Wednesday, 13 April 2016

A Great Family Doctor Makes for a Happy Baby

Your baby means the world to you and should mean the world to your doctor too. A great family doctor is not only knowledgeable, but willing to go the extra mile to make you and your little one happy.


How to Find the Right Family Physician


Whether because of a move or because your current family doctor is retiring, sometimes you find yourself in the situation of needing to find a new physician. As you begin your search, you should keep a few things in mind to ensure you find just the right fit.

Get Recommendations and Check Reviews

Begin by asking friends or family members which doctor they use and if that person is taking on new patients. It is also a good idea to check online review websites to get a good idea of the doctor’s overall reputation. Don’t forget to ensure his or her license is up to date.

Look for Someone Who Likes Children

A true family doctor will be competent and feel comfortable treating patients of all ages. Does the doctor and his or her staff seem patient with your children? Do they have a play area that proves they are truly for families, or is the office dark or uncomfortable?

Consider Convenience

Before you make your first appointment, be sure the doctor accepts your medical insurance so you don’t end up paying for an appointment out of pocket. You should also consider their hours. Evening and weekend hours give you more flexibility to work around school and work schedules.

Above all else, go with your gut feeling when it comes to choosing a physician in Hampstead. Learn more by visiting this web page.

Friday, 18 March 2016

What to Do if You Have Been Injured at Work

Workplace injuries are common occurrences, even when proper precautions are taken. There are several things you should do after a workplace injury including:

•    Fill out worker’s compensation forms
•    File incident report
•    Seek medical attention

Filing Necessary Paperwork

After an incident at work results in injury, most employers will want the injured person to fill out paperwork. If you are injured at work, you will most likely have to fill out a worker’s compensation form. This can make it easier to receive ongoing medical treatment for the injury and can help in the event you have to take time off work. You and witnesses to the accident may also have to fill out incident reports. This involves everyone present giving his or her account as to what happened.

Going to the Doctor

Workplace injuries occur every day. Some may be minor while others can be quite serious. It’s important to have all injuries looked at by a medical professional right away. Doctors and nurses at urgent care can perform thorough physical exams, take necessary bloodwork and get x-rays or other scans to help diagnose and treat injuries. All of this will help the injured worker get back on their feet and return to work faster. For workplace injury treatment in San Diego, visit this website.

Know the Difference Between Urgent Care and the Emergency Room

Urgent care is designed to treat illnesses and injuries that need immediate care, but because they’re not life-threatening, they don’t warrant a hospital emergency room visit.

When to Go to Urgent Care

Because the majority of urgent care facilities have x-ray equipment, you can go there for fractures and sprains. They can also give IVs if you’re dehydrated, as well as routine physicals. However, even though urgent care can complete a physical, it’s not in their scope to follow up with you after that like a family doctor would.

Urgent care can also treat most lacerations, except in those situations where the cut is extremely deep to the point that you could be in danger of losing a limb. But, if you do show up with a severe cut like that, since time is of the essence, you’re not going to necessarily be turned away.

When to Go to the Emergency Room

Compared to urgent care, hospitals have more resources at their disposal to address the most severe issues. If you ever have any of these symptoms then, head to ER:

•    Confusion
•    Severe headache
•    Sudden tingling or weakness
•    Sudden blurred or loss of vision
•    Extreme abdominal pain
•    Head trauma or severe bleeding
•    Suspected overdose or poisoning
•    Loss of consciousness or seizures
•    Problems breathing
•    Chest pain

Take a look at this website to find out more on the types of illness an urgent care deals with and to look for a center for illness treatment in San Diego.

Why Urgent Care Is Fast Becoming the Top Choice for Medical Care

Often referred to as minor emergency rooms, the value of an urgent care center is simple: an appointment is not necessary. Compared to an ER visit, the costs are more affordable as well and are usually much clearer than the confusing bills you usually get from a hospital or emergency room.

Urgent Care is Fulfilling a Need That Doctors’ Offices Can’t

Urgent care centers treat non life-threatening acute conditions, usually in less than an hour. Many doctors’ offices can’t make that claim and even fewer emergency rooms can.

