GA’s Bad Flu Season Is Getting Worse: Here’s What You Need To Know

Usually defying the odds is a good thing, but when it comes to the flu, not so much. Unfortunately, this is exactly what Georgia—and its 10 million residents—are up against with this year’s flu season. According to the CDC, the peach state is one of only three states to have widespread flu activity. This means that flu cases have been reported across half the state—or more.

Because Georgia’s flu season has already ramped up, it’s important that each of us do our part to help minimize the spread of the flu. A great place to start is to remember the basics of flu prevention, this includes:

·         Getting vaccinated: your best defense against the flu is to get vaccinated. Keep in mind that everyone in your family—6 months or older—should be getting one annually.

·         Not sharing your germs: If you feel sick, make sure to stay home. Going into work or running errands won’t help anyone, especially you, as you’ll only be left feeling worn out and worse for wear.

·         Practicing good hygiene: This means more than remembering to wash your hands (we’ll get to that later). Remember to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. And if you have to cough or sneeze, make sure to cover your mouth and nose.

·         Wash, wash and wash some more. Start with your hands—make sure that you’re washing properly and frequently. And don’t stop there. You’ll want to be sure to disinfect all potentially-contaminated surfaces, like doorknobs, remote controls and phones.

In addition to those flu-season musts, here are a few insights you should keep in mind to help protect yourself—and your loved ones—from those dreaded flu bugs:

·         The flu is spread in more ways than one… While the virus can live on objects for upwards of 48 hours (yikes!), it is most often passed through the air via a sneeze or cough.

·         …But not through the vaccine. The flu vaccine can't give you the flu. That’s because the vaccine is made from pieces of dead flu virus cells. After getting the vaccine, some people have mild flu-like symptoms as a side effect. This is not the same thing as having the flu.

·         You may be contagious longer than you think. Even if you’re feeling better, or you haven’t started to feel ill, you can still spread the flu virus to others. According to the CDC, you’re contagious a day before symptoms start and up to 5 days afterward.

·         The flu causes more than just a fever. While a high fever is one of the most notorious symptoms of the flu, it isn’t the only one. And more importantly, a fever doesn’t always indicate that the flu is the culprit. Keep a look out for a high fever (defined as 102 degrees or higher), as well as these other symptoms:

o   Muscle aches

o   Chills

o   Runny nose

o   Congestion

o   Fatigue

o   Cough and/or sore throat

o   Headache

o   Nausea along with vomiting and/or diarrhea

I think I have the flu, now what: The best place to start is always with a trusted medical provider. To ensure that you have access to the care you need exactly when you need it, we offer a variety of different services at many convenient locations. In addition to our expert primary care providers, we also offer urgentand emergency care.

However, if we leave you with one key takeaway from this article (in addition to seeking medical care), it’s that getting the flu shotis always important—regardless of the month. While the flu season may have already begun, it’s never too late to take this important step in prevention to protect yourself and your family.

No Thermometer, No Problem: 6 Ways To Tell If You Have A Fever

If you remember one thing about the month of December, remember this: it’s a marathon, not a sprint. The holly-jolly festivities have already begun (and it’s only the first week), including everything from gift shopping, and menu planning to attending family gatherings and festive office parties, and the fun won’t stop until the New Year. While all of this holiday cheer is what makes this time of year so special, nothing drains your energy faster.

So when you’re lying in bed at the end of yet another long day, feeling totally exhausted, you may be tempted to brush the tiredness off as nothing more than festive fatigue. Unfortunately, though, it could be something more. Did someone say fever?

There’s only one way to know for sure; thank goodness for thermometers. Of course, that’s only if you can find where you stashed it the last time. But if you can’t seem to track it down, what should you do? 

Tik Pau, MD, a primary care provider with GMG's Bostock Family Medicine, provides 6 Ways To Check For Fever (and a few other tips to keep in mind):

1.    Feel your forehead. Of course we had to kick-off the list with an old standby. This is a go-to method of feeling for a fever, but it isn’t necessarily the most accurate. "While we all know that a hand can’t be as precise as a thermometer, the real issue here is that many people do this incorrectly," says Dr. Pau. "When feeling for temperature, make sure to use the back of your hand as this the most temperature-sensitive place."

2.    Check those cheeks (and skin). Is it just your imagination, or do you have a nice rosy-cheeked glow going on? Well, if you have a fever that may be the case. "Not only does your skin take on a pink or red look when you’re warm, your blood vessels also dilate with a fever, giving your cheeks a pinkish appearance," explains Dr. Pau.

3.    Monitor for dehydration. With a fever comes an elevated metabolism, which means you burn through water (and other fluids) much faster. "If you notice symptoms of dehydration, like dark urine, headache, dry mouth and thirst, this could indicate you have a fever," notes Dr. Pau. "This is especially true if you’ve been drinking ample fluids and you still notice these signs."

4.    Assess your activity. Now we aren’t recommending that you try to exercise when you’re feeling under the weather, but routine activity can be a great way to gauge energy levels and overall strength. If you find normal activities, like going up the stairs, walking to the mailbox or perusing the aisles of the grocery store, more tiring than usual, this could mean a fever has landed. "That’s because a fever causes aches and pains, as well as general feelings of weakness," adds Dr. Pau.

