Archive for February, 2012
The flu is very common at this time of year, but if you start showing signs and symptoms of something more serious, it is important to be able to identify your illness. While people generally recover from the flu quickly, it can turn into pneumonia, which causes more deaths globally than any other infectious disease. Knowing the signs and symptoms of pneumonia can help you get the treatment you need to get well quickly.
Pneumonia is a lung infection that causes illness ranging from mild to severe. Even though it can be dangerous, it is largely preventable and treatable. You can reduce your risk of contracting pneumonia by practicing good hygiene, and getting vaccines to protect yourself from bacteria and viruses that can cause pneumonia.
The symptoms pneumonia presents with include coughing, fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing or shortness of breath, chills, and chest pain. In the United States, the most common bacterial cause of pneumonia is pneumococcus, and the most common viral causes are influenza and respiratory viruses. Data from the American Lung Association indicates that viruses are the cause of half of all cases of pneumonia. Adults over age sixty-five, children under age five, and people with underlying medical conditions like diabetes or HIV are at higher risk of pneumonia, as are people who smoke cigarettes or have asthma. People infected with the bacteria or viruses can transmit the illnesses, even if they do not have symptoms of illness.
In fact, seventy percent of us have pneumonia-causing bacteria in our throats at this moment! If you have a healthy immune system, your body will fight off the bacteria, but it your immune system is compromised, the pneumonia will reach your lungs and make you sick. Getting the flu shot is a good way to protect yourself from pneumonia, as is a healthy lifestyle. If you do get sick, make sure to get plenty of rest, stay hydrated, and seek medical attention if you do not improve within a reasonable period. In addition, there is now a vaccine that can kill the pneumonia-causing bacteria. If you have a child under twenty-three months of age, discuss this vaccine with your pediatrician.
If you are suffering from cold or flu symptoms that do not seem to be improving, you may need to seek medical treatment. When that time comes, consider First Choice as an alternative to a traditional ER. A freestanding clinic, First Choice offers adult and pediatric care from qualified doctors and nurses. Visit the website to learn more, of connect with the online community on Facebook and Twitter.
Expert tips from a First Choice ER Doctor.
What are signs of the flu? This time of year, when people feel sick, they often think that they might be coming down with the flu. Flu is sometimes used as a catchall word to describe illness, but sometimes it can be very serious. So how do you know if you have the flu? More importantly, when is it time to go to make an appointment, and when should you go to the ER?
There are different types of flu, but the deciding factor in seeking medical attention is not the type of flu you have, but the severity of your symptoms. Serious symptoms include:
- Fever over one hundred and two degrees
- Severe fatigue
- Persistent cough with yellow or green phlegm
- Dehydration from vomiting or diarrhea- this manifests as thirst and light-headedness
- Confusion
- Shortness of breath
Your doctor may be able to treat these symptoms with an antiviral medication, like Tamiflu, but if the symptoms are severe enough, you may end up in the hospital. Infants and pregnant women with these symptoms should be seen as soon as possible, and that might mean an emergency room visit. People with chronic conditions, like COPD, diabetes, asthma, or congestive heart failure should also be seen quickly. A next day appointment is probably fine, but if there is no appointment available, a trip to the ER may be warranted.
Children usually recover without medical treatment, so you are typically better off keeping them home. There are, of course, some exceptions to this rule, and you should seek medical attention if your child has no interest in playing, decreased fluid intake and urination, or shortness of breath. Not being able to keep down food is less of a problem than you might think; healthy people can usually go without food for a week or two without ill effects. The important thing is to stay hydrated. Good sources of hydration are water, soup, sports drinks, and popsicles, but you should avoid milk, as it can make diarrhea worse. Tylenol and Motrin are good options for reducing fever, though they do not cure the virus, so you will have to take them as long as you are having symptoms.
A freestanding clinic, open year round, First Choice is staffed by licensed ER doctors and nurses, and can handle both adult and pediatric medicine. Visit the website to learn more, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter, our PIN us on Pinterest!
As many of you know, First Choice ER, in an effort to teach the community how to prevent the flu, has kicked off and concluded the first week of the “Catch The Flu” campaign. If you haven’t yet registered to play, hop on over to the website and register for a chance to win $200 each week and the chance for the grand prize of a MacBook Air!
We are happy to announce, our week 1 winner, by submitting a photo of herself with one of the places the flu hides, a shopping cart, is Trisha Johnson! We had the opportunity to sit down and talk to her about the contest and see how it feels to be a big winner!
#1. What is your experience with First Choice Emergency Room?
I first learned about FCER by attending the Alden Bridge promotion at Chick-fil-A and have been following on Facebook ever since. So far I haven’t required medical services, but I have a 4 month old baby girl and a husband that is sometimes exposed to harmful conditions through his work. There is a First Choice where I live and considering the great reviews, cost efficiency, and location I’m sure I will walk through the doors eventually.