When asked, patients state that having a medical care facility to go to on a walk-in basis is beyond helpful. Many have grown tired of reaching out to their doctors, only to find that they are often not available for same day appointments or are closed on weekends. Until physicians expand their availability and hours, urgent care centers are here to stay.

Only a Small Percentage Are Turned Away

It's not common for a center to turn a person away. With only two to four percent, however, it does happen on occasion. A person may be turned away if a:

•    Heart attack or stroke is suspected
•    Injury is so serious that the facility doesn’t have the resources to treat it

Visit this website to learn more about what is considered an urgent care injury and to know where to find an immediate care center in San Diego.

Diagnostic Scans

When you have a medical emergency or you are under the weather, one diagnostic tool doctors can use is an x-ray. This type of scan can help quickly diagnose broken bones and other injuries or illnesses in a non-invasive way.



What to Expect When Getting an X-Ray

If you are sick or injured, doctors may order several tests to help diagnose and treat you. One such test is an x-ray. Here is what you should expect when getting an x-ray.

1.  Answer Medical Questions

Your doctor may ask you a series of questions about the injury or illness. They may ask you where it hurts, how long it’s been bothering you or, if you’re a woman, if you could be pregnant.

2. Removing Jewelry and Clothing

If you are wearing jewelry or glasses, you may be asked to remove them before your x-ray. You may also be asked to remove certain articles of clothing or wear a hospital gown for the scan.

3. The X-Ray

When you need an x-ray, you may be taken by wheelchair to radiology. During the scan itself, protective coverings may be placed on your reproductive organs. The technician may ask you to hold your breath or change positions for scans from multiple angles. The x-ray should not cause any additional discomfort.

4. The Aftermath

The technician will look at the x-rays to make sure he or she was able to get clear pictures, but you will usually have to wait until your doctor looks at the scans to hear the results. The doctor may tell you immediately or you may have to wait for a phone call. For x-ray services in San Diego, visit this website.

The ABCs of an EKG


A test that measures the electrical activity of the heart, the electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a noninvasive procedure, which means it’s not painful, used to detect an underlying heart condition. Electrical sensing devices, called leads, are placed in different locations on your body. By looking at the characteristic EKG test patterns, the medical specialist can determine if you have a heart condition or not.

What heart conditions can be detected from an EKG?

•    Irregular or abnormally fast heartbeat
•    Heartbeat that is too slow
•    Metabolic disorder
•    Previous or imminent heart attack
•    Blood flow problem due to the threat of a heart attack
•    Heart condition due to a heart or systemic disease (like high blood pressure or a thyroid condition)
•    Adverse effect on the heart from certain lung conditions
•    Congenital heart abnormality
•    Abnormal blood electrolytes
•    Inflammation of the heart lining or of the heart

When is an EKG test conducted?

An EKG test is performed as part of a routine exam or before surgery, especially when a person is older. It’s also conducted when someone is experiencing uncomfortable symptoms that may be related to a heart ailment, such as:

•    Palpitations
•    Dizziness or fainting
•    Shortness of breath
•    Chest pain

Visit this website to learn more on what an EKG test can tell you about your health and to find a location for EKG testing in San Diego.

Calif. Health Agency, Housing Authority Open Community Health Center

The head of Clinica Sierra Vista is always looking for good space for health centers, nice places that its often-struggling patients would want to return to for care... read more

What Urgent Care Can Do for Your Child


When you are a parent you know that children have accidents or get sick no matter what time of day. There are certain situations that warrant taking your child to urgent care including:

•    Your primary care doctor’s office is closed
•    Your child is showing flu-like symptoms
•    Your child is injured

After Hours Care

If you work during the day, then you know it can be difficult to get your child to the doctor for physicals. When your child because ill in the evening or falls and hurts his or her arm, it can be even more difficult to seek medical care without going to the emergency room. Urgent care can help by bridging the gap between primary and emergency care.

Urgent Illness or Injury

If your child has an earache, sore throat, fever or bad cough, urgent care can help diagnose and treat your child quickly. These and other flu-like symptoms are among the many reasons to head to urgent care. If your child falls of his or her bike and you suspect a broken bone or sprain, urgent care medical staff can get x-rays and other scans to help determine the severity of the injury. Pediatric urgent care can help give parents peace of mind. For pediatric urgent care in San Diego, visit this website.