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Protecting Your Family’s Health
Whether it’s staying up to date on your vaccinations or knowing when and where to seek emergency care — there are plenty of things you can do to improve your health as a family.
Here are a few top ways from our team at Excel ER:
Knowing Your Risks of Common Illnesses
Both children and adults are more at risk for certain illnesses and conditions according to their age — especially elderly patients and newborns. In addition, your family history has a big impact on what conditions you are predisposed to.
Staying Up to Date on Your Vaccinations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults have these vaccines during different stages of life to help prevent getting and spreading certain diseases:
- Adults aged 19-26: should get vaccinations for Td/Tdap and HPV.
- Adults aged 50 and older: should get vaccinations for shingles, pneumococcal polysaccharide, and pneumococcal conjugate.
- Healthcare workers should get vaccinated for hepatitis B, MMR (Measles, Mumps, & Rubella), Varicella (Chickenpox), and Meningococcal.
The following vaccinations are recommended for children of different ages:
- Hepatitis B: 1st dose at birth, 2nd dose at 1-2 months, 3rd dose at 4-15 months.
- Rotavirus: 1st dose at 2 months, 2nd dose at 4 months.
- DTAP: 1st dose at 2 months, 2nd dose at 4 months, 3rd dose at 6 months, 4th dose between 15 through 18 months, and 5th dose between 4 through 6 years.
- Poliovirus: 1st dose at 2 months, 2nd dose at 4 months, 3rd dose at 6 to 15 months.
- Influenza: should be received every year at the start of the flu season.
Speak to your child’s pediatrician for all vaccination recommendations.
Flu Shots
The CDC recommends that everyone six months and older should receive a flu shot once a year. Individuals that are at higher risk for severe flu symptoms should especially consider being vaccinated, including:
- Those with chronic conditions, like asthma and diabetes.
- Those with heart disease.
- Adults over the age of 65.
- Pregnant women.
- Those who have HIV or AIDS.
Patients in these risk groups should receive their flu shots and maintain proper social distancing guidelines to reduce their chances of contracting a respiratory virus.
Seeking Out the Medical Care You Need
Often, patients delay care out of fear of the emergency room. However, delaying emergency medical attention can have life-altering consequences. Here are a few common reasons patients visit the emergency room:
Cardiac Issues
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, yet many patients don’t know they have a life-threatening condition until they require emergency medical attention.
Chest discomfort is the most common sign of a heart condition and may feel differently for every patient. It tends to last longer than a few minutes and can easily be confused as chest tightness related to strain — such as during exercise or stress.
Patients who have a blocked artery or are having a heart attack may feel pain, tightness, or pressure in their chest and should seek immediate medical attention. Addition signs of a cardiac issue include:
- Pain in the arms.
- Feeling dizzy or lightheaded.
- Sweating.
- Swollen ankles or feet.
- Irregular heartbeat.
Flu-Like Symptoms
The flu has the potential to become a medical emergency for some patients, especially if these symptoms are present:
- Fever or cough that improves but then returns or worsens.
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen.
- Persistent dizziness, confusion, inability to arouse.
- Lack of urination.
- Severe muscle pain, weakness, or unsteadiness.
Vomiting
While you may have the stomach flu or another related condition, vomiting can be a sign of a serious condition. If you are throwing up uncontrollably, can’t keep anything down, and are becoming dehydrated, you should seek medical attention.
Stomach Flu
Typically, two of the leading causes of stomach pain in children is the stomach flu or food poisoning. Symptoms can be very similar, but knowing the difference is not always easy to do.
If your child experiences these symptoms, you should bring them in to Excel ER for emergency treatment:
- Frequent vomiting and diarrhea.
- Extreme pain.
- Can't keep down liquids for more than three days.
- Temperature higher than 101.5.
- Signs of severe dehydration.
- Neurological symptoms (such as blurry vision or muscle weakness.)
Strep Throat
Typically, if your sore throat lasts longer than a few days and is accompanied by these other serious symptoms, you should seek emergency care:
- Joint pain.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Inability to swallow.
- Abdominal pain.
- Fever.
- Rash.
Pneumonia
During 2017–2018, 37.2% of emergency room visits for influenza and pneumonia by adults resulted in hospital admission. Some warning signs and symptoms to be cautious of include:
- Severe coughs resulting in bloody, yellow mucus.
- Persistent coughs.
- Fever or chills.
- Slow or heavy breathing.
- Chest pain.
- Loss of appetite.
Migraines
Believe it or not, headaches and migraines are some of the most common reasons for a trip
to the emergency room — whether because of a chronic problem or trauma and sickness.
A severe secondary headache or migraine that starts suddenly can signify that you have an
underlying health condition. According to the American Migraine Foundation, if you
experience these symptoms, you should seek immediate treatment:
- Fever.
- Convulsions.
- Weakness.
- Vision loss or double vision.
Emergency Treatment in Longview, Nacogdoches, and Odessa
If you experience any of the above symptoms or have questions about your health, don’t hesitate to seek the care you need. Contact us online, call us at (903) 500-7321, or stop into or one of our locations in Longview, Nacogdoches, and Odessa today.
