At work, at the store, at school - you can catch a cold anywhere. And it’s miserable! Naturally, to get some relief, you head to your walk-in clinic in Wellington and ask for drugs. The doctor complies, writing you a prescription for amoxicillin. But wait - didn’t you say you had a cold? Why are you taking antibiotics? There’s a big misunderstanding of what antibiotics do, and when you should use them.
Antibiotics are a class of drugs that act against bacteria and are used in the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections. Common bacterial infections include bacterial pneumonia, strep throat, and a number of sexually transmitted infections. Antibiotics either inhibit the growth of these “bad” bacteria or kill them outright, which enables you to feel better.
Antibiotics are not, however, an effective class of drugs against viral infections or fungal infections. That means if you have the flu, Lyme disease, or hepatitis (all viruses), antibiotics are not going to help you feel better. Antibiotics also won’t work on fungal infections like yeast infections or athlete’s foot.
So what is a conscientious person to do, especially if they want to feel better? Well, the first thing is to be honest about what your illness is. If you have a cold, you can treat the symptoms and let the virus run its course. For serious viruses, like Hepatitis B or HIV, you can manage them with antiviral medications; for fungal infections, you need antifungal drugs.
If you have a bacterial infection, though, go to your walk-in clinic in Palm Springs, get that prescription and use it properly. That means taking the drugs exactly as the doctor prescribes them - every day, in the proper dosage, and until you’re finished. Don’t take an extra pill because you hope it will act faster; don’t stop taking the antibiotics when you feel better. Believe it or not, these are ways that can actually make you sicker in the long run. How?
The biggest concern about the overuse or misuse of antibiotics - i.e. when they are prescribed to treat viral or fungal infections or when they aren’t used as prescribed - is that they become less effective against the illnesses they’re meant to treat. When antibiotics are used improperly - and this also includes not taking the proper dosage or not finishing a course prescribed by your doctor, the bacteria which they fight against adapt and become stronger. Then, the antibiotic doesn’t work anymore and when you are sick with the same infection, you can’t treat it. See what we mean about getting sicker in the long run?
A famous example is strep throat. While this illness is awful in its basic form, it has evolved to an even more dangerous version called MRSA - or “methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus.” MRSA doesn’t respond to traditional antibiotics for strep and can be fatal. It also happens to be quite contagious, which is why you will hear reports of outbreaks in hospitals and communities.
Have more questions about antibiotics? The staff at our walk-in clinic in Wellington are happy to answer any questions you have about your health. When you come in with symptoms, we don’t automatically prescribe antibiotics; we diagnose the root of the problem first. We are open 7 days a week for your convenience.
No matter where you live in the Palm Beaches, if you are in school or have a child in school, you know it’s time for fall sports. In Florida, students can sign up for bowling, golf, cross country, football, volleyball or swimming and diving. With more and more students specializing in one sport year-round, doctors across the Palm Beaches are seeing repetitive use injuries as well as more serious ones.
What are some common fall sports injuries and how can you avoid or treat them? We tell you in this article.
Tendinitis can strike wherever there’s a tendon - and that means that pretty much every athlete is susceptible. For golfers and bowlers, tendinitis - or inflammation of the tendon - is most common in the wrist and elbow (despite it being called “tennis elbow,” it can occur in any sport!), while swimmers are most likely to experience it in their biceps and runners in their Achilles (ankle). Tendinitis mostly arises from overuse and from muscle imbalance. If you already have symptoms, then your best bet is to take an anti-inflammatory medicine and rest or visit our urgent care in Palm Springs to get it looked at. If you are just beginning to suspect you might have it, hit the weight room and solve your muscle imbalances. Strengthening the muscles around the joint will ensure your tendon doesn’t have to work so hard to provide stability.
Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) are among the most common injuries affecting fall sports athletes, whether they are volleyball players, football players, runners or even bowlers and golfers. All it takes is a wrong step, a bad twist or a hard hit to dislocate the knee from it’s normal orientation and tear the knee ligaments in the process. Although it’s hard to avoid entirely unless you quit the sport, the risk of ACL and MCL injuries can be reduced through weight training, especially in the gluteal region. Get that butt in gear and make it your strongest, most stable body part. Doing a lot of core work will help you, as well. If you think you have already torn your ACL or MCL, avoid the ER and head to your urgent care center in Palm Springs for diagnosis and any necessary referrals.
Outside of broken bones, concussion is the gravest injury facing football players this fall. The signs and symptoms can be subtle but the impact of even a couple bad concussions can be long-lasting, according to doctors from Harvard Medical School. That’s because a concussion comes as a result of a severe blow to the head which shifts the brain quickly in one direction before crashing to a stop and resulting in its impact with the inside of your head. This impact results in nerve cells being stretched and the connections between them coming loose - which is why some of the symptoms of concussion include dizziness, confusion, headache and sometimes loss of consciousness. If you suspect you have a concussion or that your child has had one, it is critical to come to our urgent care in Palm Springs. Although you can’t prevent the effects once the damage has occurred, you will receive a diagnosis and treatment.
Any injury that impacts your ability to do daily tasks should be checked by a doctor, whether it’s a jammed finger from playing volleyball or a twisted ankle from a bad stop on the cross-country course. Our urgent care center in Palm Springs accepts you 7 days a week with no appointment necessary, meaning it can be quick and easy to get diagnosed and back on the road to health.
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