#2. What made you decide to participate in the “Catch The Flu” promotion?
I’m not going to lie, the prizes!
#3. With the “Catch The Flu” promotion being focused on First Choice ER launching their brand new “MyER” blogs what type of information would you like us to share with our fans and followers?
The information that’s been shared so far has been great, I especially like it when the focus is on babies/children. I would also be interested in reading about what to do within the first few moments of an actual emergency situation.
#4. What is your favorite thing to do for entertainment when you’re not playing a First Choice Emergency Room promotion?
Right now, enjoying my beautiful baby girl learn about the world around her.
Remember as always to join us in our social communities at Facebook and Twitter. Do you like to Pin on Pinterest? Follow us there too! We love to have a lot of fun (and give away prizes too!). Stay tuned next week and don’t forget to play for your chance at $200 in week 2! Best of luck!
Freestanding Emergency Room Continues First-Class Customer Service with Extension of Hours to 24 Hours.
League City, TX (PRWEB) February 23, 2012
First Choice Emergency Room, the largest freestanding emergency room network in Texas, is pleased to announce that its South Shore
"We’re thrilled to be extending the hours of this freestanding emergency room. It reflects the need of the community for our state-of-the-art emergency rooms which enable us to deliver world-class customer service and medical care...24/7."
Harbour location in League City is extending its hours of service. The ER, which is known for delivering no-wait patient service, will now be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“We’re thrilled to be extending the hours of this freestanding emergency room,” said Rick Covert, chief executive officer of First Choice Emergency Room. “It reflects the need of the community for our state-of-the-art emergency rooms which enable us to deliver world-class customer service and medical care that exceeds our customer’s expectations, 24/7.”
There are twelve freestanding emergency rooms across Texas in the First Choice network. The first of these opened nearly a decade ago, but the concept of a freestanding emergency room is still quite new. However, for patients seeking a fully equipped, freestanding ER with more advanced medical diagnostic equipment than neighborhood urgent care centers, First Choice Emergency Room should be their first choice.
Everything one might expect from a hospital emergency room can be found in a First Choice Emergency Room, except for the wait. Digital x-rays, CT scanners, board-certified doctors, and extensively trained nurses are all found at each First Choice freestanding emergency room facility.
Thanks to the extended hours of service, patients can now receive the medical care they need, and the personal attention they deserve day or night. The address of the South Shore Harbour ER is 3033 Marina Bay Drive, Ste 100, League City, TX 77573. Contact the facility at (281) 549-9400 or visit: http://www.fcer.com/locations/houston-map/south-shore-harbour/
ABOUT FIRST CHOICE EMERGENCY ROOM:
First Choice Emergency Room is revolutionizing the delivery of emergency medical services for adult and pediatric emergencies, both major and minor. First Choice Emergency Room facilities are innovative, freestanding, fully equipped emergency rooms. All physicians are board-certified emergency physicians, and all FCER nurses are emergency trained. With seven locations in the Houston area, four in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and one in the Austin area, patients receive high-quality treatment without delay as commonly experienced in hospital ERs.
For more information, locations and hours, visit http://www.FCER.com or call toll-free 866-99-FIRST (34778).
Expert tips from a First Choice ER Doctor.
As cold and flu season drags on, you may wish there was a crash course in flu shot facts, sort of a Flu Shots 101. With so much conflicting information floating around, it is hard to know what to think, and what action to take for your family. Fortunately, we can help you understand what to know about flu shots, by answering some common questions.
How serious is the flu? The flu can be extremely serious, and some people die each year after contracting the virus. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone over six months of age get a flu vaccine, and children are particularly at risk: ninety million children under age five get the flu each year.- What’s the difference between the seasonal vaccine, and the H1N1 vaccine? The seasonal flu vaccine protects against three kinds of influenza, based on which strains the experts feel are most likely this season. H1N1 protects against one particular type of influenza. H1N1 is recommended for pregnant women, people who live with or care for infants under six months old, everyone between the ages of six months and twenty-four years, and people between twenty-four years and sixty-four yeas who have compromised immune systems. For some reason, people over sixty-five years old are not particularly vulnerable to H1N1, so the vaccine is not recommended for them.
- How effective is the flu shot? The effectiveness of the flu shot is reported at between sixty and ninety percent, because it varies from person to person. Older children and adults typically have the best success rate with the flu vaccine.
- Why is it important for children to get a flu shot? Children who are in school or daycare settings are at a high risk for contracting influenza. It is then easy for them to bring the illness home to the rest of the family.
- Is there anyone who should not get a flu shot? Yes. Children under six months of age should not have the vaccine, nor should anyone with an egg allergy, history of Guillain-Barre syndrome, or a prior adverse reaction to the flu shot.
- Are there side effects that warrant seeing a doctor? Yes! Call your doctor immediately, or go to an emergency room, if you have severe swelling, difficulty breathing, or numbness, as these can be signs of allergy or serious complications that can sometimes be fatal.
