Health

If something happened to you, would your family, friends and medical team know your wishes? We always want to think we would be able to make our own medical decisions but what if we could not? This is a hard conversation to have with yourself and family, but it is vital.

Advance Directives help your family know what your wishes are, and many times relieve the stress of making medical decisions for you. The directives consist of a Living Will Declaration, Life-Prolonged Procedure Declaration, Power of Attorney and Appointment of Healthcare Representative, Do Not Resuscitate and Psychiatric Advance Directives.

May is Stroke Awareness Month. A stroke happens when blood flow to the brain is blocked or disrupted. Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke, resulting in stroke- related death every 3.5 minutes. It is the leading cause of disability in adults. These statistics are staggering, but we can do something about it. First, know and reduce your risk factors.

Every Spring as the trees bloom and pollen is released into the air, people who suffer from allergies begin to have watery eyes, sneezing, and sniffling. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), allergies (also known as hay fever) are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness.

Allergies occur when our immune system mistakes the pollen as a foreign invader and releases antibodies to attack it. When the antibodies attack, a chemical known as Histamine is released. Histamine is what causes the symptoms of allergies (itchy, watery eyes and runny nose) to occur.

Feb 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika virus a public health emergency of international concern because of its overwhelming spread across countries.

The Zika virus was first discovered in 1947. The Zika virus disease is a disease is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito however; sexual transmission of the virus has been attributed in 2 cases.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report the most common symptoms of fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.

Indiana winters seem to drag on forever during the early months of the year, and those few warm days send everyone outside to get some much-needed Vitamin D and fresh air. These brief periods of high activity during an otherwise sedentary time of the year can put you at increased risk of injury. Staying active during the colder months will allow you to safely jump right back into those spring activities, like golfing, hiking, pickleball, or gardening.
Here are three tips to keep you moving this winter.

My mother gave me a paperback copy of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula as a high schooler. Initially skeptical, but it quickly became one of my favorite novels. The Gothic horror novel was published in 1897 and follows the adventures of vampire hunters traveling across Europe to destroy Count Dracula. One plotline in the story is about Lucy Westenra, who falls victim to Count Dracula. Lucy is given several transfusions of blood to save her life.

Dracula was primarily written in the 1890s. The concept of life-sustaining blood was well understood by the 19th century, and the first successful transfusion of human blood occurred decades before the novel’s publication. Now, a little over 100 years later, advances in science and medicine have led to safe and successful blood transfusions for thousands of people every day.

What are the benefits of employer lead wellness programs for the employee and employer? It is a wise investment for both parties.

Employee Benefit

The 2021 U.S. Census tells us that 66% of the nation has private insurance coverage. Most of this coverage comes from employer-based group plans and is the backbone of the American healthcare system. Many of us use our employer-based insurance to cover normal visits to our family physicians, labs, and unforeseen illnesses and injuries. However, a lot of us miss out on the advantage of wellness screenings and health education covered by our insurance. Sometimes it isn’t openly offered, or it is presented as an obligation instead of the huge benefit that it really is. Not partaking in your company’s wellness screening is like leaving money on the table.

The Fall and Winter months (September through March) bring cooler weather and the dreaded Flu (Influenza) Season. We have spent so much time living in the pandemic world and attention given to COVID-19 that we forget about the Flu.

Influenza, called the Flu, is an infectious disease caused by the Influenza Virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and many deaths each year.

Unlike a common cold, the flu comes on suddenly. Symptoms typically include very high fever (greater than 101F), severe muscle and body aches, headache, weakness and fatigue, runny nose, sore throat and coughing.