Wal-Mart, CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens this month pulled the over-the-counter (OTC) heartburn drug Zantac from their shelves, over concerns that it contains a chemical possibly linked to cancer. Other countries, including Canada, France, Hong Kong, and India, have issued recalls for Zantac and its generic version, ranitidine.
As the evidence against soft drinks keeps piling up, the best advice our concierge family doctors at MD 2.0 in Jupiter can give you is, drink water. Or coffee. Or tea. Anything but a manufactured product containing carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame (in diet sodas), phosphoric acid, natural and artificial flavors, and sodium benzoate as a preservative.
With World Heart Day set to be observed next week, our concierge family doctors at MD 2.0 in Jupiter want to draw your attention to a new study about the part twice-weekly naps can play in improving heart health.
The tiny little insect with the annoying hum is the deadliest creature on earth: Mosquitoes are known to cause as many as two million human deaths worldwide every year. Diseases they can spread to humans include the zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue, yellow fever, and malaria.
September is Arthritis Awareness month, so our concierge family practice doctors at MD 2.0 in Jupiter want to provide the facts about this debilitating condition that affects 53 million American adults and 300,000 children.
The reason our concierge family doctors at MD 2.0 in Jupiter spend so much time focusing on controlling blood pressure is because of the myriad ways hypertension can play havoc with the body’s healthy functioning.
Approximately 150 million people worldwide are victims of jellyfish stings each year. And yes, while rare, you can die from their stings.
We’re not even halfway through summer yet, and we’ve already seen record-high temperatures here in south Florida, which can bring dangerous health impacts. The two most serious are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Our concierge doctors in Jupiter want to remind you of ways you can keep your family safe as temperatures soar.
What to watch for
The Red Cross warns that some people are more at risk of developing a heat-related illness. These include: people aged 65 and older, who are less likely to sense and respond to changes in temperature; people with chronic medical conditions, who may be taking medication that can worsen the impact of extreme heat; infants and young children; and, outdoor workers and athletes, who may be more likely to become dehydrated, particularly in extreme heat.
When keeping an eye on the weather forecast, here’s what the various warning terms mean:
Consequences of extreme heat exposure
Such excessive heat as we’ve been experiencing recently can lead to life-threating heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Most people have heard these terms, but may not fully understand what they mean. We want to explain the differences between the two, because the treatments for each are different.
Heat exhaustion
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says muscle cramping might be the first sign of heat-related illness. It lists the warning signs of heat exhaustion as:
If you or someone you’re with experiences these symptoms, you should move to a cooler location, lie down and loosen your clothing, apply cool, wet cloths to as much of your body as possible, and sip water. If you have vomited and it continues, seek medical attention immediately.
Heat stroke
The signs of heat stroke are:
This is a medical emergency. Call 911 immediately. While waiting for the ambulance, move the person to a cooler environment, and try to reduce the person’s body temperature with cool cloths, or if possible, a cool bath. Do NOT try to give fluids.
Staying safe in the heat
Here are steps you can take to avoid experiencing either of these serious conditions.
Keep these safety tips in mind as you enjoy the outdoor fun in summer, and check with us if you feel more bothered than usual by the heat. This could be a sign of a medical condition that warrants investigation.
This week is National Rip Current Awareness Week, so our concierge doctors in Jupiter want to acquaint you with this common, often-deadly, phenomenon. The National Weather Service (NWS) has already reported 17 surf zone fatalities nationwide this year, including one in Jupiter, and another nearby, from rip currents. The beach, while beautiful, needs to be approached respectfully.
An average of 100 people die in rip currents every year, and nearly 80 percent of all rescues—30,000 a year—made by lifeguards at ocean beaches are from rip currents. Although they can occur at any time, they are especially prevalent when the ocean is churned up with powerful offshore storms.
But bad weather is not necessarily a requirement for developing a rip current. Great weather for the beach does not always mean it’s safe to swim, or even to play in the shallows. Rip currents often form on calm, sunny days.
Rip currents are often incorrectly called “rip tides.” A tide is something different: a very gradual change in the level of water, occurring on a regular basis over a period of hours.
A rip current is a powerful, narrow channel of fast-moving water that can rush at speeds of up to eight feet per second, pulling swimmers away from the shore out into open water. They usually extend through the line of breaking waves, but can flow a hundred yards or more offshore. They can be as narrow as 20 feet or as broad as several hundred yards wide.
Often referred to as “undertow,” rip currents don’t actually pull swimmers under the water. The strongest pull is actually felt about a foot above the bottom of the ocean’s floor, which can knock your feet out from under you, making you feel you’re being pulled under, even though you’re not. But because of the current’s power, as the shoreline rapidly recedes, swimmers panic, struggle, exhaust themselves, and drown.
Rip currents are most prevalent at low tide, when the water is already receding from the beach. They are also more likely to occur with a strong onshore wind.
Though often difficult to discern from the shore, some of the telltale signs are:
Remember, though, that many rip currents are completely invisible. The only time you can be certain there are no rip currents hidden in the water is if there are no breaking waves. No waves, no rip.
The U.S. Lifesaving Association (USLA) warns that not even Olympic swimmers can swim against a rip current, because the pull is simply too powerful. According to the USLA, the most important thing to do when caught in a rip current is to remain calm. This helps you conserve energy and think clearly. Realize that you will not be pulled indefinitely out to sea; remember that most rip currents dissipate within a hundred yards of shore.
Finally, never swim at a beach without a lifeguard nearby. The USLA reports that the chances of drowning at a beach with a lifeguard are 1 in 18 million.
If you have concerns or questions about this or any other health-related topic, please feel free to contact us.
Our concierge family practice doctors in Jupiter have heard it more than once: “I don’t understand it. I’m grieving more for my pet than I did when my parent died.”
That statement may be shocking to some, but research has shown this reaction is not uncommon. This may be due to a number of reasons.
People who have never had pets, or who haven’t shared a close relationship with them, may not understand the deep bond that can exist between a human and their companion animals. They may minimize or even dismiss the grief that can accompany the death of a pet.
Pet owners may grieve more for their animals than humans in their lives because our relationship with our pets may be more uncomplicated than those we share with humans. They offer unconditional love, and let us offer that to them. In addition, we see our animals every day, whereas parents, siblings, and friends may not be as physically close to us.
As with the loss of humans in our lives, we also feel grief when a pet dies because, as anyone who has spent time around an animal knows, each of them possesses a unique personality, so we miss that “person” as we would any human individual we’ve come to know and love.
Finally, there’s the fact that our animals totally rely on us to feed and care for them, offering a kind of normalcy to every day, similar to the way infant children are dependent on their parents for constant care.
This dependent relationship also complicates the loss, because pet owners may feel unneeded after an animal dies, or—quite commonly—feel they’re somehow responsible for the death.
“If only I’d taken him to the vet sooner.” “Why didn’t I close the gate so she didn’t get into the road?” “I should have had him euthanized sooner/later” is an especially common reaction. These natural feelings add to the grief, and may make it more difficult to cope with.
When guilt rears its ugly head, it’s best to remember you did the best you could for the animal you love given the information you had at the time. If the pet died through a preventable accident, you need to forgive yourself and remember it wasn’t deliberate. Also, try to focus on the good life you gave him/her.
Finally, check with us if your grief interferes with your life, you feel that these steps aren’t helping, or you have thoughts of suicide. We can help.