5.    Ask around. Now before you assume that it’s just you that’s feeling extra warm, or getting the chills, there’s a chance that there could be another reason for why you’re feeling a certain way. Check in with those around you to see if they’re feeling the same way, or perhaps they could remind you of other possible factors. For instance, the thermostat may be colder than usual, or that hot tea may have really warmed you up.

6.    Cave in and get a new thermometer. There’s no substitute for knowing, especially when it comes to your health. When in doubt, it’s best to get a thermometer—or have someone get one for you—so you can check your temperature accurately. Here are a few helpful tidbits to keep in mind:

·        "If you have a temperature above your normal temperature, but below 100.4, this is called a low-grade fever," says Dr. Pau. A low-grade fever is mild, and may not need medical attention. "Normal body temperature is 98.6, but that can vary by 1 to 2 degrees from person to person," emphasizes Dr. Pau. Your normal temperature may also be lower in the early morning and higher in late afternoon.

·        "Hot or cold food and drinks can affect the temperature reading in a person’s mouth," notes Dr. Pau, "so you should take your oral temperature at least 20 minutes after you eat or drink anything."

·        Even if you have the chills, don’t pile on the layers as these things can raise a person’s body temperature by trapping body heat. Lightweight clothing and lightweight bed coverings are best. These allow body heat to escape and help to not raise a person’s temperature.

Fever…now what? Unfortunately, fever is one of those things that can be a symptom for almost anything. It doesn’t help that it’s also cold and flu season. So, is it a cold bug, the flu, an infection, even the result of taking a medication? The experts at GMG primary care are prepared to find out. From thorough, prompt diagnostics to comprehensive, personalized care, our health care providers will get you feeling better, faster. With convenient locations and easy, online scheduling, you can count on GMG primary care for all your winter health needs. 

Hand, Foot & Mouth Is A Pain—Here’s What You Need To Know

Who doesn’t love a good comeback story? At least when we’re talking about a close football game or your favorite animal-print styles, but not when it comes to a seriously uncomfortable illness. But that’s exactly what we’re seeing with all of the recent Hand, Foot & Mouth Disease (HFMD) outbreaks. And if you thought a poison ivy rash, eczema, even chickenpox were bad—then HFMD will definitely knock your socks off.

Now this isn’t to downplay the itchy, uncomfortable and downright annoying symptoms that some of these common conditions cause, but the symptoms of HFMD put it in a category all its own. So besides being rightfully wary of HFMD, what else do you need to know? Most importantly, how can you prevent it?

Here are the 9 facts everyone—regardless of age—should know about HFMD:

1.    You should take its name literally. Unlike many other conditions, namely chicken pox, which causes an all-over red rash, HFMD is strictly limited to the hands, feet, mouth/throat (ouch!) and sometimes the elbows and knees. Experts are still investigating why it doesn’t affect the entire body.

2.    It doesn’t just cause a few red spots, though. While the red rash that appears on the hands and feet may not seem too severe, don’t let the looks of it deceive you. Unlike chicken pox, the red spots that HFMD causes are actually extremely painful—not itchy—and often evolve into blisters.

3.    The worst symptoms are the ones you don’t see. Most of us don’t frequently look in the back of our mouths, but if you did while experiencing HFMD, you would see painful sores called herpangina. These sores can make eating and drinking really difficult.

4.    The early-onset symptoms are super vague. Fever, lack of appetite and a sore throat…sounds a lot like the common cold or the flu. So how can you tell the difference? When it comes to HFMD, the fever will likely be above 101 F, and the painful sores usually develop a few days after these initial symptoms.

5.    It isn’t a condition that’s limited to kids. While it’s true that HFMD is most common in children under 5 years old, adults can get the virus, too. Oftentimes, it’s harder to spot in adults because the virus may not progress the same way. So adults may assume it’s just a bad cold and not have any idea they’re actually spreading the HFMD virus.

6.    Speaking of spreading the virus, it’s extremely contagious.This condition often gets a bad rap as being a disease that’s caused by a lack of hygiene, but that isn’t the case. This isn’t to say that washing your hands frequently is a bad idea, but HFMD is especially spreadable—thanks to the secretions of blisters and mouth sores. Even if you don’t touch the blisters or sores, you can become infected by touching contaminated objects, like doorknobs, toilets, toys and more. Routine hygiene practices + frequent cleaning + handwashing + more handwashing = prevention.

7.    And you’re most likely to get it right now. If the cold and flu viruses are more common during the colder months, you’d think this virus would follow suit. However, HFMD is actually the most common during the summer months into the early fall (just in time for back-to-school).

8.    It can cause a few weird, but totally normal side effects. Just when you thought you were done reading through all of the uncomfortable symptoms, the list continues. Not to worry you, but in some cases HFMD may cause you to lose your fingernails and/or toenails, and it may spread to your genitals. But the main thing to focus on here is that these are all temporary symptoms.

9.    And treating the condition can be complicated. Because HFMD is a virus, it’s difficult for experts to treat the condition directly. However, they can effectively treat the symptoms—which if we're being honest, is the worst part of this disease.

If you believe that you or your little one may be fighting off a case of HFMD, let the experts at GMG Primary Care help. With compassionate, knowledgeable providers, you’ll receive thorough care to tackle all of your tough symptoms. Not feeling well over the weekend or afterhours? Not to worry, ChoiceOne Urgent Care offers convenient care options seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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