Now that you have been through our Flu Shots 101 course, you should have enough information on what to know about flu shots to make an informed decision about the flu vaccine. Furthermore, don’t forget to play the “Catch The Flu” contest for your chance to win $200 each week and a grand prize of a MacBook Air! If you find yourself in need of emergency care, consider First Choice Emergency Room, an alternative to traditional emergency rooms. First Choice is fully equipped to handle both adults and children, and you can learn more by visiting the website or joining the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
New freestanding ER will operate twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
First Choice Emergency Room, the leading operator of freestanding emergency rooms in the state of Texas, today announced the opening of its newest location in the Greater Houston area.
Opening on Friday, February 24, the new 24-hour emergency room is located in Kingwood, just west of Woodland Hills on Northpark Drive.
“We’re really proud to be opening our eighth location in Houston,” said Rick Covert, CEO of First Choice Emergency Room. “Houston continues to grow and we are growing with it.”
The company also operates ERs in Humble, Spring, Cypress, The Woodlands, Pearland, League City and on Louetta Road in Houston, as well as four locations in Dallas and one in Georgetown.
Founded in 2002, First Choice Emergency Room is at the forefront of a fast-growing segment of the healthcare industry: freestanding neighborhood emergency rooms.
First Choice Emergency Room offers a standard of care equal to that found in traditional ERs, but without the crowds and long wait times. All of the company’s ERs feature sophisticated diagnostic equipment and on-site laboratories.
“Our staff is trained in the highest level of emergency care,” Covert said. “All of the company’s physicians are board-certified emergency physicians, and all of the nurses are trained in emergency care. It’s the high level of medical care you should expect, but with one important difference from a traditional ER – at First Choice Emergency Room we provide the personal attention we believe patients deserve.”
First Choice Emergency Room operates the largest network of freestanding ERs in the state of Texas. The company has been named to Inc. Magazine’s list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States for the past two years and to DFW’s Top 100 Privately Held Business’ for the past six years.
The new Kingwood facility’s address is: 2158 Northpark Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339. For more information, visit the Kingwood page at http://www.fcer.com/locations/houston-map/kingwood/
About First Choice Emergency Room:
First Choice Emergency Room is revolutionizing the delivery of emergency medical services for adult and pediatric emergencies, both major and minor. First Choice Emergency Room facilities are innovative, freestanding, fully equipped emergency rooms. All physicians are board-certified emergency physicians, and all FCER nurses are emergency trained. With seven locations in the Houston area, four in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and one in the Austin area, patients receive high-quality treatment without delay as commonly experienced in hospital ERs.
For more information, locations and hours, visit http://www.FCER.com or call toll-free 866-99-FIRST (34778)
Winter is in full swing, and staying healthy may come down to following cold and flu prevention tips. While it is easy to catch the flu, preventing the flu is not as difficult as you might think. In fact, it might be as easy as taking these common sense precautions for flu prevention.
Get a flu shot. This is not 100 percent effective in preventing the flu, but it is certainly one of the best preventive measures—one that proves to be bout 70 percent to 90 percent effective. Your best bet is to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available in the fall, but getting it later in the season is still better than not getting it at all.- Wash up! Frequent hand washing is the best way to keep from spreading germs, including the influenza virus. Use warm water and soap, and rub your hands together for at least fifteen to twenty seconds. If you are not sure how long that is, sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice. If you are not able to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer to clean up after you’ve touched anything in a public place.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Your mother always told you that covering your mouth was the first step in cold and flu prevention, and she was right! Use a handkerchief, tissue, or paper towel to cover up, to avoid getting germs on your hands, and if none of those things are available, sneeze into the crook of your elbow.
- Do not touch your face. Rubbing your eyes, scratching your nose, biting your nails, or playing with your hair—each of these is a great way to introduce the flu virus to your vulnerable mucus membranes. Keep the flu out of your body by keeping your hands off your face.
- Live a healthy life. Eating right, exercising, getting plenty of sleep, and keeping stress to a minimum are good habits for any day, but are crucial during flu season. Make sure your diet contains plenty of fruits and vegetables, get at least thirty minutes of exercise each day, and sleep at least seven to nine hours each night. Reduce stress whenever possible, and your overall health will improve.
- Take your medicine. If you do succumb to the flu, a visit to the doctor can get you the antiviral medication that will help you get well quickly. The faster you recover the easier preventing the flu from affecting your friends and family will be. Antiviral drugs can also prevent the flu, so ask your doctor about prescriptions for other family members if there is an outbreak in your home.
Preventing the flu can be easier if you follow cold and flu prevention tips. However, if you have contracted the flu despite your best efforts, First Choice Emergency Rooms is equipped to help both adults and children. An alternative to traditional emergency rooms, First Choice has a staff of doctors and nurses to help you get well. Visit the website for more information, or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
