If you’re reading this any time around the holidays, then the flu bug wants a piece of you.

Influenza is a seasonal virus (November to May) that affects the sinuses, nose, throat and lungs. It’s mostly spread by secretions from the nose and mouth, like when you cough or sneeze. The most severe forms are seen in those who are very old or very young, as well as those with chronic medical problems like lung disease or diabetes.

But anyone can get infected.

Most people experience high fevers, headache, muscle aches and sore throat within a day of getting exposed, and can spread the disease up to 5 days after symptoms start. In susceptible folks, it can cause more severe illnesses, including pneumonia — and even death in about 36,000 Americans (or 14 World Trade Centers) every year.

The best way to prevent flu is to be vaccinated.

There are two kinds of vaccinations: injections and nasal sprays. The spray route is limited to healthy people ages 5-49, is a live virus vaccine, and can occasionally lead to a mild case of the flu.

The injection type is made from inactivated virus, so you cannot get influenza from the flu shot, and it can be received by a wider variety of patients, including children ages 6 months or above. The Centers for Disease Control encourages everyone to be vaccinated against flu, but emphasizes vaccination in certain groups that are high risk:

• children ages 6 months to 5 years
• pregnant women
• people with chronic medical conditions, like lung disease and diabetes
• being 50 or older, even if healthy
• health care workers
• caregivers of chronically ill or elderly people
• parents of children less than 6 months of age

Do NOT get vaccinated if you

• are allergic to chicken eggs
• have had a prior severe reaction to flu vaccine
• have a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• currently have a fever from an illness

Flu vaccine is available now. Please contact your doctor for a vaccination.

I’d like to share a resource with you, which I’ve personally found helpful for getting fit, and recommended to family, friends, and patients.

It’s a dvd called FlowFit, and in a health promotion unique to the industry, its manufacturer is now offering it free to every American (one dvd per household). No strings attached.

Continue reading →

Something radically new is coming to Orange County, and we hope you are as excited about it as we are.

After 12 years of operation, Family Care Centers Medical Group is moving into the 21st century with this Health and Wellness blog. Distinct from our office website that clarifies our location, services, hours of operation, and insurance information, this blog is about our philosophy of health.

We firmly believe that wellness is more than about treating illness once it has already begun; we encourage you to move to “the next level” of preventing problems proactively, and improving the function that you already have.

This blog is specifically designed to bring you, our existing and new patients (welcome!) the most up to date information on health and wellness in Orange County. While we hope to be a fun read, our aim isn’t to simply entertain, or to be controversial for controversy’s sake. Our goal is solely to provide information and discussions that help you

1. to be better informed about your body and how it works
2. to be clearer about your medical options
3. to be more aware about community resources and even national events that can help or affect you and your family.

Our aim is to work with you; come on back to see why, and how.

Welcome to Family Care Medical Group Blog! Our goal for this blog is to bring you articles, news and announcements about health topics and questions we get asked in our practice.