308 cases and 1,306, and by 1960, only 988 cases and 90 deaths were reported. Since 1979, not one case of polio has originated in the U.S. and, today, intensive world-wide vaccination programs begun in 1988 have eliminated the disease from all but two countries.

Vaccine-preventable diseases now include: chickenpox, diphtheria, flu, hepatitis A and B, human papillomavirus (HPV), measles, meningococcal disease, mumps, pneumococcal disease, rubella, shingles, tetanus, and pertussis. Thanks to vaccination programs, the CDC reports that today, most doctors have never seen a case of measles, a disease which almost every person in the U.S. contracted before vaccinations became prevalent. However, the CDC also reports that outbreaks, especially in communities with low vaccination rates, can and do still occur. Only one disease, smallpox, has been completely eradicated; any other disease can make a comeback if vaccination rates decrease.

     School enrollment requirements are an important tool for maintaining vaccination rates. In South Carolina, vaccination requirements generally follow the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guidelines. That means rising seventh graders are required to have received one dose of Tdap which provides protection from bacterial infections such as tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).

     Along with the Tdap vaccine, all children ages 11 and 12 should be vaccinated with a meningococcal conjugate vaccine. A booster dose is recommended at age 16. The HPV vaccination is also recommended beginning at age 11, with a booster dose in 6-12 months to protect against HPV infections that can cause cancer. Teens and young adults (16-23 years) also may be vaccinated with a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine.

Checking your wellness now to stay healthier in the future

Today you feel great. It’s a beautiful day. You can breathe well, move easily, had a great night’s sleep, and have plenty of energy to last the day. The last thing on your mind is making an appointment with your primary care provider. However, it is a great time for you to make that wellness visit, and make sure that what your body is doing on the inside matches how you feel on the outside. And if you don’t feel great? All the more reason to visit your provider and find out why.

Primary care providers do more than treat colds and manage diseases. They are the individuals who provide your day-to-day health care. Their goal is to keep you healthy, prevent future illness and disease, and to help you manage any existing chronic health conditions. They get to know you, your health history, and your overall health and medical condition. They are your principal point of continuing care within the health care system.

You also get to know your provider and care team. This builds a long-term relationship that can help reveal ongoing health issues that might otherwise go unrecognized at a single doctor’s office visit. Such relationships lead to better communication and disease management, less risk of complications, fewer hospitalizations, and fewer visits to an emergency department.

Nicolas Licari, a family nurse practitioner at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence, said an annual, complete physical exam, or well visit, is the most important thing an individual can do for his or her health – even when feeling healthy. These wellness visits will typically include a review of personal and family medical history, routine vaccinations, blood pressure and vital sign checks, blood tests to check how well the body’s organs are working, lifestyle screenings such as nutrition and diet concerns, age-appropriate tests, depression screenings, and more.

While many primary care providers, also known as family medicine practitioners, offer services for all ages, some specialize in treating individuals in specific life stages. Many specialize in senior care issues while others, known as pediatricians, focus on illnesses and health issues that impact children. Senior care can include additional assessments that take a closer look at factors such as fall risks, physical activity levels, and functional abilities, while pediatricians take closer looks at issues such as cognitive and physical development.

Jessica Robinson, a physician assistant with HopeHealth Pediatrics in Manning, said that primary care physicians impart the importance of taking care of their health to their patients and teach people to help take care of themselves.

“Especially in pediatrics,” she said. “Because that is where it starts – from day one or two after they are born – it is the foundation of them helping care for themselves for the rest of their lives and teaches them that the doctor’s office is not a bad place. It is not just about shots. It’s not a scary place.”

 

Selecting a provider

If you are in search of a primary care provider keep the following in mind:

• First, and most importantly, your primary care provider should be someone you are comfortable with and to whom you are willing to be as open and honest as possible about your health concerns. Your relationship with your provider will be a life-long journey addressing your most personal needs.
• Do you need a primary care provider who specializes in your stage of life? Some providers, often called general practitioners or family medicine providers, will see patients of all ages. Others focus on specific life stages. Pediatricians care for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults through age 18; internal medicine providers generally see only adult patients age 18 and older; and geriatric providers specialized in senior care. Women can also opt to choose a gynecologist, a provider who focuses on women’s health, as a primary care provider.

For your best opportunity to stay healthy and for healthier long-term outcomes, make your annual appointment with your primary care provider today.