The respiratory system, as drawn by Theresa Knott. Nearby McHenry County recently has tallied 121 cases of whooping cough. Scattered outbreaks throughout the country such as this have become a yearly occurrence, prompting an increased need to make sure your vaccinations are up to date. The disease causes staccato coughing until the individual runs out of breath and must violently inhale more air, hence the “whoop” sound. It was once thought to be solely a scourge of the young. But…
This year marks the 25th year of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. An estimated 40,000 women in the U.S. die of this disease annually, but early identification can lead to better outcomes. Screening is important, as well as knowledge of your risks and which risks you can modify. One of the difficult tasks in preventive medicine is making population recommendations while recognizing varying risks for the individual. This can create confusion for the patient. There are recommendations of annual or biennial…
Sign up to get your flu vaccine in October. The influenza virus, often referred to as the flu, can take you out of action for about three to five days. You’ll feel feverish and fatigued and, frequently, a cough accompanies the other symptoms. If you have other health issues, the flu can even land you in the hospital. Flu is spread on respiratory droplets. It most effectively spreads through the air, but it can be transmitted via high touch objects…
Soon you will see these poster appearing near waste receptacles. We rarely consider the fate of what we throw in trash cans. But we should, because there are environmental consequences and, the often even less considered, effects on those who collect the items for disposal. During the years, I’ve treated numerous facility maintenance workers who received punctures in the hands or legs while collecting trash. Sometimes the punctures come from a shard of glass, which is painful but not generally…
Worn shoes can cause problems for your feet and your overall health. Photo: Tona Kunz One thing we often observe in the Medical Office is the wide array of footwear worn by employees, visitors, contactors and students. Sometimes it’s the flip-flop wearing student complaining of aching arches. Or sometimes it is the individual with the much loved and highly worn athletic shoe telling us about knee pain. What they don’t realize is that footwear can make a big difference in…
You can protect yourself from ticks by taking a few simple precautions. Photo courtesy of Fermilab Visual Media Services. The warmer months encourage people to venture into natural areas, which can increase insect encounters. Because of that, since late April, people have come into the Fermilab Medical Office with tick bites. Of course people don’t enjoy being an insect meal, but what really is worrisome is the fact that an undesirable payload can reside in the tick’s tummy. Locally the…
Protect yourself and others before you travel. Credit: Centers for Disease Control. Although we think of measles as something historic, the disease is making a comeback due to missed vaccinations and global travel. Many parents incorrectly frightened by a fraudulent medical journal article that suggested a link between autism and MMR vaccination have declined vaccinations for their children. This has led to a spike in measles outbreaks and related complications. In adults infection can be serious with a higher likelihood…
How well you sleep can affect your work. Snoring can kill you or someone else. Well, not snoring itself, but the condition it can indicate: sleep apnea. The problem is so widespread that a question about snoring and sleep apnea has been put on the commercial driver’s license test. A number of drowsy driver accidents, including the death of a parked car full of teens struck by a semi-truck, drove the addition of the question. At work, a lack of…
Individuals should be screened for colon cancer if they are older than 50 years, have inflammatory bowel disease or a family history of colon cancer. Photo: Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control. Despite most individuals initial misgivings about getting a colon cancer screening, I get many questions about the process and risks of colorectal cancer. So in honor of March, which is colon cancer awareness month, I’ll use this column to address some of the most common inquires. Colon…
Be careful to avoid injuries when dealing with snow. Snow is beautiful but we don’t want it to linger on our sidewalks and driveways. Removing it can challenge our hearts and backs. People often try to clear snow shortly after waking when their body chemicals make their hearts prone to attacks. Heavy exertion from shoveling increases blood pressure and cold temperatures cause the body to divert blood flow from the limbs to the torso. These factors create a perfect storm…